I have a recipe that I've been using for several years now to make dill
pickles. It produces some very yummy deli style pickles that I'm very proud
of. For this recipe, I put all my cucumbers, dill, brine, spices and garlic
in a large container and let them sit for 3-4 weeks. They usually ferment,
creating a nasty looking/smelling frothy scum which I scoop off each day.
For some reason, they have not started fermenting yet this year after 3
weeks. The brine turned cloudy and there were a few bubbles the first
couple of days but that's it.

I had this happen once before but luckily, I had three batches on the go at
once and was able to "back slop" some of the fermenting brine into the
bucket that had not started up, giving it a kick start so to speak.
However, I am unable to do that this year as I am only making one batch.

Any suggestions to get them fermenting would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if they didn't really ferment the way they have in the past, is there
much chance of them going bad? I mean, could they be dangerous to eat?

Frustrated from faulty fermentation,
Craig

Maybe there is a time delay due to temperature? I've seen what you describe
as frothy scum type of fermentation, but my ferments have been quite mild.
Slow fermentation makes a better end product.

"Craig MacLachlan" wrote in message
.. .
I have a recipe that I've been using for several years now to make dill
pickles. It produces some very yummy deli style pickles that I'm very
proud
of. For this recipe, I put all my cucumbers, dill, brine, spices and
garlic
in a large container and let them sit for 3-4 weeks. They usually
ferment,
creating a nasty looking/smelling frothy scum which I scoop off each day.
For some reason, they have not started fermenting yet this year after 3
weeks. The brine turned cloudy and there were a few bubbles the first
couple of days but that's it.

I had this happen once before but luckily, I had three batches on the go
at
once and was able to "back slop" some of the fermenting brine into the
bucket that had not started up, giving it a kick start so to speak.
However, I am unable to do that this year as I am only making one batch.

Any suggestions to get them fermenting would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if they didn't really ferment the way they have in the past, is
there
much chance of them going bad? I mean, could they be dangerous to eat?

Frustrated from faulty fermentation,
Craig

I've never brewed pickles but when making wine I add ordinary cooking
yeast, the same stuff I use in the bread machine. It can be started in a
little sugar and water before being added to whatever is being fermented
but I usually just sprinkle the yeast right onto the juice. Half a
teaspoonful gets things started. It should be bubbling within a day of
being added.

"Craig MacLachlan" ) writes:
I have a recipe that I've been using for several years now to make dill
pickles. It produces some very yummy deli style pickles that I'm very proud
of. For this recipe, I put all my cucumbers, dill, brine, spices and garlic
in a large container and let them sit for 3-4 weeks. They usually ferment,
creating a nasty looking/smelling frothy scum which I scoop off each day.
For some reason, they have not started fermenting yet this year after 3
weeks. The brine turned cloudy and there were a few bubbles the first
couple of days but that's it.

I had this happen once before but luckily, I had three batches on the go at
once and was able to "back slop" some of the fermenting brine into the
bucket that had not started up, giving it a kick start so to speak.
However, I am unable to do that this year as I am only making one batch.

Any suggestions to get them fermenting would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if they didn't really ferment the way they have in the past, is there
much chance of them going bad? I mean, could they be dangerous to eat?

Frustrated from faulty fermentation,
Craig






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The bacteria that ferments pickles is lactobacillus. My dill pickle recipe
uses a small crust of sourbough bread per crock as a starter, and it always
works. You MUST have a source of real sourdough bread made from real living
sourdough starter, or it wont work. I get mine at my local artisanal bakery.
Apparently baking doesn't kill off all the bacteria.

DFE


"William R. Watt" wrote in message
...
I've never brewed pickles but when making wine I add ordinary cooking
yeast, the same stuff I use in the bread machine. It can be started in a
little sugar and water before being added to whatever is being fermented
but I usually just sprinkle the yeast right onto the juice. Half a
teaspoonful gets things started. It should be bubbling within a day of
being added.

"Craig MacLachlan" ) writes:
I have a recipe that I've been using for several years now to make dill
pickles. It produces some very yummy deli style pickles that I'm very
proud
of. For this recipe, I put all my cucumbers, dill, brine, spices and
garlic
in a large container and let them sit for 3-4 weeks. They usually
ferment,
creating a nasty looking/smelling frothy scum which I scoop off each
day.
For some reason, they have not started fermenting yet this year after 3
weeks. The brine turned cloudy and there were a few bubbles the first
couple of days but that's it.

I had this happen once before but luckily, I had three batches on the go
at
once and was able to "back slop" some of the fermenting brine into the
bucket that had not started up, giving it a kick start so to speak.
However, I am unable to do that this year as I am only making one batch.

Any suggestions to get them fermenting would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if they didn't really ferment the way they have in the past, is
there
much chance of them going bad? I mean, could they be dangerous to eat?

Frustrated from faulty fermentation,
Craig






--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community
network
homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
warning: non-freenet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned