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Asked by harleysbrown ·November 9, 2021 ·18k readers

Trichoderma on FAA

Hey Everybody, I just started my journey into KNF earlier this year and I have just recently done 2 batches of FAA a week apart. First was 2 liters of whole mackerel chopped up into quarters. Everything seems to be going well with little circles of white bacteria on the surface which I'm assuming is some type of bacillus. 1st batch Second is 6 liters fish waste and salmon heads which has lots of bluey Trichoderma-like fungus growing on the surface and sides where the heads are protruding as the waste breaks down. 2nd batch Is this going to be a problem? And has this already gone bad after 2 weeks. I am getting no bad smells from either and have tried pushing the heads under but they keep resurfacing. used a little LAB and OHN as currently do not have any IMO going. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Also these are in my kitchen cupboard is the Trichoderma like stuff a health hazard? Thanks KNF family much love from AU

faa fish-amino-acid trichoderma bacteria gone-bad

Top answer

jay.buhrt · Nov 9, 2021
Hi, OHN will help keep fat/lipids down, but a dash of IMO4 will really really help keep the top dissolved. I would not use LAB on top of your FAA. To make a good FFA, it takes 3-6 months… if you get it right 1:1 BS/Fish, just let it sit until it's completely liquid. I do this in a glass jar, then put it in the ground, (outside) in a hole an check on it later. What is your temperature in which you’re fermenting at? Are you covering the top with a good 1inch of BS? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9QbfzUnGSQ -Jay KNF Farms

From the KNF library

From the KNF library Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books · Sep 2026 · 8 sources

White growth on exposed fish heads is normal. Every batch of fish amino acids looks a little different. (Office Hours Ep. 26, 20:30) The library does not name the blue fungus or say if it is safe to breathe near.

For the top of the jar, Cho's recipe says to fill it with enough brown sugar to cover the top. (Cho, Recipe, p. 49) Another recipe says to cap with a layer of sugar, check for smell over the next 3 days, and add more sugar if it smells. (Cho's Solutions, p. 13) You report no bad smell. One Office Hours answer says enough sugar alone keeps out bad bacteria. (Office Hours Ep. 15, 58:58)

Two weeks is early, and the sources disagree on timing. Cho says at least 6 months for well-fermented FAA. (Cho, Recipe, p. 50) An older Cho text says the acid is done in a week or ten days. (Cho, Theory, p. 81)

They also disagree on additions. Office Hours says skip IMOs and OHN, and use just sugar and fish. (Office Hours Ep. 17, 1:05:50) Cho's recipe lists IMO #4, OHN, mineral A and rice straw among the materials. (Cho, Recipe, p. 48)

Sources

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