Fermentation recipes

For most ferments you need a clean vessel (glass jar or food-grade bucket), an airlock or loose lid, salt or sugar, and a thermometer. Brewing beer or wine adds a hydrometer, siphon, and sanitiser. Start simple and add equipment as you need it.

For alcoholic ferments, stable gravity readings over two days mean fermentation is complete. For vegetable ferments, taste daily from the target window — tang and acidity increase over time. Kombucha is done when the sweetness-to-sourness ratio suits your preference.

Yes, when you follow basic hygiene and salt or acid guidelines. Lacto-fermentation creates an acidic environment that inhibits harmful bacteria. Alcoholic fermentation produces ethanol, which is itself preservative. The main risks are mold from insufficient salt or contamination from unclean equipment.

It varies by type: sourdough and yogurt like 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), most ale yeasts work at 18–22 °C (64–72 °F), lagers at 10–13 °C (50–55 °F), and vegetable ferments at 18–24 °C (64–75 °F). Temperature controls speed and flavour — cooler is slower but often cleaner.