tempeh bags

[angelfox]

Hello
I just wondered if I could re-use zip-bags that I used to make tempeh to make new tempeh?
Thank you

[Tim Hall]

That's a good question, and I've been thinking off and on about how one could do this without having to constantly toss plastic, or even use plastic at all. With this particular culture I'm inclined to think you want to keep things pretty clean - "wild" fermenting is probably not a good idea here, and I'm sure lots of bugs will start to grow very quickly on the residue from used bags.

One option that comes to mind is to get a sanitizing agent used for brewing or winemaking. You could soak the baggies in this, then dry them out.

[angelfox]

Thank you,
I will look into this sanatizing agent for winemaking... though it doesn't sound too attractive,
In what container do you make your tempeh?

[Tim Hall]

Yeah, I'm not too keen on using the sanitizers either, but i do use them for brewing beer. For tempeh I've always just settled on plastic bags. But I've thought of different ways you might do this like sandwiching the tempeh between two "plates" of a durable (reusable) material that's perforated...maybe stainless steel, maybe ceramic tiles, propolized wood, etc.

[Tibor]

I just made tempeh using 2 Stainless steel bread loaf pans with perforated foil cover. Worked out great.But now you are giving me an idea here.I could drill holes in the bottom of the loaf pans and dedicate those for tempeh making.Is there a big advantage to holes on both sides?

[adaweawe]

Instead of using the expensive Ziploc bags (relatively expensive compared to the following solution), maybe you can use plastic wrap. Just regular plastic wrap

[Tibor]

Here is a followup to the question I asked a while ago: Does poking holes in the bottom of metal bake pans make a big difference in the finished product? I just made a plain soybean batch of tempeh in 2 bread pans.One was my nice SS pan with my perforated reuseable heavy aluminium cover (an old party tray),and the other(for this test only) was a Goodwill cheapo aluminium pan that I poked holes in the bottom and covered with the same type of perforated cover and there was no real difference in the finished product when I removed them from the incubator. Personally,I would never use plastic of any kind to make tempeh.

[adaweawe]

Why would you never use plastic to make tempeh? Is it because of potential leaching of plastic chemicals?

[Tim Hall]

Tibor, honestly I'd watch out using aluminum too. I don't know how aggressive the metabolites from tempeh are, but aluminum doesn't hold up well to chemical attack generally.

[Tibor]

Tim,I agree with you totally.I only used(as I mentioned) the aluminum for my test and it's already in my recycling.I didn't want to poke holes in my nice SS bread pans if they didn't make a difference in my tempeh results. I only have SS and cast pots in my kitchen.

Adaweave,the tempeh puts out alot of heat in the last few hours and I would be uncomfortable using any kind of plastic.There are too many unknowns with plastic,after all it is a petroleum product. Also I hate to waste and add to the trash.