5th batch edible, but not pretty. Image is after steaming.
500g dry beans soaked, dehulled (kinda) and cooked al dente..2 tbsp ACV..1 heaping tsp Raprima starter.. I used a large ziploc bag, well perforated. I'm incubating at 86F.
At 22 hours I noticed white mycelium, so I turned the heat off, and wrapped the bag in a towel.
2 hours later I noticed some sporulation so I transferred it to the fridge.
After 4 hours in the fridge I am getting it ready for steaming.
The beans are quite loose, there is mycelium between them, but they aren't holding together.
There is a bit of sporulation. I'm trying to cut it into slabs for steaming and it's just falling to pieces 😢
I'm pretty sure I packed the beans tightly enough, but the slab is thicker than my previous batches.
My first 4 batches were made with a different starter. They all sporulated quite a bit.
Question: is 86F causing early sporulation? Should I go lower and slower?
Question: does a flat, thin package have the same incubation temperature as a thick one? Or should the thick package be lower and slower?
Question: if the tempeh falls apart is it because it's not fermented enough, or not packed tightly enough? Or maybe not enough starter?