2026 Perique'n Out

[WillQuantrill]

Idk if this applies to perique, but when making sauerkraut, the general practice is to make sure the contents are covered by the liquid.

Makes sense to me, if not exposed to air it can't mold/oxidize. Through my 1 week of experience thus far this seems to be a technique that is quite easy to screw up.

 

[deluxestogie]

Making Perique is a stinky, somewhat random succession of microbes. E. coli, always seems to start off winning the race, and causing a definite outhouse aroma. But the hero, Pichia anomala, takes the lead (after at least several weeks of stink), wipes out the E. coli, and produces the intense, fruity potency of Perique.

Bob

 

[StoneCarver]

if not exposed to air it can't mold/oxidize

That's the idea. Even the weights to keep the sauerkraut submerged is ideally also submerged. Still things can happen like the growth of kahm yeast which can make sauerkraut taste like bread- not nice. I used to regularly make sauerkraut but got fed up with it since I'd get kahm yeast infecting my sauerkraut like 2 out 3 times. So, I haven't made any in a long while. Idk if kahm yeast growing on tobacco/perique is a risk but my gut tells me its probably not. That's because tobacco leaves likely have a lower sugar content than cabbage.

 

[WillQuantrill]

Another nuance of a rustic fermentation process like this "is this good or bad scum on top"? Haha