Author Topic: Vinegar starter wanted (Read 2058 times)

Muc · « **on:** August 01, 2012, 09:30:36 am »

Does anyone know of a source for the bacteria, Mycodema aceti, also known as Mother of Vinegar? The only sources I have found on the web are in the US.

The plan is to turn leftover wine into the finest vinegar.

Maybe someone who already has a starter would care to post me a dollop (in a sealed plastic bag). I would, of course, pay all costs.

Olly398 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2012, 10:57:11 am »

Can;t help you with the mother but you could try a couple of other tricks:

Buy a bottle of unpasteurised vinegar if you can find it, and mix a little with cup of your wine to get it going.

Leave a cuoful of wine out in the open for a few weeks. The vinegar flies will more than likely visit and you'll get the reaction you need.

Muc · « **Reply #2 on:** August 01, 2012, 11:01:21 am »

Thanks Olly. The only unpasteurised vinegar I can find has been carefully filtered to remove even the smallest particles - there was not a cloud in it.

Olly398 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 01, 2012, 12:49:26 pm »

Ah, didn't appreciate that. Have you tried anyway? Perhaps they are small enough to survide the filer...

Person here did it without starter, interesting piece. One of the books I have mentions it too - John Seymour - I'm pretty sure he talks about dripping wine or cider through a barrel containing perforated plates or something to increase the surface area of liquid exposed...

Sylvia · « **Reply #4 on:** August 01, 2012, 04:17:19 pm »

Taken from my Ma's recipe book.......
( Take a bushell of apples, cut them up or pound them, place in a large tub. When they start to ferment add some water which they will absorb. Keep adding water every day until they absorb no more.
Leave, covered for a month, strain liqour off the pulp. To every gallon of liqour add half a pint of vinegar, hot that has been boiled and reduced from one pint. Leave for six weeks and bottle.)
From this, and Mother made it every year as I remember, I would say that the reduced vinegar (malt or cider, definately not acetic acid) would take the place of the "mother" Hope that helps

Ina · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2012, 11:07:05 pm »

Is that the cloudy stuff that floats about in vinegar when you stupidly buy a 5-litre container of the stuff (organic cider vinegar) and then hardly ever use it, so most of it is still around 5 years later? Whenever I do use this vinegar, I try to filter it out... Don't know whether it would be "pure" enough to make new vinegar, though.

Muc · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2012, 10:30:30 am »

I think that's it. You could take a dollop and put it in a container with some wine or cider leftovers and see does it turn to vinegar. In the US, according to my research, you could sell it at $10 a go.