Re: [CH] white stuff on my fermenting habs

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hi folks,
   a couple of things; if the "white stuff" you are talking about is
sort of "fuzzy or furry" in appearance ... then it's probably a mold.
and although you may scrape off the top layer (fruiting body) of the 
mold, the larger real body of the organism (mycelium) continues to
grow beneath the surface.  as it eats its way through your peppers,
that mold continues to release metabolites & wastes into the slurry.
maybe those metabolites are toxic ... maybe not.
but i wouldn't bet my life either way!
   one possible culprit is Aspergillus ochraceus, which does quite
nicely in a salty environment; toxic too!    see the page at ...
http://134.84.147.72/fungus/aspochr.html

this from the Academic Press Dictionary of Science Technology ...
"Aspergillus:  a genus of imperfect fungi, of the class Hyphomycetes,
including species that cause food spoilage and diseases. "

   now, it's just possible that everything is progressing 
"as it should" with those fermentations, but i recommend getting
some tests done by a professional BEFORE you ingest any of the
end product! an expert mold mycologist can identify the genus from
a live sample (your local university?).

meanwhile, i'm still looking for the definitive recipe/methodology
for SAFELY/SURELY producing a fermented pepper sauce, at home.

regards
peter g

• Next message: Jim Weller: "[CH] pepper fermentation"
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• Maybe in reply to: Gerald and Rosemary King: "[CH] white stuff on my fermenting habs"