# Making Vinegar From Scratch



## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

My family has tried this it works-

Vinegar has many uses, many of which can be attested to by our grandmothers as well as modern day make-do and naturally minded folks. But where does vinegar come from? How is it made? Whatever will we do if for some reason vinegar becomes unavailable in the stores?

Homemade vinegar is a result of fermentation. Some would say it's a result of over-fermentation, as vinegar is what your alcohol will turn into if left too long and without preservatives. But we're making vinegar on purpose here. Fermentation is a somewhat lost art that is making a return as people realize the benefits of this method of food preservation. Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and Fermentation Factor from Solutions from Science are all excellent resources to use in learning how to ferment your own foods, vinegar being one of them!

Making Vinegar From Scratch | Off The Grid News


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

so that is the mother of all secrets


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Thank you hawgrider. I may try that again. First time didn't work well.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

MrsInor said:


> Thank you hawgrider. I may try that again. First time didn't work well.


Sometimes it wont ... you have to catch the right bacteria. We got lucky first time out.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

tinkerhell said:


> so that is the mother of all secrets


It will make its own mother


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks


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## oddapple (Dec 9, 2013)

I think hillbillies batches come out because nature holds more sway than black mold and baby diapers. Nature kills stuff that lives in houses and usually in micro world, the first one to gain simple dominance is the winner so if your batch went wrong, do the next one somewhere else. Garage, shed, barn - People set milk to separate in the shade on the porch if temps are mild.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

oddapple said:


> I think hillbillies batches come out because nature holds more sway than black mold and baby diapers. Nature kills stuff that lives in houses and usually in micro world, the first one to gain simple dominance is the winner so if your batch went wrong, do the next one somewhere else. Garage, shed, barn - People set milk to separate in the shade on the porch if temps are mild.


Have to agree.... if you hose your house down with Lysol then odds are you might not catch the bacteria that is needed. So I agree try another location or quit using Lysol.


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## Daddy O (Jan 20, 2014)

That article is the kind of data that should be digitally prepped. Once the net goes down the info is lost to us. I think I will add it to my growing archive.


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## bsflower13 (Nov 30, 2014)

I'm making 2 batches right now. All I did was take my apple peels and cores from apple sauce and put them in a large glass jar with clean water. I covered it with cheese cloth and put it in a cooler to keep it dark. So far it seems to be working and smells like vinegar. I will keep it in there for 2 months then strain the apple stuff off and just keep the vinegar in the jars for when they are needed.
I love making stuff I used to buy


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

If you can find un-pastuerized vinegar without preservatives that can be the mother for the vinegar. For the cider I like to use champagne yeast and save some of mother from that in a capped jar in the fridge for the hard cider


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Mad Trapper said:


> If you can find un-pastuerized vinegar without preservatives that can be the mother for the vinegar. For the cider I like to use champagne yeast and save some of mother from that in a capped jar in the fridge for the hard cider


Ours Made its own mother somehow? It looks, smells and tastes like Bragg's
The sediment was on the bottom of both jars. Isn't the sediment the mother?
I shaked both jars before the picture.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

If the sediment looks like a jellyfish type organism - it is the mother.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

MrsInor said:


> If the sediment looks like a jellyfish type organism - it is the mother.


That's pretty much how it looked. It looks like the braggs after it sits a while.


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## bsflower13 (Nov 30, 2014)

Mad Trapper said:


> If you can find un-pastuerized vinegar without preservatives that can be the mother for the vinegar. For the cider I like to use champagne yeast and save some of mother from that in a capped jar in the fridge for the hard cider


I did not add mother but it is most definitely smelling like vinegar and it had only been a couple weeks. I'm still hopeful


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

hawgrider said:


> Ours Made its own mother somehow? It looks, smells and tastes like Bragg's
> The sediment was on the bottom of both jars. Isn't the sediment the mother?
> I shaked both jars before the picture.


That is exactly the idea!

My Grandfather was a master cider maker. He did 55-gal wooden barrels. They har nice get to family gatherings every spring. ::clapping:::grin:

We still have trees > 100 years old than me.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

bsflower13 said:


> I did not add mother but it is most definitely smelling like vinegar and it had only been a couple weeks. I'm still hopeful


Give it time.

Another snippet from the article.


> There are many variations on these instructions, as is typical with something that has been around for over a thousand years.* These instructions should get you started from the beginning, with things most people have available in their kitchens, and with no winemaking supplies, no "cheats" such as yeast packets, "mother," or any vinegar to pour in to get things started. We will be truly making vinegar from scratch


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought it said: Making Viagra From Scratch! I thought: Damn Hawgrider is even more talented than I figured! :lol:


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Inor said:


> When I first saw the title of this thread I thought it said: Making Viagra From Scratch! I thought: Damn Hawgrider is even more talented than I figured! :lol:


Hmm that's not a bad idea I wonder........
:grin:


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

If you can find someone with a vinegar mother, beg them for one. Saves so much time on your first batch. You need to make sure to protect your mother after your vinegar is complete. It will still need to continue to be fed a sugar source so it does not die. Best is to start a second batch and add the mother to it so it can keep on growing. I have a 20 gallon crock that is always brewing up a batch.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Can I buy un pastuerized vinegar in a store? Is that legal?


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## rjd25 (Nov 27, 2014)

well hell, i've made vinegar a ton of times..... it is generally a mistake when I am making wine. Something wasn't sanitized properly and it gets the funk, next comes vinegar.


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