Hi,
The majority of my attempted batches of tempeh have fallen victim to contamination. They look great for the first couple days, but inevitably the wet slimy patches appear and begin taking over. I believe it's some kind of Bacillus bacteria.
Here's my procedure:
~~I soak two cups of beans overnight, then boil them for around 45 minutes.
~~After draining, I return them to the pot over low/medium-low heat and stir to evaporate the excess water.
~~I then transfer them to a food processor and chop them roughly. I've never had success with any hulling methods so I leave them in.
~~I pour them into a bowl, mix in two tablespoons of vinegar, and thoroughly distribute the starter (from Cultures for Health) throughout the beans.
~~I scoop the mixture into ziplock bags punctured with many small holes and place them in my incubator, covered with a towel.
~~I let the incubator cycle between 29 and 32 C (sometimes 30-32), until they begin putting out their own heat, around 16-24 hours.
~~I turn off the incubator and leave them inside, checking on their progress 2-3 times a day until they're done, or, more likely, showing signs of contamination.
The food processor, bowls, utensils, bags, and my hands are thoroughly washed with soap and warm water shortly before use. I've used bleach on occasion, but I'm under the impression that it's typically not necessary.
I have ideas for how to proceed with this, like washing everything with bleach, soaking or cooking the beans with vinegar, and using pre-hulled beans. I'd greatly appreciate it, though, if anyone can offer suggestions or point out some glaring flaw in my procedure. Fresh tempeh is one of my favourite foods, and I'd love to start having success with it. Thank you so much!