This has been brought up a few times recently so I have had a tidy up of the thread and tried to keep the relevant posts in.
It may move around a bit but it's the best I can do.
It may move around a bit but it's the best I can do.
In reply to Post #142
Good work...
Good work...
Its many years ago since I posted my method of fermenting maize and repeated it on the odd occasion, I would not be surprised if it was about 20 years ago, maybe longer and over the years it has caught me many fish. Its also a handy way of fermenting maize when you do not know when your going to use it, but you can always have a bottle of it with you for that occasion as it does not go off.
It is a "Fidgety" way of doing it, but it is not designed for doing it for a session in a few days time etc, but more for having a stock of fermented maize ready to go, for the unexpected session, or as a backup bait, that you may or may not use etc
1. Prepare your maize as normal with the soaking and boiling times etc
2. Using a funnel with its spout cut to match the size of a 2 litre or even a 3 litre or smaller plastic PET bottle, ie Coca Cola, Pepsi etc, fill the bottle about three quarters full with maize. Do not completely fill with maize, the bottle needs room inside for the bottle to expand. 2 litre bottles I find best.
3. Top up each bottle with the water from the boiling and share it out between all the bottles if not enough to cover the maize in all the bottles. If there is not enough, just top up with tap water.
4. Squeeze out the air in the plastic bottle till the juice is up to the top off the bottle and screw on the top tight.
5. Place the plastic bottle filled with maize in a warm place and just leave.
6. In a few days time, the bottle will have expanded as fermentation takes place. Do not be surprised to see eventually that the bottom of the bottle has popped out and is now dome shaped and the plastic bottle seems to be about to explode. But don't worry, I have never had one explode yet.
7. Once fermented, it is now ready to use and can be left years before you do use it.
8. To use it, just slice the top off the bottle to make it easier than trying to shake it out of the top. Also, as I usually do, I pour the juice out into a cup etc and have a good drink rather than waste it. Its probably a lot stronger than cheapo cider.
9. Avoid temptation to open bottles to "sniff" etc, you can let harmful bacteria in, and if you do, the maize will rot. If the bottle appears to have air in it and it is very hard to the touch and if the bottle bottom has popped out, presume it is good to go and it has fermented.
Sometimes though, you will get the odd bottle that does not ferment, I think its probably caused by bacteria in the bottle that has killed the yeast off same as what happens with home brewing. All I do with plastic bottles is just swill them out with tap water after they are empty. Maybe it would be better to sterilise them with the likes of Camden tablets etc first, but, I find it rare that one does fail to ferment.
Do not try and fill the bottles with dry maize which is the easy way than poking prepared maize through a small hole with a tea spoon handle etc, fill with water and then leave to soak for the required amount of time and then place the bottles stood upright to boil up in a pan of hot water If you do, you will end up with a plastic bottle full of maize shrink wrapped when the water in the pan boils and the bottle distorts, curls up and shrinks.
An additional thing you can do is add flavour. dye, additives etc when you bottle it etc. The juice is probably not drinkable then. But, be careful what you add, it too could kill off fermentation.
I have found this method only works with maize, the likes of hemp, chick peas, tares, maples etc, just rots and never ferments.
It is a "Fidgety" way of doing it, but it is not designed for doing it for a session in a few days time etc, but more for having a stock of fermented maize ready to go, for the unexpected session, or as a backup bait, that you may or may not use etc
1. Prepare your maize as normal with the soaking and boiling times etc
2. Using a funnel with its spout cut to match the size of a 2 litre or even a 3 litre or smaller plastic PET bottle, ie Coca Cola, Pepsi etc, fill the bottle about three quarters full with maize. Do not completely fill with maize, the bottle needs room inside for the bottle to expand. 2 litre bottles I find best.
3. Top up each bottle with the water from the boiling and share it out between all the bottles if not enough to cover the maize in all the bottles. If there is not enough, just top up with tap water.
4. Squeeze out the air in the plastic bottle till the juice is up to the top off the bottle and screw on the top tight.
5. Place the plastic bottle filled with maize in a warm place and just leave.
6. In a few days time, the bottle will have expanded as fermentation takes place. Do not be surprised to see eventually that the bottom of the bottle has popped out and is now dome shaped and the plastic bottle seems to be about to explode. But don't worry, I have never had one explode yet.
7. Once fermented, it is now ready to use and can be left years before you do use it.
8. To use it, just slice the top off the bottle to make it easier than trying to shake it out of the top. Also, as I usually do, I pour the juice out into a cup etc and have a good drink rather than waste it. Its probably a lot stronger than cheapo cider.
9. Avoid temptation to open bottles to "sniff" etc, you can let harmful bacteria in, and if you do, the maize will rot. If the bottle appears to have air in it and it is very hard to the touch and if the bottle bottom has popped out, presume it is good to go and it has fermented.
Sometimes though, you will get the odd bottle that does not ferment, I think its probably caused by bacteria in the bottle that has killed the yeast off same as what happens with home brewing. All I do with plastic bottles is just swill them out with tap water after they are empty. Maybe it would be better to sterilise them with the likes of Camden tablets etc first, but, I find it rare that one does fail to ferment.
Do not try and fill the bottles with dry maize which is the easy way than poking prepared maize through a small hole with a tea spoon handle etc, fill with water and then leave to soak for the required amount of time and then place the bottles stood upright to boil up in a pan of hot water If you do, you will end up with a plastic bottle full of maize shrink wrapped when the water in the pan boils and the bottle distorts, curls up and shrinks.
An additional thing you can do is add flavour. dye, additives etc when you bottle it etc. The juice is probably not drinkable then. But, be careful what you add, it too could kill off fermentation.
I have found this method only works with maize, the likes of hemp, chick peas, tares, maples etc, just rots and never ferments.
In reply to Post #144
Some of the best advice to be found on here. Thanks, Zack.
(BTW, it also works with tigers, as you no doubt know.)
Some of the best advice to be found on here. Thanks, Zack.
(BTW, it also works with tigers, as you no doubt know.)
In reply to Post #144
My only gripe wit htast method is cutting open the plastic bottle, I understand its been recycled once already but its a shame there doesnt seem to be a wider neck bottle to facilitate emptying. ever tried it with a milk bottle and taping the lid shut?
My only gripe wit htast method is cutting open the plastic bottle, I understand its been recycled once already but its a shame there doesnt seem to be a wider neck bottle to facilitate emptying. ever tried it with a milk bottle and taping the lid shut?
In reply to Post #146
Tape isn't going to hold if the fermentation is enough to make the bottle swell up massively..
Most plastic bottles don't get recycled anyway, we just send them abroad to be burned/buried..
Recycling is good in some countries but not in the UK.
Tape isn't going to hold if the fermentation is enough to make the bottle swell up massively..
Most plastic bottles don't get recycled anyway, we just send them abroad to be burned/buried..
Recycling is good in some countries but not in the UK.
In reply to Post #146
remember those 3L bottles of cheap squash? JUBLEE with the massive tops? be deal them.
remember those 3L bottles of cheap squash? JUBLEE with the massive tops? be deal them.
In reply to Post #147
you just need to chose who to send it to. Steve carrie of DNA baits / malting organic will turn your fishing line and face masks into benches and boards etc. Brilliant innovation.
you just need to chose who to send it to. Steve carrie of DNA baits / malting organic will turn your fishing line and face masks into benches and boards etc. Brilliant innovation.
In reply to Post #147
Also I promise you I have tapes thst will hold it it was more of the materials would
Also I promise you I have tapes thst will hold it it was more of the materials would
In reply to Post #148
>>>>remember those 3L bottles of cheap squash? JUBLEE with the massive tops? be deal them.<<<<
>>>>Plastic milk bottles<<<<
If your planning on using my method and planning on using squash bottles or even plastic milk bottles or even spring water bottles, forget it, you need proper PET plastic bottles that are designed to hold the likes of carbonated drinks that can become highly pressurised. Unless of course you want the container to explode which would go down a treat in the back of a car when you hit some bumps or in a kitchen cupboard.
Believe me, when the maize starts fermenting, the bottle will become very pressurised. Have you ever dropped a bottle of Coca Cola from a height and picked it up and noticed how firm the bottle has become, that is how hard the bottle becomes when maize is fermenting.
I actually think that the serrated bottom of plastic bottles is actually part of the design as a "pressure release valve" in case its contents should start fermenting by accident or the bottle is dropped and this "valve" pops out. As a rule "fizzy" drinks usually have potassium sorbate in to kill off fermentation and bacteria like you use for making homebrew.
Yes Ken, tigers ferment well also prepared this way. The hardest part with tigers though is, they don't like being boiled and scratch and bite like hell when your trying to force them into the bottle. I'm always glad to finally get the tail in and screw the top on.
>>>>remember those 3L bottles of cheap squash? JUBLEE with the massive tops? be deal them.<<<<
>>>>Plastic milk bottles<<<<
If your planning on using my method and planning on using squash bottles or even plastic milk bottles or even spring water bottles, forget it, you need proper PET plastic bottles that are designed to hold the likes of carbonated drinks that can become highly pressurised. Unless of course you want the container to explode which would go down a treat in the back of a car when you hit some bumps or in a kitchen cupboard.
Believe me, when the maize starts fermenting, the bottle will become very pressurised. Have you ever dropped a bottle of Coca Cola from a height and picked it up and noticed how firm the bottle has become, that is how hard the bottle becomes when maize is fermenting.
I actually think that the serrated bottom of plastic bottles is actually part of the design as a "pressure release valve" in case its contents should start fermenting by accident or the bottle is dropped and this "valve" pops out. As a rule "fizzy" drinks usually have potassium sorbate in to kill off fermentation and bacteria like you use for making homebrew.
Yes Ken, tigers ferment well also prepared this way. The hardest part with tigers though is, they don't like being boiled and scratch and bite like hell when your trying to force them into the bottle. I'm always glad to finally get the tail in and screw the top on.
In reply to Post #151
Hence why I asked lol.
Still think a large screw top would be better.
HDPE will deal with compression just as well as PET to be fair
Hence why I asked lol.
Still think a large screw top would be better.
HDPE will deal with compression just as well as PET to be fair
In reply to Post #152
What large screw top bottle would that be then? He's already explained why you need to use a bottle that'll withstand the pressure.
What large screw top bottle would that be then? He's already explained why you need to use a bottle that'll withstand the pressure.
In reply to Post #153
Can remember reading Zack's method a very long time ago and using it, often thought about a wide neck bottle as well but never found anything. Did wonder If there is a wide one on the marhet that had an air admittance valve in the lid to allow the fermentation process to drive the air out so the bottle didn't expand but again didn't find anything suitable.
Can remember reading Zack's method a very long time ago and using it, often thought about a wide neck bottle as well but never found anything. Did wonder If there is a wide one on the marhet that had an air admittance valve in the lid to allow the fermentation process to drive the air out so the bottle didn't expand but again didn't find anything suitable.
In reply to Post #153
Why are you asking me what container thst would be? I've described a type of container not one I've identified. Calm down. 😂
Why are you asking me what container thst would be? I've described a type of container not one I've identified. Calm down. 😂
In reply to Post #146
Honestly what's the problem with cutting the lid off a 2L bottle?
Honestly what's the problem with cutting the lid off a 2L bottle?