I found dark green/black on top of my lab. It is in its second phase with the milk added to rice wash. Its 36 hrs since milk was add.
Top answer
From the KNF library
Drake's library describes a healthy jar. It does not describe dark green or black growth.
At 36 hours, the milk stage is still early. The basic course says to wait 48 hours or until you see clear separation, then check the curd. It should be firm and smell sweet (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17). Another recipe allows 2 to 4 days of fermenting (Cho's Solutions, p. 19).
The basic course also says to pour only the light yellowish liquid off the rice wash. Leave out the sediment and the film on top (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17).
Drake once told a farmer to trust their nose: if it smells bad, don't use it (Office Hours Ep. 45, 48:37). That answer was about finished LAB with sugar, not a jar at the milk stage.
The library does not say whether dark growth at this stage means the batch is lost. A photo and a smell report would help Drake judge.
Sources
- 48:37 Office Hours Ep. 45 (Aug 2022) — Pig Feed From Dairy Waste, IMO Collection, Water-Soluble Calcium · “trust your nose, if it smells bad, don't use it.”
- p. 17 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Wait for 48 hours or until you see clear separation Curd should be firm and it should smell sweet”
- p. 19 Cho's Solutions · “Allow to ferment 2~4 days”
