Branden Byers

I love tel jetson's idea of using other heat generating ferments as a heat source. I'm not certain if that would be easy to control temperature without a lot of manual intervention, but it might be possible!

For ferments that require warmer temperatures, I built an insulated wooden box with a a light bulb as heat source. I control the temperature with a temperature controller that is accurate down to 1 degree.

I've had grains start to disintegrate if I leave then to ferment too long. If I understand correctly, it happens due to a lack of food for the SCOBY. So it seems your SCOBY doesn't consider agave as sugar it can metabolize?

I never use to remove the pulp with my preserved lemons, but now that I do, I find that it adds a smoother flavor to the finished dish. The flesh has a slightly harsher flavor that works better in soups and stocks in my opinion.

Are you looking for the safety of fermentation in general or of vegetables specifically? If it is the latter, then as long as salt your vegetables and have them submerged below their own juices or a brine, then you really don't have anything to worry about. The salty environment inhibits pathogenic bacteria from multiplying as the lactic acid bacteria begin to acidify the vegetables (the lactic acids further protect and preserve the vegetables). So there is no need to fear vegetable fermentation.

There's no need to fear any form of fermentation but there are some important precautions to take when fermenting meats and dairy.