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Asked by wilver316 ·July 6, 2018 ·27.7k readers

Seaweed FPJ

I made some FPJ using seaweed but after 2 months being stored I notice a thing layer of “mold” I removed it and it doesn’t smells bad. should I do something else with it? Also I stabilize some LAB and I didn’t put a tight seal lid and it looks like the top it’s getti ticker and different color than the bottom. Can I use it or is it bad?

seaweed mold

Top answer

Drake Weinert Foundation · Jul 7, 2018
Layers of mold can grow on top of KNF Food made by fermenting plant material and sometimes if they are not super saturated with sugar after the extraction of juice, they will continue to ferment and may grow a mold on top. This is a sign that the solution is not stable and is slowly degrading. To stop it from degrading and fully arrest fermentation, equal volumes of brown sugar should be added to super saturate the solution. Every water molecule will be bound with a sugar molecule and thus when microbes go to metabolize the solution, they are retarded by the sugar and eventually become inactive.  

From the KNF library

From the KNF library Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books · Sep 2026 · 2 sources

The loose lid on the LAB was fine. Drake's source says to keep the bottle loosely capped, or gas from fermentation may burst the container. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15) Drake's recipe covers the jar with a paper towel so the LAB can breathe. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17)

Smell is the test. LAB should have a sweet odor. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15) If it turns unpleasant or rotten after storage, discard it and make a new batch. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15)

To keep LAB stable, add equal volumes of brown sugar to the liquid.

The library does not say what a thicker, different-colored top layer means. Check the smell first, and consider showing the jar at office hours.

Sources

  • p. 17 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Cover with paper towel with rubber band to seal, so LAB can breathe”
  • p. 15 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “LAB culture should have a sweet odor”

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