So my first batch of sake was an epic fail. It's full of lactic acid. At this point, I think the only thing I can do with it is introduce an acetobacter culture to digest the lactic acid into vinegar. Are all mothers of vinegar alike, or is there a certain type I should use?
Rice Wine Vinegar
- Thread starter Angelic Alchemist
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I don't make vinegar any more (on purpose, that is), but a friend of mine uses her mother of vinegar culture for all her recipes - with no problem.
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My LHBS sells mothers, you could check there. If you can buy "raw" vinegar, you might be able to get any bugs in there to start yours off.
I tried pouring Braggs raw apple cider vinegar into a couple of mine, it claims to contain the mother (it just looks like it has apple/yeast sediment to me though... not that I know what mother looks like). Not sure if it worked yet.
She's kept it going for several years now, and it was just a gift from another vinegar maker.
For that matter you can start your own starter by picking up a bottle of "unpasteurized" or "raw" vinegar from almost any natural foods grocery.
UPDATE - That's what I get for drafting the response at 11AM but sending it just now -- they beat me to it! Truly "raw" vinegar will contain some active acetobacter cells, especially if it is fresh.
For that matter you can start your own starter by picking up a bottle of "unpasteurized" or "raw" vinegar from almost any natural foods grocery.
UPDATE - That's what I get for drafting the response at 11AM but sending it just now -- they beat me to it! Truly "raw" vinegar will contain some active acetobacter cells, especially if it is fresh.
I know they don't have acetobacter at my LHBS, but I'll try the health food store. Obviously, this project won't go in the closet with the other brews. How far away should I keep it? Warm and dark, I presume?
I wouldn't have an acetobacter colony anywhere near my brewing room, if at all possible. Acetobacter is aerobic, so most of the time when you are making vinegar you want the vessel to be open to the air, and acetobacter is spread via airborne spores, so anything introduced into the air from the mother could find its way into your mead. 
I wouldn't have an acetobacter colony anywhere near my brewing room, if at all possible. Acetobacter is aerobic, so most of the time when you are making vinegar you want the vessel to be open to the air, and acetobacter is spread via airborne spores, so anything introduced into the air from the mother could find its way into your mead.
Yikes! That won't do at all! Maybe I can hijack a friend's house to run the batch.
