The pineapple fermentation I rushed ended up tasting like gasoline

Tried to do a quick tepache batch last Tuesday because I had friends coming over Saturday. Used a whole pineapple, skin and all, plus some piloncillo from the Mexican grocery down the street. Let it go for only 3 days because I was impatient and kept burping the jar twice a day. Opened it up and the smell hit me like a bad hangover, tasted like someone dumped fuel in a fruit salad. Apparently the wild yeast needed more time to eat through all that sugar, and I basically made a weird boozy vinegar hybrid. My buddy took one sip and asked if my apartment had a gas leak. I dumped the whole thing down the sink and started over with a proper 5 day ferment, which came out fine. Has anyone else ruined a batch by cutting the time short? Curious if there's a way to save it or if it's just a lost cause once it goes that direction.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_hayden1d ago

Ditch it, that vinegar taste only gets worse and there's no coming back from fuel notes. Next time just let it ride the full 5 days and stop messing with the lid so much, you're just letting oxygen in to wreck it.

rowanr881d ago

Man, I’ve been there with the vinegar smell. Ruined a whole batch back in March, same mistake. Tossed it the next morning after tasting that sharp hit. Hurts to waste the work, but you’re right, it never gets better. Next time I’m setting a timer and walking away from the jar.