Acetic Fermentation

Before beginning the filling of the conditioned alcoholic must, the acetic fermentation equipment will need to be prepared. When you are working with small amounts of production (up to 90 liters at a time), this equipment can have the following characteristics:

A container of 250 liters of capacity.

A thin layer of ground corncobs on the bottom (2 to 3 centimeters in thickness).

A faucet in the inferior part of the container (15 centimeters from the bottom) under the support rack.

A support rack with a border made out of non-resinous wood and the central part covered with a nylon rack. It should have two holes where two oxygen tubes can pass through.

The top of the container must have two holes through which the oxygen tubes will pass through.

Two PVC tubes of 2 inches in diameter, for the oxygen of the must. On top of these tubes cotton will need to be placed to avoid insects from going in.

140 liters of conditioned alcoholic must is poured into containers of 250 liters of capacity, then the support rack is placed inside and the top with the oxygen tubes.

The acetous fermentation takes place during seventy days, at the optimal temperature of (23 to 24 C). The higher the temperature the less time it takes and vice versa.

After eighteen days, approximately, a white fog should appear on the top of the wooden surface or on top of the wooden support. From that moment the acidity will start to rise, until it reaches 5% during the remaining days. 

After the acetic fermentation has taken place, and once the white coat on the surface has formed, the vinegar will have reached an acidity of 5%, which is recommendable for consumption. The procedure is as follows:

Separate a 90-liter container of vinegar with approximately 5% of acetic acid.

Then prepare the conditioned alcoholic must, adding 45 liters of boiled cold water to 45 liters of the alcoholic must.

Finally add 90 liters of conditioned alcoholic must to the other 50 liters of vinegar that remained in the acetic fermentation equipment.

The attainment of vinegar and the addition of conditioned alcoholic must, is then done every twenty days successively.

Once the 90 liters of the fermentation equipment are separated, they then need to be filtered. This is done by using a special cloth and two layers of cotton that are placed over the surface of the container.

To paralyze the acetic fermentation, 1.5 grams of bisulphite sodium is added for every fifteen liters of vinegar, or 2.5 grams of salt for every ten liters of vinegar.

Second hand bottles must be soaked with detergent and two teaspoons of caustic soda per ten liter of water. For the last rinsing a teaspoon of bisulphite sodium is used for every ten liters of water. Finally the bottles are well drained.

The bottles are filled with a clean funnel. The corks or plastic caps are placed on manually, and a capuchin is placed over the cork or the plastic caps. Use transparent bottles of 250 cm3 or 350 cm3 of capacity.

It is recommended to store the vinegar in a dry clean environment, and protected from the sun.

 

Desserts Recipes Conditioning and correcting the must Alcoholic Fermentation Uncovering and conditioning of the alcoholic must Acetic Fermentation Recommendation for the elaboration of vinegar with other fruits