Siracha Oloroso Hot Sauce

Before commencing any of the following steps, consider wearing protective eyewear, a mask or respirator, and latex/rubber gloves.
Turn on your stovetop vent and ventilate the room as well as possible.
Do not touch your eyes or other mucous membranes during the process.
Do not inhale or sniff this stuff at close range!

In one quarter increments, combine the chiles, garlic, salt, and fish sauce in a food processor. Process for one minute each or until a coarse mash is achieved.
Place all of the mash into a large bowl and mix to combine evenly.

Transfer the mash to the fermentation vessels. Leave a few inches of headspace for expansion, fashion a cartouche from parchment paper to cover the surface of the mash and place in a tray to catch overflows.
Close with the air lock following the directions in the kit. If not using an airlock system, screw on the jar lid tight, but DO NOT forget to "burp" your ferment every day or more often.

Place the ferments in a dark place that has a constant temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

The duration of the fermentation depends both on conditions and the target profile of the finished product. The warmer the environment, the faster the fermentation (although "fast" is not always "good"). Also, the longer the fermentation time, the more acidic (and shelf-stable) the sauce will become. It is suggested that it ferment for at least 2 weeks, and up to 2 months.

Approximately 7 to 10 days before the end of the mash fermentation, begin the fruit fermentation as follows:

Gently heat the water in a saucepan. Prepare a 2.7% brine solution by dissolving the salt in the warmed water until fully dissolved. Off the heat and cool completely.

Add the fruit to the fermentation vessel, pour the cooled brine up to the top, and seal with an air lock.

Once the fermentation is complete, prepare the workspace for finishing the sauce as follows:
WORK CLEAN! - It is critically important that all the bottles and utensils are washed in hot, soapy water (or dishwasher sterile cycle) before beginning.
Place all of the bottles in a stoppered sink and cover with scalding hot water (from a teapot) or use a hot-water bath on the stove to submerge the bottles until right before packing.
Place the lids and orofice reducers in a glass Pyrex container. Cover them with scalding hot water as well.

Place the fine mesh filter inside the fruit press. Open the fermentation vessel and scoop out approximately half of the mash into the filter.
Load the fruit press according to its directions for use. (I replaced the stick on rubber feet with bolted rubber feet and clamp it to my stone counter next to the open sink, then drain into a saucepot in the sink). Twist and squeeze until at least 2 cups of liquid fall into the bowl.
Carefully open the filter and scoop out the dehydrated ball of mash into the trash, then refill with remaining mash from the jar and repeat the squeeze. Each half gallon fermentation vessel should render at least 4 cups of liquid extract.

Combine the extracted liquid, sugar, and sherry into a medium, non-reactive saucepan and heat over medium-high heat to boiling.
DO NOT leave this unattended! The sauce will resist boiling until foam is created on the surface and expands - you must constantly stir to reduce the foam (if all else fails, turn off the heat and continue stirring).

Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil until the liquid is reduced by 1/4.

At this point, remove approximately 1/4 cup of the sauce from the pan for pH testing: Monitor the temperature of the liquid with an instant read meat thermometer. To speed up the process, cool the removed sauce with an ice bath (do not put the ice IN the sauce!) to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 deg C).
Once the temperature is lowered, test the pH.
If the pH is 4.6 or above, follow the directions for adding increments of vinegar to the pot.
If the pH is less than 4.6, NO vinegar needs to be added - go on to the following step.
Return the test liquid to the pot.

IF THE pH IS 4.6 OR ABOVE:
Add 2 tbs cider vinegar to the pot and stir.
Again remove 1/4 cup of sauce for testing per the directions above.
Continue adding vinegar in this fashion until the pH is under 4.6.

Increase the heat back to medium high to boiling. Then, sprinkle in the pectin powder while continuing to stir for 30 seconds.

Reduce the heat back to its lowest setting, cover, and prepare the bottles.

Remove two bottles at a time from their hot water bath and fill with the sauce using a metal funnel. Leave about 1/2 inch headspace.
Snap on the orofice reducer and screw down the lid.

If there is a partial bottle fill at the end, use this as a "tester", refrigerate, taste and use as soon as possible.

Cool all the bottles to room temperature. Add a label and shrink wrap topper if desired.