Vinegar remanence
can we add sugar and water in the container with the mother and keep making vinegar? Or do we need to change out the food every time?
I made vinegar with banana flower
Top answer
I haven't done the experiment, but I don't think just sugar and water will make very good vinegar? I'm pretty sure the acetic acid bacteria need more nutrients to make a good vinegar, so this would lead me to believe that you will have to make it from a new KNF Food.
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
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Sep 2026
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3 sources
The library starts each batch from food and uses the mother as a starter.
Cho's banana vinegar is one part banana FPJ and two parts water. (Cho's Solutions, p. 8) To speed it up, add a splash of living vinegar or a mother from an existing vinegar. (Cho's Solutions, p. 8)
Drake's office hours say the same. Keep brix between 9 and 14 before fermenting, and add a splash of live mother vinegar as a starter. (Office Hours Mar 2025, 11:42)
The Student's Manual gives the banana version:
- Fill the bucket one third with bananas. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 40)
- Add sugar at one third the weight of the bananas. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 40)
- Add water to fill the bucket two thirds full, then let it sit at room temperature for 3 months. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 40)
The library does not say whether sugar and water alone can keep a mother going. It also says nothing about banana flower.
Sources
- 11:42 Office Hours (Mar 2025) — Vinegar Brix Ratios, FAA Staging, Slight Yellowing Phase · “Keep brix between 9 and 14 before fermenting, add a splash of live mother vinegar like Bragg”
- p. 40 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Place 1/3 bucket of bananas in bucket.”
- p. 8 Cho's Solutions · “2 parts water 2/3 full 1 part Banana FPJ”
