Hi Francius, I just tried your method of making tempeh starter with rice. I ended up with a very active starter! Yesterday afternoon at 1pm, I inoculated my soybeans with my freshly made tempeh starter! When I opened the door to my office this morning I was greeted with the wonderful aroma of fresh tempeh and I could already see the mycelium developing nicely on the surface of the beans. It's too bad that youtube doesn't allow one to upload photos. By this evening the tempeh will most likely be ready for consumption. I use an 203 mm X 330 mm" X 60 mm ceramic coated steel pan inside a larger plastic kitty litter pan. The plastic pan is covered with a piece of acrylic that has holes drilled into it for ventilation. The plastic pan rests on top of an insulated (from the bottom) electric seedling sprouting mat with the thermostat set to 90ºF (32.2ºC). Once I see signs of mycelium developing, I switch off the sprouting mat as the developing mold produces it's own heat. My experience making the starter however was slightly different than what was shown in your video. After 72 hours I was getting really good spore formation, but I could tell my inoculated rice wasn't going to dry out any time soon; even with the cover removed. So I flipped the pan over onto parchment paper and cut the gelatinous mass into strips and put them into the food dehydrator with the temp set to 100ºF (37.8ºC). It took about 36 hours for the strips fully dehydrate. Once dehydrated I pulverized the strips with an electric coffee grinder just as you did in your video. The powder turned out greenish/gray in color due to the concentration of the microscopic spores which appear black. Thanks for a great tutorial!
Hi, Neo! Congratulation on your success as a tempeh starter producer! Your way of drying out is good, a dehydrator is the best dryer. So it is not completely different from the video. It looks like you have a good incubator there. Your F-to-C conversion is inaccurate (90F=32.2C). I believe it's a typo. You can send any picture to my email fsuwono@gmail.com. Please share the channel with friends or the tempeh community. If you still have any questions just let me know! Francius
I've watched several tempeh starter videos and yours by far seems the most complete and just looks like it will be more likely to work. I've saved it and will try your method soon... when I get expensive starter from Amazon so hopefully I only have to order once!
I've made my own starter this way one time, then another from pieces of tempe gembus (which I made myself too)...they work awesome. I don't have to worry about running out of starter anymore. Thanks for sharing, Om Frans.
Hi Francius, I just want to say thanks for all the amazing and informative content you have on tempeh. I got into making my own tempeh a few months ago and I keep coming back to your videos as a reference! (I even started uploading my own tempeh experiments on my channel!) Since I live in Europe, it's rather expensive to get Raprima spores, so I'm thinking of growing my own from commercial starter - the method in your video I will be the one I use if I end up doing it, so thank you so much for all the info!
Hi, Alex! Good to hear you are a tempeh person too! I know it is not easy to get a tempeh starter in Europe. But, do what I do. Make your own. I don't buy tempeh starters anymore, I use my own. Follow the tutorial on this channel and you won't be disappointed. You can start with any commercial starter, they are the same. Greeting from the USA! Francius
@@francius1003 I will do for sure! That is, once my current batch of black lentils, chickpeas, hemp and hazelnut is done fermenting... :) can't wait to see how this one turns out! I also meant to ask, do you perhaps own a manual grain mill for spliting your own beans? I am seriously considering in investing in a Corona grain mill (right now I just buy split lentils, but would like to have some room to play with larger beans). Greetings from Portugal! - Alex
Hi, Alex. Did you watch my video on how easy you de-hull your beans in just 15-20 minutes? ruclips.net/video/pCVCIk9k_bc/видео.html Check it out. You can try the Corona grain mill, I might try to upload a tutorial on using it later. For smaller beans usually, you don't de-hull them. I only de-hull soybeans and garbanzo, they have hard hulls. Francius
@@francius1003 Ah, I'd forgotten about your "squeeze-drain-repeat" method! It's been a while since I've used larger beans, I've been mostly using indian "Dal" legumes which are already split. Thanks for the video!
Hello again Francius, I just wanted to say that this method worked wonders! I just tested my homemade starter with a batch of soybeans and it produced some beautiful tempeh. Now I have starter to last me for a couple of years! Just stored half in the freezer and half in the fridge. Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge!
Hi, there! You have the opportunity to know tempeh better! Go for it! Francius
7 месяцев назад
Great method, thanks! 3-4 grams of my fresh starter was more than enough to make 1kg black bean tempeh and in a much shorter time. After just 24 hours the batch is almost ready. 🎉
You are so welcome, Amy. Let me know if you still have any questions. Please share this video to help me with distributing information about tempeh to the world. 💕
Gampang banget bikinya ragi tempe, kapan2 saya akan coba bikin ragi sendiri kalo stok ragi sdh hampir habis, saya baru saja beli 2kg, Terima kasih videonya...
I love you so much thank you for your films. You are the best by fair. Please continue i enjoy learning from you . cant wate to see what more you have to teach. Big big hugs
You are welcome, Fox Ledbyheart!. Glad to know that you are a tempeh person too. Please let me know if you still have any problems with tempeh making. :)
Hey Francius, Michelle again...lol....soooh now I will make my own Tempe starter the way you have shown. Will do it tomorrow and I am soooh excited to try it. I know it will be ok. Thnx for doing this. You are empowering so many people. You teach us to fish vs giving us fish...we will have food for life! Namaste
Sounds great! You are about to be a self-sufficient tempeh producer, which is the ultimate goal of this channel, to make tempeh producing as common and easy as possible. Go for it, Michelle! Just let me know if you still have any questions.
Hi, your key moment marker for 1:16 says 16 grams of starter, but in the video, it says 6 grams. I presume it is 6 grams yes? This would make sense to me. Another question. What happens if we do not mix this with rice flour? Is it too strong to use as a starter as is? And, what is the purpose of browning the rice flour? Is it to kill off any bacteria? if yes, is there another method? Maybe in the oven at x temp for x minutes? As a side note, I have been reading your replies to other people posting on this topic. You are very friendly and helpful. That is refreshing. I wish you had 1, million subs!!
Hi, Dave! It is 6 grams for 300 grams (or 2%) of steamed rice weight. The 16 grams must be a typo. I am sorry for the confusion. Diluting the pure starter with roasted rice flour is for practical purposes. When you buy a starter from the store, it is sometimes diluted 5-10 times thinner. They are not pure spores. For 1 kg of raw soybeans, you need one tsp of starter. Using the pure spore you will need a quarter of a tsp, a very small amount that will be difficult to make it spread to all the beans. The rice flour helps spread the spores better. Yes, the browning of the rice flour serves two purposes: one to eliminate the unwanted bacteria, and two the fermentation works best in a cooked substrate. That's why the beans are cooked in the first place. You can do it differently like pasteurizing the flour in your oven at 200F for 20 minutes. It serves the same purpose. Thank you for your side notes! This channel is intended to promote tempeh to the world as a healthy substitute for meat. If you still have any questions let me know. I always answer every single question from my subs. Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you Francius! I have a question, when you said put it in a fridge, you mean the freezer or just the regular fridge temperature? Also, do you use vinegar to promote a better enviroment for the spore to grow?
@@romagamo4135 Freezer is better. It can stay fresh for 2-3 years. The real question is how much tempeh starter you store and how long that amount will last in your tempeh producing activities. If it will only last for a few weeks, store it in dry room temperature is enough. I don't use vinegar in my tempeh. Vinegar is intended to increase the acidity to prevent unwanted bacteria to interfere with the fermentation process. I believe boiling the beans for 60 minutes is enough to kill any bacteria as long as you work in a hygienic environment.
Dear Francius, thank you so much for your informative videos. And they are very pleasant to watch as well. 🙂 I have two questions that I hope you can answer: 1. Can I ferment the rice & starter in banana leaves or is there any reason to use a plastic box with lid? (I'm in Brazil) 2. Does the rice have to be cooked without salt or would it be possible to use salted rice? Thanks a lot, terima kasih!
Hi, Mic! 1. Banana leaves are the ideal container. For spore farming the problem is probably you would need to leave the top open for the spores to grow. So, not completely enclosed, you are farming spores not making tempeh. For making tempeh use banana leaves. It gives a specific aroma. Banana leaves are naturally permeable, with no need for perforation. 2. Salt is a no-no for tempeh and the spore. Just plain rice. Terimakasih kembali! Francius
@@francius1003 Thanks a lot for your reply, very valuable information. I started a small batch earlier today, just after I wrote you, in banana leaves and with rice cooked with a bit of salt. No harm done if it doesn't work. Then I'll copy your instructions to the point. 😁
@@francius1003 it has helped a lot, I think I've watched it three times or more. I'm planning on buying a starter and starting to make my own. Some articles I"ve been reading say that you cannot reuse a starter to make more starter indefinitely, according to them after 6-10 batches you may get cross contamination. I would love to know more about your experience and opinions on the subject. Greetings from Brazil 😉
@@raissaferreira1101 I agree with that. You should not do it indefinitely because you may not be able to completely control the other material purity, like the steam rice and rice flour. I would suggest that you always use the original starter to make your own starter. It will guarantee the quality of your own batch. But even 400 grams from 6 grams is a lot. Enjoy your tempeh!
Hello Francius, thank you for all the amazing videos about tempeh! So many useful information in such a humble way. I'm actually gathering all the equipment for building an incubator inspired by your video (was using a water bath earlier). As this is not explained in the video, I have a question regarding the possible cross-contamination mentioned in one of the posts here. How many generations since the original starter do you think are safe, how many are you doing or do you always go with the original starter as a safety measure and to avoid any issues? Personally I think it would be reasonable to always use the original starter to make a batch. We all live in different enviroments with different microbioms and one never knows what kind of microorganisms will make friends with the Rhizopus spores along the way. Also I wanted to know your opinion on where to make the starter, meaning whether it's completely safe to do this at home. As the matured culture contains billions of spores, is there any reason to be concerned about them getting everywhere around the house? (which is obviously the case when you work with the substrate - sieving, mixing). Thank you again and greetings from the Czech Republic!
Hi, Jiri! Thank you for following my videos on tempeh, and subscribing to them. As I explained in the video it is wise to start over using the original starter, but using the homemade starter is not bad because it will always produce the same spores as long as it makes healthy mycelium, thick, white and feathery. Healthy mycelium will always produce healthy spores. Other microorganisms will unlikely cause major issues. Original Rhizopus is found in nature on hibiscus leaves and opens to the natural environment, yet it never creates any problem for our ancestors when they made their original tempeh. The tempeh starter, or the spores, are all foodstuff, not drugs or pathologic materials that are health hazards. They won't grow anywhere except on beans or grain at specific temperatures. You won't wear a mask when you make your bread using flour, to prevent the flour to get into your body. So, it is quite safe to make, or grind, the farmed spores in the house just like when you grind your coffee beans. Best regards, Francius
Thanks for this video. I have just a few quick questions. 1. Is basmati rice ok to use? 2. Can this starter be stored in the freezer? 3. Is this starter preferred or is the tempeh starter from your other video sufficient. 4. If spores don't form after 48 hours but it still looks ok, is it best to just leave it longer? Thanks for your great tutorials! Much appreciated.
Hi, there! 1. Any rice other than glutinous rice is OK. 2. You can store it in your freezer for more than one year. For daily use simply store at room temperature. 3. Rice base starter is the industry standard because it is cheaper and no need for dehulling. 4. Don't leave it more than 72 hrs. Good luck! Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you for your quick response. You are a wealth of info and so kind to be helping everyone on here. I've made successful tempeh with a commercial starter but my last batch I didn't seem to work as well. The only thing I did differently was fill the bags more so I could have wider slices. The spores grew but did not penetrate through to the middle in just a few spots. The spores also didn't quite cover the outside as thick as previous batches. I incubated for 48 hours and then added a bit more time. I then left it wrapped on the counter for a day but it didn't continue to ferment. I did freeze it but I'm wondering if I should be disguarding it? Thanks again. Have a wonderful day
@@francius1003 Ah... OK. Thanks. Should I then throw out what I've made. It did seem OK but there were bits in the middle that didn't seem to cover with spores.
Hi Yessi! Selamat mencoba. Ikuti tiap step dengan seksama, dijamin berhasil! Kalau belum punya incubator, bikin dulu. Lihat caranya yg mudah di videoku. Good luck and let me know! Greeting from Tigard, OR!
Hi, Oom. I'm back! I know it's been 2 months, apologise, sooo busy with life hehe. So, I've made the tempeh starter last month. But, just got a chance to make the tempeh with it yesterday. Today, I have seen a beautiful white layer! Omg I'm over the moon! I'm so proud of myself and of course I thank you so much! I just can't believe that it really works! Thank you so so so much for the recipe, Oom! ❤
You're welcome! The goal of this channel is to promote tempeh as the best and healthier substitute for meat protein. Go, make your own tempeh, and free yourself from buying tempeh starter.
hello francius, thank you so much for your great videos of shearing your knowledge . I once succeeded perfectly with making my own starter- ever since I am not able to produce nice growth of tempeh spores on rice no more. I tried so many different sorts of rice by now.. how long do you steam the rice? do you soak it before steaming ?? My rice once in the fermentation chambre doesn´t produce much of moisture, seems like it´s `drying out´ before it can grow perfectly. What would be your suggestion ?? thank you !!!!!
Hi, Kai! Cooking the rice seems not to be a problem because it is the easiest part of the process. Just wash the rice, then cook it in a rice cooker with water of the same volume as the rice volume (one cup of rice cooked in one cup of water). Cook for 60 minutes. Any rice will do, except the glutinous rice. I suspect your temperature is not right. Fermentation needs a constant temperature of 31C (88F). Please check your incubation temperature. Francius
Hi Francius : } thanks for all your videos, you helped a lot of people and we are very grateful I have one question, and I read all the other questions to be sure I don t bother you for nothing. do you ever use , to make tempeh starter or even tempeh, any vinegar or anything to make the mix more acid for the spores or mycelium to grow? I heard acidic environment is good for them. what do you think? Cheers Francius, happy new year! :)
Hi, Vince! Good to hear you got help from the channel. Your question is common among homemade tempeh makers and I have answered and clarified the issue in one of my videos: Do You Need Vinegar In Your Tempeh? ruclips.net/video/thHmKlqmJKo/видео.html Check it out! Cheers, and Happy New Year, my friend! Francius
Hi Francius, I made the starter your way and it work far better than the starter i bought. Terima kasih! Tapi untuk apa harus bakar tempung beras? I just store the starter in the fridge and mixe before i use it with any stach. Corn, potato, rice or what ever i have in stock. It works the same way. Is the roasting just for preservation? Cheers, Frieder (I just enjoyed my tempeh balado here in Germany. Without your great videos it would have been impossible for me to make fresh tempeh)
Hi, Friederich! I am glad you succeeded in making your fresh tempeh using your homemade starter! The roasting of the rice flour is for pasteurization, to kill any unwanted microorganisms presented in the tepung. You never know what process the tepung had been through, and it is only wise to take precautions. Besides, the mycelium grows better in a cooked environment (roasted tepung). That's why you cook your beans to make tempeh. Any starch will do, I agree. Best regards from the USA! Good luck and enjoy your tempe balado! Love that! Francius
Such a great channel, Thank you! I want to try this... Can I use tapioca flour instead of the rice flour to dilute? (where I live I can buy only glutinous rice flour)
Hi! It is the same reason why we cook the soybeans for tempeh, Rhizopus ferments well in a cooked environment. Unroasted rice flour is raw, while roasted one is 'cooked'. Enjoy your tempeh!
Hi Tobias! The purpose of thinning using rice flour is to make it easy when we want to use it. Without thinning the pure tempeh starter would be too strong and to spread one eight tsp over one kg of beans when we mix it would be challenging. So it is a matter of practicality and economy as well. Of course, it would still work, but why spend more when we could spend much less? The pure tempeh starter might cost so little, but it takes one week to make it. Best regards!
Thank you so much and could you please give me any advice? I tried to make tempeh starter with rice. 3days later, i found some yellow spot in rice, it is normal? Or contaminated? I need your help.
Yellow spots are no good. We expect black or grey spots. My question is are you using an incubator? What is the temperature? Usually, yellowish spots indicate failed tempeh and most of the time it is caused by overheating. It is unlikely caused by any contamination or weak starter. Can you send pictures through Instagram? Go to my insta and chat @franciussuwono.
Really great of you to share this wisdom, not a ton online. How long have you been making tempeh? I’m going to try and make an incubator soon similar to yours.
Hi TVideoupload! I am glad to hear that it helped. I have been making my own tempeh for almost 10 years now. I am from the tempeh country, Indonesia, and had been through a lot of trouble making tempeh in the USA, where I live now. A good incubator is essential, so I suggest you build one yourself. Even in Indonesia with its hot climate, people still sometimes fail their tempeh because of sudden temperature change. Let me know if you still have trouble building your incubator.
Francius Suwono I had a feeling you might be from there, you seem pretty knowledgeable. wow that’s fascinating info! I am a videographer and have experience editing and working with sound so I hope to make a nice video of my own in the future about tempeh after I learn more and will incorporate what you have taught me through your videos too. What happens if you give too much tempeh starter to your beans?
@@TVideoupload Good to hear that you are a tempeh person too! Tempeh is in good demand globally now. Go make your video and let me know when it is ready for viewing. Nothing bad will happen if you put too much tempeh starter to the beans. It will ferment faster and becomes whiter more quickly. It is still enjoyable, even tastes better because of thicker mycelium, the white feathery thing that grows around your tempeh. The only bad thing will be you spend your tempeh starter too soon ... haha!
Hey Francius, how are you? Made it to Day 7 of my Tempeh Starter process, bottled it and now I am making some Red Peas Tempeh with it to see if it is effective. Wish me luck. Thanks for the knowledge. PS Can it be kept in the regular refrigerator or do I have to freeze it in a deep freezer in order to make it last for a year? ~Namaste~Michelle
Great job! Keep half in your freezer and a half just at room temperature for immediate use. Let me know the testing result! Once again: congratulations!
Hi Francius! Love your videos! My first batch of tempeh I incubated in the dehydrator on low and apparently it was too warm and there is a half snd half mixture of white and dark like yours. Can I use my grey chickpea tempeh as starter if I dehydrate it?
Hi, Riss. Yes, you can. Dry it (completely) and then grind it. Mix the end result with roasted rice flour at a 1:3 ratio. Check the strength of your homemade starter in your next production.
Francius, after just one day I’ve got good spores on my rice (150 gram). This video shows that you keep it in the incubator for 3 + 2 days and then another 2 days to dry out. Is this still at 31.0 degrees C? I’m using a kitchen towel to catch the condensation and it’s working great.
Good job, Rob! The 3 days are for spore farming still in the closed container, the 2 days are for drying in an open container. The next 1 to 2 days is just an extra to make sure it is completely dry, you don't want to grind damp spores. You may not need this extra if it is all dry up. Just go ahead to grind it. Yes, all is in incubator temperature of 31C. Your incubator is functioning as a food dehydrator now.
Francius, my home made tempeh starter, using your guidance came out great. Made a batch of three tempeh blocks with the new starter and it’s delicious. Cheers!
Francius: Does the steamed rice have to be cool/slightly warm? does it have to be a little more on the soft side or dry side? , instead of poking holes on the lid of the plastic container,, can I use a glass container and poke holes on the saran wrap that covers it? sorry asking in so detailed, as I only have a little store bought starter left, try not to fail. Thank you very much.
Hi, Lizzy! Cool steamed rice is fine, the incubator will take care of the right temperature. Slightly warm also OK, not more than your body temperature. You can use a glass container covered with a damp towel instead of a plastic lid. Re-damp the towel every 5-6 hours to avoid the rice losing humidity. If you live in the US I can send you some starters, I have some spare original Raprima starters. Just email me your address at fsuwono@gmail.com. Regard from OR. Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you so much for your kind offer. Hopefully I'll succeed in producing a lot of good quality new starter from this first try, also the 100 gr Raprima starter that I ordered from UK will arrive by the end of this month without delay. But if all these did not materialize, I'll S.O.S you. We'll see. Thanks again, Sir. Greetings from WA.
You're not too far away from me. Give me an SOS then. I have a lot unused because I use my homemade starters all the time. I can send you 100 grams for free, you might need to zelle me the shipping only. Francius
Hi, Elia! Mixing the spores with roasted rice flour is for practical purposes. The rice flour will help to spread the spores easily in the beans. All the measurements of how much you use the tempeh starter are based on thinned spores. When you order a factory-made tempeh starter, you get the thinned one, not the pure spores from spore farming. So, in this video, one tsp of tempeh starter is actually 3/4 tsp roasted rice flour and 1/4 tsp pure spores. Imagine how difficult it is to inoculate 2 lbs of soybeans using 1/4 tsp pure spores! If you think this video is useful please share it with your friends! Thank you! Don't hesitate to ask if you still have any questions. Francius
Hi, Big D! Good to hear that you get something from this channel. Please share with friends. If you still have any questions don't hesitate to let me know. Regards, Francius
Hi Francius, tremendous channel! I know this video is about making the starter. But I Wanted to ask if its also safe to eat a tempeh that has developed a lot of black areas.
Hi, Bruno! The black spots in tempeh are the normal development of the fungus that fermented the beans. They are mature spores, and not a sign of damaged tempeh. I love to eat tempeh with black spots because it tastes better and is just safe. Francius
What's the difference between doing it this way with rice or just using soybeans and tempeh and drying that out? Which is best? Also my tempeh is having some water drops from humidity, is it safe to pat it down or flip it to let it dry? I am using a glass pyrex and the bottom seems wet.
Hi, there. Rice substrate is the industey standard because of two reasons: you don't have to de-hull, and it is 30% cheaper. You can use soybeans as substrate as long as you use the starter at least 2% of the weight of the substrate. How do you air dry your tempeh? you need to air-dry at least 20-30 minutes before inoculation. Moisture will normally go out after 36 hours of inoculation. Francius
Hi Francis, thank you for all the awesome tempeh know-how! I’ve made some great soybean tempeh following your videos. I have a question regarding tempeh starter based on rice. Tried this twice and failed twice. The white „furry” grew up till 48 hours in incubator. After about 48 hours it started smelling strangely, no more growing and no black spores at all. When I rolled it, underneath was a transparent liquid and it was cold (unlike tempeh, which after 48 hours generates its own heat, even in the fridge). At this point, after 2 days I have throwned my failed starter to the bin. I have used commercial good starter to try to grow my own on rice. What could be the possible mistake here? I used yasmin rice, but slightly overcooked in a steamer. Incubator keeps the temperature within 30-31 range. Thanks! :)
Hi, Kasia! I am so sorry for your double failure on your tempeh starter making. Let me clear out a couple of things. First, the steamed rice. It should be on the dry side. Cook the rice with a 1:1 ratio of rice to water, say, one cup of rice cooked in one cup of water. Second, the temperature. From day 1 through day 7, it should stay 31C (88F), with no interruption whatsoever. Third, drying. The drying should be done without a lid, from day 4 through day 7 still at 31C, or, sundry if you have sun. In your case, I sense the temperature dropped after day 2 for some reason. Rice does not create its own heat, only soybeans do. So, don't take it out of the incubator. My advice: try again! Never give up. Try with drier rice, continuous temperature, and take away the pan lids on drying. Even on day 2, you should notice some black spores growing. Please send me your pictures to fsuwono@gmail.com so I can figure out what is wrong. Also, tell me what kind of incubator you are using. Jasmine rice is fine, I don't believe there is an 'over cooked' rice. Rice is well cooked after 60 minutes. Good luck. Don't get discouraged, you will get it sooner or later! By the way, I love your photography channel. I subscribe to it. I am a beginner at photography. Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you for such a detailed and quick answer :) I cooked the rice in ratio 1:2 (1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water) in a bowl placed inside the steamer. I guess it was too wet and mushy in the end. Thanks for the email, I’ll send you photos of my process. And thank you for subscribing to my channel! Greetings from wintery Poland, -8C right now outside, I miss sunny Bali… :)
Hi Francius, I tried making the starter this way, it turned out great with black spots on the outside but underneath it were yellow spots because I left it for 2 more days than recommended as it was still dry. Should I throw it out?
How did you dry your tempeh? Why did you need 2 more days? If you leave the tempeh more than the recommended time while it still wet it will spoil with yellow spots. You need to dry it as quickly as possible to avoid other unwanted fungus to grow. I don't recommend to use the tempeh for your starter, it's no good. Francius
Thanks for the video, @Francius. Is the rice warm or room temperature when you add the starter to it? What is the purpose of roasting the rice flour? Can you use non-roasted rice flour?
Let the rice cool to room temperature before adding the starter. Roasting is to pasteurize the flour. You cannot add non-roasted flour because the mold grows in a cooked environment.
Hi Francius. Question about the starter you use to begin the process. I have a starter, but it's only about 1.5 gms in a sealed packet and you call for 6 gms. I used one of the packets in a recipe that called for 2 cups of soybeans and it worked wonderfully. I'm wondering if the packet I have would be enough to make your starter. Regards.
Hi, Chuck! It looks like your starter is good. You can scale everything down to 25% to make your starter. So for 1.5 grams use 75 grams of steamed rice and thin the spores down with 75 grams of roasted rice flour. You will finally end up with 100 grans of good homemade stater. Everything else, follow the video. Later you can use your homemade starter to make a full batch starter like in my video. Francius
Hi, Bulent. The question is not about can or cannot. It is about how will you use it? What measurement will you use? The 100 grams of pure tempeh starter is probably 4 to 5 times stronger. As long as you can scale down and spread it on your beans easily yes you can. Analog to your question is: can we drink condensed milk direct from the can? Yes, you can, it is just not practical. Francius
Hi Francius i've been making tempeh for many years now and have always done it in an incubator similar to yours. My question is: have you any experience making tempeh in a dehydrator and if so do you have any suggestions? The reason I ask is that I would like to increase my production somewhat and the dehydrator has many shelves and of course the temperature is very constant. thanks
Hi, Michiko. Good to hear that you are a tempeh person! That is an interesting question. My answer is this: the incubator, like yours and mine, is actually a dehydrator. When I make a tempeh starter I dry the tempeh spore in the incubator, leave the pan without the lid, and it works perfectly. So, yes you can. Make sure you set the temperature at 31C. Try with a small amount first, then increase gradually. Watch for overheating. Good luck with your tempeh business!
Unfortunately, i need a tempeh starter to make tempeh starter here i appreciate your video, but that is where i am stuck bro. i need a starter and i cannot get any, tho i keep trying If i do source some(in Canada) can i use brown rice instead or quinoa? Can i use my Excalibur dehydrator instead of the incubator? i do not have an incubator If i can,at what temperature and for how long? Would plastic be safe in a dehydrator? What is your incubator model? Is it just one set temperature? i would buy one,but i have my funds into a dehydrator,and i cannot find one in a price range for me as i really dont want to buy a expensive one just for one product Cheers for your time tho bro i dig your channel a lot and subbed in
Hi, there! An incubator gives you an accurate temperature for incubating your tempeh. I have uploaded two types of DIY incubators, straightforward and low-cost. Check them out! A dehydrator is not an incubator, it functions differently. The other way around is correct: you can use an incubator as a dehydrator! For an initial starter, you can check Amazon. Francius
Om Fran, mau tanya itu nasinya nasi mateng yg sdh dingin atau masih hangat atau masih panas atau nasi kemarin? Kl sdh jadi disimpan dlm wadah plastik atau kaca? Terima kasih seblmnya.
Boa noite! Para 100 gramas do starter puro usa-se 300 gramas de farinha de arroz? Fiz o meu starter com soja e ele ficou em tom escuro preto! Sabe me dizer se é assim mesmo e se é usada a mesma proporção ? Agradeço desde ja ❤
Boa noite! Isso mesmo, adicione 300gr de farinha de arroz a 100gr de starter puro. A cor preta escura é boa, o que significa que você obtém esporos saudáveis. Franciscus
@@francius1003 Muito obrigada por responder! Vou produzir meu tempeh com o starter feito com mim e volto para contar como ficou. Obrigada por dividir seu conhecimento ❤️
Hello, I followed the steps. Now my rice tempeh has been in the incubator for ~3 days and 3-4 days in the kitchen, letting it dry. But it's not that dry as yours. Now I finally decided to blend it, but it's more like paste rather than powder. Where could be the problem? And it smells awfull.
Hi, Velizar! From the smell, I can say it is a failed tempeh. First, we should check the temperature. Is it a correct 31C all the time? If it is we need to check the starter you used in the first place. Is it of good quality? If both the temperature and the starter are good, a good amount too, by day 3 you will get blackened tempeh. The next step is drying. Day 4-6 you split the tempeh and leave it in the incubator without cover, not in the kitchen. Let it completely dry. Only if it is completely dry you can grind. You can dry it in the sun if you have the sun. Send me pictures at my email fsuwono@gmail.com. Don’t get discouraged! Keep trying! Francius
Quick question: can a damp napkin be used instead of a lid with holes, like with the tempeh starter made with tempeh? Thanks so much for the helpful videos.
Ok, at 24 hours, my rice is a bit fuzzy, white, but there is a strong alcohol-like, maybe ammonia? smell. Is it supposed to give off a strong smell? It does not smell like tempeh… Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions.
Hi, Михаил! Thank you for subscribing to my channel. Good to hear that tempeh has arrived in Russia! Anything you need to know about tempeh is available on this channel. Also, you can contact me in my email if you want to discuss with me about tempeh. Let me know how you progress with your tempeh-making! Regards, Francius
Hi, Lusi! It depends on where you live. If you live in a country with an ambient temperature of around 88F (31C) you don't need an incubator. But, if you don't have that condition you definitely need an incubator. An incubator doesn't need to be fancy. I have uploaded a couple of videos on how to build an incubator. It is very simple and low cost. Check it out! ruclips.net/video/1MG0-f97hxw/видео.html Francius
@@call_lucy Ya jelas. Spora hitam itu baru muncul setelah 48-72 jam. Kalau baru satu hari ya seumpama taneman cabe baru tumbuh putik bunganya. Blom dapet cabe merahnya, gitu lho! Sabar dan ikuti step2 videoku sampai selesai.
Hi Francius, Thanks for the videos. I have a question what happens if the mycellium grows but is only white no black after 72 hrs? is it still a usable starter?
Hi! It never happened to me. Is your temperature OK? Wait for the next 12 hrs then do the rest of the procedure. The only answer you can get is to test it on real beans. I believe it will work.
@@francius1003 Thanks i have something coming that will hopefully solve my heat issue. Do you think what i have now wont work? or it's worth giving it a shot?
Hi, gbsk12! The main concern in making tempeh starter is spore farming, the growing of the Rhizopus spore in the first place. The problem with making tempeh starter from tempeh is the quality of the tempeh you are using. Some of the frozen store-bought tempeh is cooked before frozen, so it is of no use. But if you are sure you have good tempeh it may worth trying. On the contrary, making it from the original tempeh starter guarantees that you will have a good quality spore. I will make the video on making tempeh starter from tempeh soon.
Hey Francius, me again! I am on Day 2, almost 3 and I only have white mycelium growing, there are no grey or black or any dark areas. Does this mean that my spores are not mature and won't become starter tempeh? They are nice and feathery and cottony-looking-like but only white. What do I need to do? They are still covered with holes in the incubator. Thnx so much.~Michelle **
Hi, Michelle! It is OK. Just add 12 more hrs for spore farming, before the next step (drying). Sometimes it only shows some grey spots but that is fine. Good job!
@@francius1003 Aha, ok, I will give a BIG 24hrs to it...and like I told you, there is NOT A DROP of grey or black. It smells delightful and looks like a beautiful bed of fluffy white clouds. So, I will give it one more day and then I follow thru with the rest of the process. Thanks so much for your quick reply. Hava great weekend, Francius. Your attention means a lot to me.~Namaste
Good! You will get good spores because your mycelium looks so healthy. Even during the drying step, the spore will still grow until it is completely dry. Be patient!
@@francius1003 Aha, good to know that it will keep growing till dry. I started the drying process today. I am soooh excited. Thanks so much for replying. Hava great weekend.~Namaste~Michelle
Hi oom Francius, terima kasih tutorialnya. Untuk penyimpanan starter tempenya bagaimana? Apa harus di masukkan kulkas? Berapa lama bisa tahan di suhu ruang?
Hi om Francis.. Saya mau mula belajar buat tempeh, terima kasih om atas resep nya Satu nya saya lagi confuse mau nyarik starter asli di mana Dan saya baru ada incubator atau dehydrator? Boleh om share di mana link untuk nyarik incubator nya? Terima kasih om 🙏
Hi, Carlo! They are pure spores, they grow from the same mold. Even, they are too strong to use directly, that is why you need to dilute them with roasted rice flour. When they are diluted by a 3 to 1 ratio, they have the same potentials as a good tempeh starter. The only thing that needs to consider is the quality of the original starter you use in the first place. If the quality is low then it will produce fewer spores, but still pure spores. However this is not a lab process, many things might get in the way. That is why you need to test the final product using a known measure like the one I showed in the video.
@@francius1003 Thank you Francius! I'm sorry, I meant how much rice+starter powder to use for making tempeh. Is it the same quantity that you use when make tempeh with only starter powder? If I understand correctly I have to put the triple weight? Thanks so much
I am sorry I misunderstood you. You use it as a normal tempeh starter, but you need to test it first. The diluted homemade starter is supposed to be as potent as the original starter. In my video, I test it using one tsp for 300-gram beans, which is already double than normal. Your bought tempeh starter is not pure spores, but diluted spores like your homemade one.
Thank you so much for the videos!! I have 2 questions ,hope you can answer it why did you thin the tempe stater? why do you roast the rice flour before add it in?
Hi, Rich. 1. Thinning is for practical purposes when we want to apply it to the beans. Let's compare it to drinking milk from condensed milk before thinning it with warm water. It is simply not practical and wasting of resources. So, the pure starter we draw from the rice pack is sort of condensed, and we use the rice flour to make it practical and more economical. The pure tempeh starter may not cost a lot, but it takes one full week to make it. 2. The roasting of the rice flour serves two purposes. One, the mycelium or the mold, grows well in a 'cook' environment. That is why we cook the beans for the tempeh in the first place. Unroasted flour is 'raw' while roasted flour is 'cooked'. Two, it also pasteurized the flour and get rid of unwanted bacteria or anything bad from the flour that might get in the way of the fermentation process. Thank you for your comment and questions!
@@francius1003 thats what I will do, Francius ! I made starter by myself from my first tempeh, but I didn´t know you than and I dried my homemade thempeh to mix it with riceflour later. But you said it would be the best to make your tempeh starter with a very clean starter from the shop. I will do how you said it and prepare myself the starter like you showed us to do. It will be much better. Thank you very much for your great work !!!
Hi Francius, I wanted to say thanks for your tutorials. Now I have followed your recipe for making a tempeh starter but I struggle using it. CAn you help ? I did send you an email by the 12th February but maybe you have not seen it. I would like to send you some pictures
I once made Tempeh Starter out of fleshly made tempeh. But it didn‘t work as good as the bought ones. I grew in different spots but not all over. Do you know why it didn’t work? -I dehydrated the tempeh für for 2 days in a food dehydrator (30C) -I milled the dehydrated pieces with a coffee grinder and sifted it Maybe the bought tempeh starter that I used beforehand for tempeh wasn‘t „potent“ enough???
Hi, Hello Tempeh! It looks like your spore was not good. It can come from weak original tempeh, which can come from a weak or too little tempeh starter. Your way of dehydrating and sifting has nothing to do with it. I am preparing one video for making tempeh starter from tempeh in the next couple of days. Keep watching!
Hi Francius Sowono, thank you very much for your quick response! I will try it next time with a better starter. Because I already noticed that the starter was kind of „weak“. I will try it next time when my new starter arrives... Thank you very much for your help!!!
Hi! Don't throw away your old starter. Just double or triple the dose. It will do. Also, try to make the starter from rice as shown in my video, but double the dose. Instead of 6 grams use 12 grams (4 tsp).Instead of using rice flour to thin it use the old starter. It will reinvigorate. Just don't roast the old starter!
Ragi yeast changes the starch into glucose with an alcoholic streak, to make rice wines or sweet fermented rice, or cassava. Tempeh starter ferments the beans and binds them into a solid block by holding them using the mycelium. They use different types of molds and other materials.
Nice videos. But I'm confused about how strong is a given starter, since some are pure spores or something almost like that (needs very little amount to make tempeh), other are starters like amde with rice, and other are starters with added rice (extra rice) after finished. So if a given recipe to make tempeh at home says a table spoon of tempeh starter, for example, how can we know what kind of starter is? A ultra strong,a medium or a soft starter (mixed with rice) ?
Standard tempeh starter is the one you buy from the manufacturer. It is the same potent as the final product you make yourself after thinning using roasted rice flour. You don't use the one you grind and sift directly, it is too strong. Let's make some comparison. The standard milk is the one you buy from the store fridge, you can drink directly. But there is condensed canned milk that you need to dilute in water before you drink it. The first one is the standard tempeh starter, the later is the one you produced before thinning. When make tempeh you use the standard tempeh starter.
@@francius1003 Sorry to compare, but in other video from other youtubers, they probably use other method, since some said they need more home made starter when compared to starters buy on store, to create tempeh. So I presume your method create stronger starters than the method of other youtubers.
@@francius1003 I found a seller to sell me tempeh starter. I ony found 2 seller (I live on Brazil) on web for my country. One have a very abusive price, while the other have a fair price. The one of the fair price says that his tempeh starter can't be used to create more tempeh starter in home. I presume it's just seller's talk to keep people buying from hin every time they need tempeh starter.
The only way to know the strength of a starter is to try it on your batch. I cannot say mine or their’s is stronger. It just doesn’t make sense. If you use one tsp for 500 gram raw beans and it produce fine tempeh then use it ad your standard. Orherwise, you add or reduce as necessary. So check it using real tempeh making.
Try the fair price one and do some experiments. Make your tempeh stater like in my video. If you get a lot of black spores then it is a good starter. After that you will never need to buy, just make your own.
I tried this but too much condensation was produced which ruined my batch as it went on the mycelium. Can I cover with a cloth instead for the first 72 hours to avoid condensation?
@@francius1003 ok so this time I think it has been a success. My fermentation looks a little different though. It has become dry and brittle, like yours, however, still “hairy” on top... is that ok?
@Hemal Vasant Do you get blackish color too? If yes it is fine. Go ahead with the next step. The hair is not a problem. If it is brittle during the 48 hrs of incubation it means it lost humidity too much. Maybe the cover became too dry. In my video, I wipe the lid every now and then.
I tried to make tempeh with tempeh starter i bought but Its taking 96hrs to become Tempeh that too with black mold.. I sundried it to use as a starter.. Can you tell me what causing it take 96hrs to become Tempeh? Here in home temperature is 85f i am doing in a large plate covered with towels..
Hi, Jay! 96 hrs to make tempeh is way too long. Normal time 36-48 hrs max. If your tempeh starter is fine then the temperature is the culprit. I suspect you are not using an incubator, relying only on ambient temperature, which definitely you have no control. The optimum temperature is 88F, but 85F is not bad as long as it is continuous and consistent. You may not know what is the ambient temperature during the night. Do some elimination process, to understand why your tempeh failed you. If you live in a tropical country, which is warm all the time, then something else is not right. Covering the plate with a towel has some catch. Did you damp the towel every now and then? If not your tempeh may have lost its humidity, became too dry, and failed to ferment. But, don't be too discouraged! Keep trying! Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you I live In India here temperture in Home is 30. Not using any temperature meter. What i doing is just covering with towel now, failed 3 times till now, because of too much moisture, 2nd time too hot, 3rd time hot and unremoval of chickpea hulls, now as you said i try to moist towel.. Thank you very much.. I am not sure what causing problem. I keep trying...
You don't need an incubator or thermometer if your home temperature is around 30C. Too hot? How do you know it is too hot when you don't use a thermometer? I don't remove the hulls too for chickpeas, and it is fine. And I don't understand what do you mean by too moist. When you air dry for 20 minutes it will remove the moisture enough. Please follow my tutorial closely, and keep trying!
The black is the spores we are looking for. So it is good. The next step is to dry the tempeh, either leave it without lids in the incubator or, if you have sun, in the sun until completely dry. It may take a couple of days to dry.
Hi Francius, I am starting to produce and start a new business in Brazil. Really liked your vídeos and wanted to check if you are available for a quick call.
Yes you can call me. Just let me know how you want to call. I am available. I live in the US, west coast (Oregon). I think you are 4 hrs ahead of me. Send me email or Instagram or facebook message. Search for my name.
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Hi Francius, I just tried your method of making tempeh starter with rice. I ended up with a very active starter! Yesterday afternoon at 1pm, I inoculated my soybeans with my freshly made tempeh starter! When I opened the door to my office this morning I was greeted with the wonderful aroma of fresh tempeh and I could already see the mycelium developing nicely on the surface of the beans. It's too bad that youtube doesn't allow one to upload photos. By this evening the tempeh will most likely be ready for consumption. I use an 203 mm X 330 mm" X 60 mm ceramic coated steel pan inside a larger plastic kitty litter pan. The plastic pan is covered with a piece of acrylic that has holes drilled into it for ventilation. The plastic pan rests on top of an insulated (from the bottom) electric seedling sprouting mat with the thermostat set to 90ºF (32.2ºC). Once I see signs of mycelium developing, I switch off the sprouting mat as the developing mold produces it's own heat.
My experience making the starter however was slightly different than what was shown in your video. After 72 hours I was getting really good spore formation, but I could tell my inoculated rice wasn't going to dry out any time soon; even with the cover removed. So I flipped the pan over onto parchment paper and cut the gelatinous mass into strips and put them into the food dehydrator with the temp set to 100ºF (37.8ºC). It took about 36 hours for the strips fully dehydrate. Once dehydrated I pulverized the strips with an electric coffee grinder just as you did in your video. The powder turned out greenish/gray in color due to the concentration of the microscopic spores which appear black. Thanks for a great tutorial!
Hi, Neo!
Congratulation on your success as a tempeh starter producer! Your way of drying out is good, a dehydrator is the best dryer. So it is not completely different from the video. It looks like you have a good incubator there. Your F-to-C conversion is inaccurate (90F=32.2C). I believe it's a typo.
You can send any picture to my email fsuwono@gmail.com.
Please share the channel with friends or the tempeh community. If you still have any questions just let me know!
Francius
Hey guys!it works!!I tried this method, and it works, finally I succeed in making my own tempeh, thank you so much Francius, you are a tempeh god!
I am glad you have succeeded. It means you are very much liberated now!
I've watched several tempeh starter videos and yours by far seems the most complete and just looks like it will be more likely to work. I've saved it and will try your method soon... when I get expensive starter from Amazon so hopefully I only have to order once!
Hi, Christina! Great to hear that! Follow the steps in the video exactly, and I guarantee you will only have to order once. Let me know the result.
Wah keren om. Sebagai orang Indonesia, ikut bangga rasanya orang² di seluruh dunia sudah bisa bikin tempe sendiri.
Mari kuasai dunia melalui tempe 😄
Terimakasih. Channel ini berusaha memperkenalkan tempe kepada dunia. Kita sangat beruntung menjadi bangsa tempe!😃
I've made my own starter this way one time, then another from pieces of tempe gembus (which I made myself too)...they work awesome. I don't have to worry about running out of starter anymore.
Thanks for sharing, Om Frans.
Sounds great! Don't forget to share the channel!
Hi Francius, I just want to say thanks for all the amazing and informative content you have on tempeh. I got into making my own tempeh a few months ago and I keep coming back to your videos as a reference! (I even started uploading my own tempeh experiments on my channel!)
Since I live in Europe, it's rather expensive to get Raprima spores, so I'm thinking of growing my own from commercial starter - the method in your video I will be the one I use if I end up doing it, so thank you so much for all the info!
Hi, Alex!
Good to hear you are a tempeh person too!
I know it is not easy to get a tempeh starter in Europe. But, do what I do. Make your own. I don't buy tempeh starters anymore, I use my own. Follow the tutorial on this channel and you won't be disappointed. You can start with any commercial starter, they are the same.
Greeting from the USA!
Francius
@@francius1003 I will do for sure! That is, once my current batch of black lentils, chickpeas, hemp and hazelnut is done fermenting... :) can't wait to see how this one turns out!
I also meant to ask, do you perhaps own a manual grain mill for spliting your own beans? I am seriously considering in investing in a Corona grain mill (right now I just buy split lentils, but would like to have some room to play with larger beans).
Greetings from Portugal!
- Alex
Hi, Alex.
Did you watch my video on how easy you de-hull your beans in just 15-20 minutes?
ruclips.net/video/pCVCIk9k_bc/видео.html Check it out. You can try the Corona grain mill, I might try to upload a tutorial on using it later. For smaller beans usually, you don't de-hull them. I only de-hull soybeans and garbanzo, they have hard hulls.
Francius
@@francius1003 Ah, I'd forgotten about your "squeeze-drain-repeat" method! It's been a while since I've used larger beans, I've been mostly using indian "Dal" legumes which are already split. Thanks for the video!
Hello again Francius, I just wanted to say that this method worked wonders! I just tested my homemade starter with a batch of soybeans and it produced some beautiful tempeh. Now I have starter to last me for a couple of years! Just stored half in the freezer and half in the fridge. Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you very much to share your knowledge to us. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺 🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍
Hi, there!
You have the opportunity to know tempeh better! Go for it!
Francius
Great method, thanks! 3-4 grams of my fresh starter was more than enough to make 1kg black bean tempeh and in a much shorter time. After just 24 hours the batch is almost ready. 🎉
Congratulations! Please share your experience and the channel so more people will be able to enjoy tempeh.
Francius
This video is amazing and so are all of your answers to the questions! Thank you so much.
You are so welcome, Amy. Let me know if you still have any questions. Please share this video to help me with distributing information about tempeh to the world. 💕
Awesome technique. Thanks sharing. Good stuff.
Thanks for watching! Cheer!
Gampang banget bikinya ragi tempe, kapan2 saya akan coba bikin ragi sendiri kalo stok ragi sdh hampir habis, saya baru saja beli 2kg,
Terima kasih videonya...
You are welcome. Selamat mencoba!
im just getting into tempeh making, your videos are really helpful!
I'm so glad!
Go for it! Tempeh is nutritious and healthy!
I love you so much thank you for your films. You are the best by fair. Please continue i enjoy learning from you . cant wate to see what more you have to teach. Big big hugs
Thank you, Angelia! Glad to hear they are helpful!
Francius
Thank you so much! Greetings from Poland:)
You are welcome, Fox Ledbyheart!. Glad to know that you are a tempeh person too. Please let me know if you still have any problems with tempeh making. :)
Hey Francius, Michelle again...lol....soooh now I will make my own Tempe starter the way you have shown. Will do it tomorrow and I am soooh excited to try it. I know it will be ok. Thnx for doing this. You are empowering so many people. You teach us to fish vs giving us fish...we will have food for life! Namaste
Sounds great! You are about to be a self-sufficient tempeh producer, which is the ultimate goal of this channel, to make tempeh producing as common and easy as possible. Go for it, Michelle! Just let me know if you still have any questions.
Hi, your key moment marker for 1:16 says 16 grams of starter, but in the video, it says 6 grams. I presume it is 6 grams yes? This would make sense to me.
Another question. What happens if we do not mix this with rice flour? Is it too strong to use as a starter as is? And, what is the purpose of browning the rice flour? Is it to kill off any bacteria? if yes, is there another method? Maybe in the oven at x temp for x minutes?
As a side note, I have been reading your replies to other people posting on this topic. You are very friendly and helpful. That is refreshing. I wish you had 1, million subs!!
Hi, Dave!
It is 6 grams for 300 grams (or 2%) of steamed rice weight. The 16 grams must be a typo. I am sorry for the confusion.
Diluting the pure starter with roasted rice flour is for practical purposes. When you buy a starter from the store, it is sometimes diluted 5-10 times thinner. They are not pure spores. For 1 kg of raw soybeans, you need one tsp of starter. Using the pure spore you will need a quarter of a tsp, a very small amount that will be difficult to make it spread to all the beans. The rice flour helps spread the spores better.
Yes, the browning of the rice flour serves two purposes: one to eliminate the unwanted bacteria, and two the fermentation works best in a cooked substrate. That's why the beans are cooked in the first place. You can do it differently like pasteurizing the flour in your oven at 200F for 20 minutes. It serves the same purpose.
Thank you for your side notes! This channel is intended to promote tempeh to the world as a healthy substitute for meat. If you still have any questions let me know. I always answer every single question from my subs.
Francius
Thanks a lot Francius!
The pleasure is mine, Romagamo! Enjoy your homemade tempeh starter and start producing tempeh. Any question just let me know!
@@francius1003 Thank you Francius! I have a question, when you said put it in a fridge, you mean the freezer or just the regular fridge temperature? Also, do you use vinegar to promote a better enviroment for the spore to grow?
@@romagamo4135 Freezer is better. It can stay fresh for 2-3 years. The real question is how much tempeh starter you store and how long that amount will last in your tempeh producing activities. If it will only last for a few weeks, store it in dry room temperature is enough. I don't use vinegar in my tempeh. Vinegar is intended to increase the acidity to prevent unwanted bacteria to interfere with the fermentation process. I believe boiling the beans for 60 minutes is enough to kill any bacteria as long as you work in a hygienic environment.
Dear Francius, thank you so much for your informative videos. And they are very pleasant to watch as well. 🙂
I have two questions that I hope you can answer:
1. Can I ferment the rice & starter in banana leaves or is there any reason to use a plastic box with lid? (I'm in Brazil)
2. Does the rice have to be cooked without salt or would it be possible to use salted rice?
Thanks a lot, terima kasih!
Hi, Mic!
1. Banana leaves are the ideal container. For spore farming the problem is probably you would need to leave the top open for the spores to grow. So, not completely enclosed, you are farming spores not making tempeh. For making tempeh use banana leaves. It gives a specific aroma. Banana leaves are naturally permeable, with no need for perforation.
2. Salt is a no-no for tempeh and the spore. Just plain rice.
Terimakasih kembali!
Francius
@@francius1003 Thanks a lot for your reply, very valuable information. I started a small batch earlier today, just after I wrote you, in banana leaves and with rice cooked with a bit of salt. No harm done if it doesn't work. Then I'll copy your instructions to the point. 😁
@@MicsLanguages Good luck and let me know the result!
Francius
Amazing video. Thank you so much!!!
Glad it helped!
@@francius1003 it has helped a lot, I think I've watched it three times or more. I'm planning on buying a starter and starting to make my own. Some articles I"ve been reading say that you cannot reuse a starter to make more starter indefinitely, according to them after 6-10 batches you may get cross contamination. I would love to know more about your experience and opinions on the subject. Greetings from Brazil 😉
@@raissaferreira1101 I agree with that. You should not do it indefinitely because you may not be able to completely control the other material purity, like the steam rice and rice flour. I would suggest that you always use the original starter to make your own starter. It will guarantee the quality of your own batch. But even 400 grams from 6 grams is a lot. Enjoy your tempeh!
Excellent, thank you!!!!!
You are so welcome, Florenzo!
Hello Francius, thank you for all the amazing videos about tempeh! So many useful information in such a humble way. I'm actually gathering all the equipment for building an incubator inspired by your video (was using a water bath earlier).
As this is not explained in the video, I have a question regarding the possible cross-contamination mentioned in one of the posts here. How many generations since the original starter do you think are safe, how many are you doing or do you always go with the original starter as a safety measure and to avoid any issues? Personally I think it would be reasonable to always use the original starter to make a batch. We all live in different enviroments with different microbioms and one never knows what kind of microorganisms will make friends with the Rhizopus spores along the way.
Also I wanted to know your opinion on where to make the starter, meaning whether it's completely safe to do this at home. As the matured culture contains billions of spores, is there any reason to be concerned about them getting everywhere around the house? (which is obviously the case when you work with the substrate - sieving, mixing).
Thank you again and greetings from the Czech Republic!
Hi, Jiri!
Thank you for following my videos on tempeh, and subscribing to them.
As I explained in the video it is wise to start over using the original starter, but using the homemade starter is not bad because it will always produce the same spores as long as it makes healthy mycelium, thick, white and feathery. Healthy mycelium will always produce healthy spores. Other microorganisms will unlikely cause major issues. Original Rhizopus is found in nature on hibiscus leaves and opens to the natural environment, yet it never creates any problem for our ancestors when they made their original tempeh.
The tempeh starter, or the spores, are all foodstuff, not drugs or pathologic materials that are health hazards. They won't grow anywhere except on beans or grain at specific temperatures. You won't wear a mask when you make your bread using flour, to prevent the flour to get into your body. So, it is quite safe to make, or grind, the farmed spores in the house just like when you grind your coffee beans.
Best regards,
Francius
Thanks u so much!!
You're welcome! Enjoy your tempeh!
Thanks for this video. I have just a few quick questions.
1. Is basmati rice ok to use?
2. Can this starter be stored in the freezer?
3. Is this starter preferred or is the tempeh starter from your other video sufficient.
4. If spores don't form after 48 hours but it still looks ok, is it best to just leave it longer?
Thanks for your great tutorials! Much appreciated.
Hi, there!
1. Any rice other than glutinous rice is OK.
2. You can store it in your freezer for more than one year. For daily use simply store at room temperature.
3. Rice base starter is the industry standard because it is cheaper and no need for dehulling.
4. Don't leave it more than 72 hrs.
Good luck!
Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you for your quick response. You are a wealth of info and so kind to be helping everyone on here. I've made successful tempeh with a commercial starter but my last batch I didn't seem to work as well. The only thing I did differently was fill the bags more so I could have wider slices.
The spores grew but did not penetrate through to the middle in just a few spots. The spores also didn't quite cover the outside as thick as previous batches. I incubated for 48 hours and then added a bit more time. I then left it wrapped on the counter for a day but it didn't continue to ferment. I did freeze it but I'm wondering if I should be disguarding it?
Thanks again. Have a wonderful day
@@farrellvanessa The trick is if you add the thickness you should also add the starter as well, maybe double the dose.
Francius
@@francius1003 Ah... OK. Thanks. Should I then throw out what I've made. It did seem OK but there were bits in the middle that didn't seem to cover with spores.
@@farrellvanessa You can consume the good part. It's not a rotten product, only incomplete fermentation.
Francius
Mau bikin hari ini pakai resep Oom. Makasih, Oom. Greeting from Manchester, UK.
Hi Yessi! Selamat mencoba. Ikuti tiap step dengan seksama, dijamin berhasil! Kalau belum punya incubator, bikin dulu. Lihat caranya yg mudah di videoku. Good luck and let me know! Greeting from Tigard, OR!
@@francius1003 I will. Thank you, Oom!
Hi, Oom. I'm back! I know it's been 2 months, apologise, sooo busy with life hehe. So, I've made the tempeh starter last month. But, just got a chance to make the tempeh with it yesterday. Today, I have seen a beautiful white layer! Omg I'm over the moon! I'm so proud of myself and of course I thank you so much! I just can't believe that it really works! Thank you so so so much for the recipe, Oom! ❤
@@yessiraheem2560 Congratulation, Yessi! You are now a true tempeh producer. Keep the good work! Stay healthy!
You are a legend, thanks for sharing that!
You're welcome! The goal of this channel is to promote tempeh as the best and healthier substitute for meat protein. Go, make your own tempeh, and free yourself from buying tempeh starter.
hello francius, thank you so much for your great videos of shearing your knowledge . I once succeeded perfectly with making my own starter- ever since I am not able to produce nice growth of tempeh spores on rice no more. I tried so many different sorts of rice by now.. how long do you steam the rice? do you soak it before steaming ?? My rice once in the fermentation chambre doesn´t produce much of moisture, seems like it´s `drying out´ before it can grow perfectly. What would be your suggestion ?? thank you !!!!!
Hi, Kai!
Cooking the rice seems not to be a problem because it is the easiest part of the process. Just wash the rice, then cook it in a rice cooker with water of the same volume as the rice volume (one cup of rice cooked in one cup of water). Cook for 60 minutes. Any rice will do, except the glutinous rice. I suspect your temperature is not right. Fermentation needs a constant temperature of 31C (88F). Please check your incubation temperature.
Francius
Thank you sooo much!
You're welcome! Enjoy your tempeh!
muuuuuuuuuito obrigado (Brasil)
Oi, Afranio! De nada! Deixe-me saber se você ainda tiver alguma dúvida. :)
Hi Francius : }
thanks for all your videos, you helped a lot of people and we are very grateful
I have one question, and I read all the other questions to be sure I don t bother you for nothing.
do you ever use , to make tempeh starter or even tempeh, any vinegar or anything to make the mix more acid for the spores or mycelium to grow?
I heard acidic environment is good for them. what do you think?
Cheers Francius, happy new year! :)
Hi, Vince!
Good to hear you got help from the channel. Your question is common among homemade tempeh makers and I have answered and clarified the issue in one of my videos: Do You Need Vinegar In Your Tempeh? ruclips.net/video/thHmKlqmJKo/видео.html
Check it out!
Cheers, and Happy New Year, my friend!
Francius
@@francius1003 oh sorry, I didn t see you made a video for it.Thank you very much for all the help Francius.
Hi Francius,
I made the starter your way and it work far better than the starter i bought. Terima kasih! Tapi untuk apa harus bakar tempung beras? I just store the starter in the fridge and mixe before i use it with any stach. Corn, potato, rice or what ever i have in stock. It works the same way. Is the roasting just for preservation?
Cheers, Frieder
(I just enjoyed my tempeh balado here in Germany. Without your great videos it would have been impossible for me to make fresh tempeh)
Hi, Friederich! I am glad you succeeded in making your fresh tempeh using your homemade starter! The roasting of the rice flour is for pasteurization, to kill any unwanted microorganisms presented in the tepung. You never know what process the tepung had been through, and it is only wise to take precautions. Besides, the mycelium grows better in a cooked environment (roasted tepung). That's why you cook your beans to make tempeh. Any starch will do, I agree.
Best regards from the USA! Good luck and enjoy your tempe balado! Love that!
Francius
Such a great channel, Thank you!
I want to try this...
Can I use tapioca flour instead of the rice flour to dilute?
(where I live I can buy only glutinous rice flour)
Yes you can use tapioca flour! No glutinous rice flour, though!
@@francius1003 thank you!
Does it matter what kind of steamed rice we use?
@@AyalaK1 No. Any plain rice will do.
Great video! May I ask the reason why it's necessary to roast the rice flour?
Hi! It is the same reason why we cook the soybeans for tempeh, Rhizopus ferments well in a cooked environment. Unroasted rice flour is raw, while roasted one is 'cooked'. Enjoy your tempeh!
@@francius1003 Thank you so much for the precise explanation!
would it work without rice too?
Hi Tobias! The purpose of thinning using rice flour is to make it easy when we want to use it. Without thinning the pure tempeh starter would be too strong and to spread one eight tsp over one kg of beans when we mix it would be challenging. So it is a matter of practicality and economy as well. Of course, it would still work, but why spend more when we could spend much less? The pure tempeh starter might cost so little, but it takes one week to make it. Best regards!
@@francius1003 thanks for this spécifique answer....lets thé starter spread ;-)
Thank you so much and could you please give me any advice? I tried to make tempeh starter with rice. 3days later, i found some yellow spot in rice, it is normal? Or contaminated? I need your help.
Yellow spots are no good. We expect black or grey spots. My question is are you using an incubator? What is the temperature? Usually, yellowish spots indicate failed tempeh and most of the time it is caused by overheating. It is unlikely caused by any contamination or weak starter. Can you send pictures through Instagram? Go to my insta and chat @franciussuwono.
Really great of you to share this wisdom, not a ton online. How long have you been making tempeh? I’m going to try and make an incubator soon similar to yours.
Hi TVideoupload! I am glad to hear that it helped. I have been making my own tempeh for almost 10 years now. I am from the tempeh country, Indonesia, and had been through a lot of trouble making tempeh in the USA, where I live now. A good incubator is essential, so I suggest you build one yourself. Even in Indonesia with its hot climate, people still sometimes fail their tempeh because of sudden temperature change. Let me know if you still have trouble building your incubator.
Francius Suwono I had a feeling you might be from there, you seem pretty knowledgeable. wow that’s fascinating info! I am a videographer and have experience editing and working with sound so I hope to make a nice video of my own in the future about tempeh after I learn more and will incorporate what you have taught me through your videos too. What happens if you give too much tempeh starter to your beans?
@@TVideoupload Good to hear that you are a tempeh person too! Tempeh is in good demand globally now. Go make your video and let me know when it is ready for viewing. Nothing bad will happen if you put too much tempeh starter to the beans. It will ferment faster and becomes whiter more quickly. It is still enjoyable, even tastes better because of thicker mycelium, the white feathery thing that grows around your tempeh. The only bad thing will be you spend your tempeh starter too soon ... haha!
Awesome video! Thank you!!
Hi, Larry! You are so welcome!
Hey Francius, how are you? Made it to Day 7 of my Tempeh Starter process, bottled it and now I am making some Red Peas Tempeh with it to see if it is effective. Wish me luck. Thanks for the knowledge.
PS
Can it be kept in the regular refrigerator or do I have to freeze it in a deep freezer in order to make it last for a year?
~Namaste~Michelle
Great job! Keep half in your freezer and a half just at room temperature for immediate use. Let me know the testing result! Once again: congratulations!
Hi Francius! Love your videos! My first batch of tempeh I incubated in the dehydrator on low and apparently it was too warm and there is a half snd half mixture of white and dark like yours. Can I use my grey chickpea tempeh as starter if I dehydrate it?
Hi, Riss. Yes, you can. Dry it (completely) and then grind it. Mix the end result with roasted rice flour at a 1:3 ratio. Check the strength of your homemade starter in your next production.
Francius, after just one day I’ve got good spores on my rice (150 gram). This video shows that you keep it in the incubator for 3 + 2 days and then another 2 days to dry out. Is this still at 31.0 degrees C? I’m using a kitchen towel to catch the condensation and it’s working great.
Good job, Rob! The 3 days are for spore farming still in the closed container, the 2 days are for drying in an open container. The next 1 to 2 days is just an extra to make sure it is completely dry, you don't want to grind damp spores. You may not need this extra if it is all dry up. Just go ahead to grind it. Yes, all is in incubator temperature of 31C. Your incubator is functioning as a food dehydrator now.
Francius, my home made tempeh starter, using your guidance came out great. Made a batch of three tempeh blocks with the new starter and it’s delicious. Cheers!
Congratulation! Now you are completely self sufficient!
Brown or White rice. Does it make any difference. Thanks.
Hi, Chuck!
No. It doesn’t make any difference. The price may make the difference. Brown rice costs more.
Francius
@@francius1003 Many thanks for your prompt response.
Francius: Does the steamed rice have to be cool/slightly warm? does it have to be a little more on the soft side or dry side? , instead of poking holes on the lid of the plastic container,, can I use a glass container and poke holes on the saran wrap that covers it? sorry asking in so detailed, as I only have a little store bought starter left, try not to fail.
Thank you very much.
Hi, Lizzy!
Cool steamed rice is fine, the incubator will take care of the right temperature. Slightly warm also OK, not more than your body temperature.
You can use a glass container covered with a damp towel instead of a plastic lid. Re-damp the towel every 5-6 hours to avoid the rice losing humidity.
If you live in the US I can send you some starters, I have some spare original Raprima starters. Just email me your address at fsuwono@gmail.com.
Regard from OR.
Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you so much for your kind offer. Hopefully I'll succeed in producing a lot of good quality new starter from this first try, also the 100 gr Raprima starter that I ordered from UK will arrive by the end of this month without delay. But if all these did not materialize, I'll S.O.S you. We'll see. Thanks again, Sir.
Greetings from WA.
You're not too far away from me. Give me an SOS then. I have a lot unused because I use my homemade starters all the time. I can send you 100 grams for free, you might need to zelle me the shipping only.
Francius
Why do you use rice flour? Can we use directly the pure tempeh starter to do our tempeh?
Thank you very much! The video is very useful!!! :)
Hi, Elia!
Mixing the spores with roasted rice flour is for practical purposes. The rice flour will help to spread the spores easily in the beans. All the measurements of how much you use the tempeh starter are based on thinned spores. When you order a factory-made tempeh starter, you get the thinned one, not the pure spores from spore farming. So, in this video, one tsp of tempeh starter is actually 3/4 tsp roasted rice flour and 1/4 tsp pure spores. Imagine how difficult it is to inoculate 2 lbs of soybeans using 1/4 tsp pure spores!
If you think this video is useful please share it with your friends! Thank you!
Don't hesitate to ask if you still have any questions.
Francius
@@francius1003 Yes! I understand! Thank you very much for your explanation!!!:)
That is awesome you are amazing thank you
Hi, Big D!
Good to hear that you get something from this channel. Please share with friends. If you still have any questions don't hesitate to let me know.
Regards,
Francius
Hi Francius, tremendous channel! I know this video is about making the starter. But I Wanted to ask if its also safe to eat a tempeh that has developed a lot of black areas.
Hi, Bruno!
The black spots in tempeh are the normal development of the fungus that fermented the beans. They are mature spores, and not a sign of damaged tempeh. I love to eat tempeh with black spots because it tastes better and is just safe.
Francius
What's the difference between doing it this way with rice or just using soybeans and tempeh and drying that out? Which is best?
Also my tempeh is having some water drops from humidity, is it safe to pat it down or flip it to let it dry? I am using a glass pyrex and the bottom seems wet.
Hi, there.
Rice substrate is the industey standard because of two reasons: you don't have to de-hull, and it is 30% cheaper. You can use soybeans as substrate as long as you use the starter at least 2% of the weight of the substrate.
How do you air dry your tempeh? you need to air-dry at least 20-30 minutes before inoculation. Moisture will normally go out after 36 hours of inoculation.
Francius
Hi Francis, thank you for all the awesome tempeh know-how! I’ve made some great soybean tempeh following your videos. I have a question regarding tempeh starter based on rice. Tried this twice and failed twice. The white „furry” grew up till 48 hours in incubator. After about 48 hours it started smelling strangely, no more growing and no black spores at all. When I rolled it, underneath was a transparent liquid and it was cold (unlike tempeh, which after 48 hours generates its own heat, even in the fridge). At this point, after 2 days I have throwned my failed starter to the bin. I have used commercial good starter to try to grow my own on rice.
What could be the possible mistake here? I used yasmin rice, but slightly overcooked in a steamer. Incubator keeps the temperature within 30-31 range. Thanks! :)
Hi, Kasia!
I am so sorry for your double failure on your tempeh starter making. Let me clear out a couple of things.
First, the steamed rice. It should be on the dry side. Cook the rice with a 1:1 ratio of rice to water, say, one cup of rice cooked in one cup of water. Second, the temperature. From day 1 through day 7, it should stay 31C (88F), with no interruption whatsoever. Third, drying. The drying should be done without a lid, from day 4 through day 7 still at 31C, or, sundry if you have sun. In your case, I sense the temperature dropped after day 2 for some reason. Rice does not create its own heat, only soybeans do. So, don't take it out of the incubator.
My advice: try again! Never give up. Try with drier rice, continuous temperature, and take away the pan lids on drying. Even on day 2, you should notice some black spores growing. Please send me your pictures to fsuwono@gmail.com so I can figure out what is wrong. Also, tell me what kind of incubator you are using.
Jasmine rice is fine, I don't believe there is an 'over cooked' rice. Rice is well cooked after 60 minutes.
Good luck. Don't get discouraged, you will get it sooner or later!
By the way, I love your photography channel. I subscribe to it. I am a beginner at photography.
Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you for such a detailed and quick answer :) I cooked the rice in ratio 1:2 (1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water) in a bowl placed inside the steamer. I guess it was too wet and mushy in the end. Thanks for the email, I’ll send you photos of my process. And thank you for subscribing to my channel! Greetings from wintery Poland, -8C right now outside, I miss sunny Bali… :)
Visit Bali! :)
Hi Francius, I tried making the starter this way, it turned out great with black spots on the outside but underneath it were yellow spots because I left it for 2 more days than recommended as it was still dry. Should I throw it out?
How did you dry your tempeh? Why did you need 2 more days? If you leave the tempeh more than the recommended time while it still wet it will spoil with yellow spots. You need to dry it as quickly as possible to avoid other unwanted fungus to grow. I don't recommend to use the tempeh for your starter, it's no good.
Francius
Hi om francius,apakah keringat/embun yg ada di bagian bawah kotak juga perlu di lap?
Hi, Lusi!
Gak perl. Cukup tutup kotaknya saja untuk mencegah menetes ke tempe.
Thanks for the video, @Francius. Is the rice warm or room temperature when you add the starter to it? What is the purpose of roasting the rice flour? Can you use non-roasted rice flour?
Let the rice cool to room temperature before adding the starter. Roasting is to pasteurize the flour. You cannot add non-roasted flour because the mold grows in a cooked environment.
Hi Francius. Question about the starter you use to begin the process. I have a starter, but it's only about 1.5 gms in a sealed packet and you call for 6 gms. I used one of the packets in a recipe that called for 2 cups of soybeans and it worked wonderfully. I'm wondering if the packet I have would be enough to make your starter. Regards.
Hi, Chuck!
It looks like your starter is good. You can scale everything down to 25% to make your starter. So for 1.5 grams use 75 grams of steamed rice and thin the spores down with 75 grams of roasted rice flour. You will finally end up with 100 grans of good homemade stater. Everything else, follow the video.
Later you can use your homemade starter to make a full batch starter like in my video.
Francius
Thank you.
Can we use 100 g pure Tempeh yeast not mixed with rice flour?
Hi, Bulent.
The question is not about can or cannot. It is about how will you use it? What measurement will you use? The 100 grams of pure tempeh starter is probably 4 to 5 times stronger. As long as you can scale down and spread it on your beans easily yes you can. Analog to your question is: can we drink condensed milk direct from the can? Yes, you can, it is just not practical.
Francius
thank you for your interest@@francius1003
Hi Francius i've been making tempeh for many years now and have always done it in an incubator similar to yours. My question is: have you any experience making tempeh in a dehydrator and if so do you have any suggestions? The reason I ask is that I would like to increase my production somewhat and the dehydrator has many shelves and of course the temperature is very constant.
thanks
Hi, Michiko. Good to hear that you are a tempeh person! That is an interesting question. My answer is this: the incubator, like yours and mine, is actually a dehydrator. When I make a tempeh starter I dry the tempeh spore in the incubator, leave the pan without the lid, and it works perfectly. So, yes you can. Make sure you set the temperature at 31C. Try with a small amount first, then increase gradually. Watch for overheating. Good luck with your tempeh business!
Unfortunately, i need a tempeh starter to make tempeh starter here
i appreciate your video, but that is where i am stuck bro.
i need a starter and i cannot get any, tho i keep trying
If i do source some(in Canada) can i use brown rice instead or quinoa?
Can i use my Excalibur dehydrator instead of the incubator? i do not have an incubator
If i can,at what temperature and for how long?
Would plastic be safe in a dehydrator?
What is your incubator model? Is it just one set temperature?
i would buy one,but i have my funds into a dehydrator,and i cannot find one in a price range for me as i really dont want to buy a expensive one just for one product
Cheers for your time tho bro i dig your channel a lot and subbed in
Hi, there!
An incubator gives you an accurate temperature for incubating your tempeh. I have uploaded two types of DIY incubators, straightforward and low-cost. Check them out! A dehydrator is not an incubator, it functions differently. The other way around is correct: you can use an incubator as a dehydrator!
For an initial starter, you can check Amazon.
Francius
Thank you
@@francius1003
Om Fran, mau tanya itu nasinya nasi mateng yg sdh dingin atau masih hangat atau masih panas atau nasi kemarin? Kl sdh jadi disimpan dlm wadah plastik atau kaca? Terima kasih seblmnya.
Nasi dingin, nasi hari ini atau kemarin gpp. Kalau sudah jadi bagusnya disimpan di wadah (botol) kaca.
Suwun om
Boa noite! Para 100 gramas do starter puro usa-se 300 gramas de farinha de arroz? Fiz o meu starter com soja e ele ficou em tom escuro preto! Sabe me dizer se é assim mesmo e se é usada a mesma proporção ? Agradeço desde ja ❤
Boa noite!
Isso mesmo, adicione 300gr de farinha de arroz a 100gr de starter puro. A cor preta escura é boa, o que significa que você obtém esporos saudáveis.
Franciscus
@@francius1003 Muito obrigada por responder! Vou produzir meu tempeh com o starter feito com mim e volto para contar como ficou. Obrigada por dividir seu conhecimento ❤️
Hello, I followed the steps. Now my rice tempeh has been in the incubator for ~3 days and 3-4 days in the kitchen, letting it dry. But it's not that dry as yours. Now I finally decided to blend it, but it's more like paste rather than powder. Where could be the problem? And it smells awfull.
Hi, Velizar!
From the smell, I can say it is a failed tempeh. First, we should check the temperature. Is it a correct 31C all the time? If it is we need to check the starter you used in the first place. Is it of good quality? If both the temperature and the starter are good, a good amount too, by day 3 you will get blackened tempeh. The next step is drying. Day 4-6 you split the tempeh and leave it in the incubator without cover, not in the kitchen. Let it completely dry. Only if it is completely dry you can grind. You can dry it in the sun if you have the sun. Send me pictures at my email fsuwono@gmail.com.
Don’t get discouraged! Keep trying!
Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you❤️🙏
Quick question: can a damp napkin be used instead of a lid with holes, like with the tempeh starter made with tempeh? Thanks so much for the helpful videos.
Yes, absolutely!
Ok, at 24 hours, my rice is a bit fuzzy, white, but there is a strong alcohol-like, maybe ammonia? smell. Is it supposed to give off a strong smell? It does not smell like tempeh… Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions.
@@PieRises Rice tempeh always gives away an alcoholic smell, so it is fine. Continue your process normally.
Francius
Thank you so much! Now Tempeh has arrived in Russia! :)
Hi, Михаил!
Thank you for subscribing to my channel. Good to hear that tempeh has arrived in Russia! Anything you need to know about tempeh is available on this channel. Also, you can contact me in my email if you want to discuss with me about tempeh. Let me know how you progress with your tempeh-making!
Regards,
Francius
Hi..if i dont have the incubator what should i do?
Hi, Lusi! It depends on where you live. If you live in a country with an ambient temperature of around 88F (31C) you don't need an incubator. But, if you don't have that condition you definitely need an incubator. An incubator doesn't need to be fancy. I have uploaded a couple of videos on how to build an incubator. It is very simple and low cost. Check it out!
ruclips.net/video/1MG0-f97hxw/видео.html
Francius
Om francius..saya bikin starter dari nasi,tapi setelah satu hari jadi kaya tempe om,ga ada itam2nya
@@call_lucy Ya jelas. Spora hitam itu baru muncul setelah 48-72 jam. Kalau baru satu hari ya seumpama taneman cabe baru tumbuh putik bunganya. Blom dapet cabe merahnya, gitu lho! Sabar dan ikuti step2 videoku sampai selesai.
Hi Francius, Thanks for the videos. I have a question what happens if the mycellium grows but is only white no black after 72 hrs? is it still a usable starter?
Hi! It never happened to me. Is your temperature OK? Wait for the next 12 hrs then do the rest of the procedure. The only answer you can get is to test it on real beans. I believe it will work.
@@francius1003 Thanks for the response. My temperature was not that great only staying at 20 degrees but it is all i have at the moment.
Then, that is the problem. Fix your temperature then you will get healthy spores.
ruclips.net/video/1MG0-f97hxw/видео.html
@@francius1003 Thanks i have something coming that will hopefully solve my heat issue. Do you think what i have now wont work? or it's worth giving it a shot?
@@duikerlosmond4161 20C is way too low. Fix the issue first before try anything else. Temperature is the most critical issue beside the starter.
❤
Good luck and enjoy your tempeh. Please share the channel! Thank you!
Can you make this from tempeh that is already made?
Hi, gbsk12! The main concern in making tempeh starter is spore farming, the growing of the Rhizopus spore in the first place. The problem with making tempeh starter from tempeh is the quality of the tempeh you are using. Some of the frozen store-bought tempeh is cooked before frozen, so it is of no use. But if you are sure you have good tempeh it may worth trying. On the contrary, making it from the original tempeh starter guarantees that you will have a good quality spore. I will make the video on making tempeh starter from tempeh soon.
Hey Francius, me again! I am on Day 2, almost 3 and I only have white mycelium growing, there are no grey or black or any dark areas.
Does this mean that my spores are not mature and won't become starter tempeh?
They are nice and feathery and cottony-looking-like but only white.
What do I need to do? They are still covered with holes in the incubator. Thnx so much.~Michelle **
Hi, Michelle! It is OK. Just add 12 more hrs for spore farming, before the next step (drying). Sometimes it only shows some grey spots but that is fine. Good job!
@@francius1003 Aha, ok, I will give a BIG 24hrs to it...and like I told you, there is NOT A DROP of grey or black. It smells delightful and looks like a beautiful bed of fluffy white clouds. So, I will give it one more day and then I follow thru with the rest of the process. Thanks so much for your quick reply. Hava great weekend, Francius. Your attention means a lot to me.~Namaste
Good! You will get good spores because your mycelium looks so healthy. Even during the drying step, the spore will still grow until it is completely dry. Be patient!
@@francius1003 Aha, good to know that it will keep growing till dry. I started the drying process today. I am soooh excited. Thanks so much for replying. Hava great weekend.~Namaste~Michelle
Hi oom Francius, terima kasih tutorialnya. Untuk penyimpanan starter tempenya bagaimana? Apa harus di masukkan kulkas? Berapa lama bisa tahan di suhu ruang?
Halo, Cingwing! Kalau untuk jangka lama simpa di freezer, bisa tahan 1-2 tahun. Kalau untuk jangka pendek sampai 3 bulan di suhu ruang saja.
Hi om Francis.. Saya mau mula belajar buat tempeh, terima kasih om atas resep nya
Satu nya saya lagi confuse mau nyarik starter asli di mana
Dan saya baru ada incubator atau dehydrator?
Boleh om share di mana link untuk nyarik incubator nya?
Terima kasih om 🙏
Incubator bisa buat sendiri. Lihat tutorial saya bagaimana membuatnya.
ruclips.net/video/1MG0-f97hxw/видео.html
@@francius1003 saya cuba om.. Kalau bisa dapat semua item nya
@@rashidaaljunaid6059 Kalau tidak dapat semua itemnya gunakan yang serupa. Tidak harus sama.
Hello Francius.
After 3 days the Ricecakes are almost all black. Any problems with that?
Regards Christer
Hi, Christer. That is the best, you have got mature spores! Follow the next steps, drying. Congratulation!
@@francius1003 I got almost 400 grams of tempeh starter and the tempeh I made with that was perfect.
@@christereliasson9467 Congratulation! Now you are a true tempeh producer! Enjoy your tempeh, please share your success!
Thank you for sharing! One question: because they are not pure spores, you need to use bigger quantity for making tempeh?
Hi, Carlo!
They are pure spores, they grow from the same mold. Even, they are too strong to use directly, that is why you need to dilute them with roasted rice flour. When they are diluted by a 3 to 1 ratio, they have the same potentials as a good tempeh starter. The only thing that needs to consider is the quality of the original starter you use in the first place. If the quality is low then it will produce fewer spores, but still pure spores. However this is not a lab process, many things might get in the way. That is why you need to test the final product using a known measure like the one I showed in the video.
@@francius1003 Thank you Francius! I'm sorry, I meant how much rice+starter powder to use for making tempeh. Is it the same quantity that you use when make tempeh with only starter powder? If I understand correctly I have to put the triple weight? Thanks so much
I am sorry I misunderstood you. You use it as a normal tempeh starter, but you need to test it first. The diluted homemade starter is supposed to be as potent as the original starter. In my video, I test it using one tsp for 300-gram beans, which is already double than normal. Your bought tempeh starter is not pure spores, but diluted spores like your homemade one.
@@francius1003 Thank you so much! I didn't know the bought starter was diluted. Thanks!! 👍🏻
Thank you so much for the videos!!
I have 2 questions ,hope you can answer it
why did you thin the tempe stater?
why do you roast the rice flour before add it in?
Hi, Rich.
1. Thinning is for practical purposes when we want to apply it to the beans. Let's compare it to drinking milk from condensed milk before thinning it with warm water. It is simply not practical and wasting of resources. So, the pure starter we draw from the rice pack is sort of condensed, and we use the rice flour to make it practical and more economical. The pure tempeh starter may not cost a lot, but it takes one full week to make it.
2. The roasting of the rice flour serves two purposes. One, the mycelium or the mold, grows well in a 'cook' environment. That is why we cook the beans for the tempeh in the first place. Unroasted flour is 'raw' while roasted flour is 'cooked'. Two, it also pasteurized the flour and get rid of unwanted bacteria or anything bad from the flour that might get in the way of the fermentation process.
Thank you for your comment and questions!
@@francius1003 I was not expecting you replied so fast, Thanks so much, will try it soon!
You are welcome. Good luck!
@@francius1003 hhh I am on day 2 now, I saw black spores , so exciting, and it actually smells nice
Good job! Proceed to the next step!
300 grams of rice before or after steaming?
Hi, there. 300 gram of cooked rice, not raw grains.
Just great !!!
Follow the video, Eva. And you will not have to buy tempeh starter ever again!
@@francius1003 thats what I will do, Francius ! I made starter by myself from my first tempeh, but I didn´t know you than and I dried my homemade thempeh to mix it with riceflour later. But you said it would be the best to make your tempeh starter with a very clean starter from the shop. I will do how you said it and prepare myself the starter like you showed us to do. It will be much better. Thank you very much for your great work !!!
Hi Francius,
I wanted to say thanks for your tutorials.
Now I have followed your recipe for making a tempeh starter but I struggle using it. CAn you help ? I did send you an email by the 12th February but maybe you have not seen it.
I would like to send you some pictures
I'll check the email! Apparently it was in the spam folder. Tell me what is your problem in using your tempeh starter.
If the tempeh cake is not dry, can I put it into microwave or oven with low temperature ?
How high is the temperature? You cannot put the spore in a temperature higher than 40C/100F otherwise you will kill the spore.
thanks@@francius1003
Where do we get tempe dtarter from?
I bring it from Indonesia every time I visit back. It's Raprima the most popular one.
I once made Tempeh Starter out of fleshly made tempeh. But it didn‘t work as good as the bought ones. I grew in different spots but not all over. Do you know why it didn’t work?
-I dehydrated the tempeh für for 2 days in a food dehydrator (30C)
-I milled the dehydrated pieces with a coffee grinder and sifted it
Maybe the bought tempeh starter that I used beforehand for tempeh wasn‘t „potent“ enough???
Hi, Hello Tempeh! It looks like your spore was not good. It can come from weak original tempeh, which can come from a weak or too little tempeh starter. Your way of dehydrating and sifting has nothing to do with it. I am preparing one video for making tempeh starter from tempeh in the next couple of days. Keep watching!
Hi Francius Sowono,
thank you very much for your quick response! I will try it next time with a better starter. Because I already noticed that the starter was kind of „weak“. I will try it next time when my new starter arrives...
Thank you very much for your help!!!
Hi! Don't throw away your old starter. Just double or triple the dose. It will do. Also, try to make the starter from rice as shown in my video, but double the dose. Instead of 6 grams use 12 grams (4 tsp).Instead of using rice flour to thin it use the old starter. It will reinvigorate. Just don't roast the old starter!
Hello,
What's the difference between Ragi tape and (Ragi)Tempeh starter?
Regards Christer
Ragi yeast changes the starch into glucose with an alcoholic streak, to make rice wines or sweet fermented rice, or cassava. Tempeh starter ferments the beans and binds them into a solid block by holding them using the mycelium. They use different types of molds and other materials.
Nice videos. But I'm confused about how strong is a given starter, since some are pure spores or something almost like that (needs very little amount to make tempeh), other are starters like amde with rice, and other are starters with added rice (extra rice) after finished. So if a given recipe to make tempeh at home says a table spoon of tempeh starter, for example, how can we know what kind of starter is? A ultra strong,a medium or a soft starter (mixed with rice) ?
Standard tempeh starter is the one you buy from the manufacturer. It is the same potent as the final product you make yourself after thinning using roasted rice flour. You don't use the one you grind and sift directly, it is too strong. Let's make some comparison. The standard milk is the one you buy from the store fridge, you can drink directly. But there is condensed canned milk that you need to dilute in water before you drink it. The first one is the standard tempeh starter, the later is the one you produced before thinning. When make tempeh you use the standard tempeh starter.
@@francius1003 Sorry to compare, but in other video from other youtubers, they probably use other method, since some said they need more home made starter when compared to starters buy on store, to create tempeh. So I presume your method create stronger starters than the method of other youtubers.
@@francius1003 I found a seller to sell me tempeh starter. I ony found 2 seller (I live on Brazil) on web for my country. One have a very abusive price, while the other have a fair price. The one of the fair price says that his tempeh starter can't be used to create more tempeh starter in home. I presume it's just seller's talk to keep people buying from hin every time they need tempeh starter.
The only way to know the strength of a starter is to try it on your batch. I cannot say mine or their’s is stronger. It just doesn’t make sense. If you use one tsp for 500 gram raw beans and it produce fine tempeh then use it ad your standard. Orherwise, you add or reduce as necessary. So check it using real tempeh making.
Try the fair price one and do some experiments. Make your tempeh stater like in my video. If you get a lot of black spores then it is a good starter. After that you will never need to buy, just make your own.
Perfeito !
Olá, Marcus!
Obrigado por se inscrever e comentar. Se você tiver alguma dúvida é só me avisar! Compartilhe e curta este canal!
I tried this but too much condensation was produced which ruined my batch as it went on the mycelium. Can I cover with a cloth instead for the first 72 hours to avoid condensation?
Cover with damp cloth over the pan. Wet the cloth again every 10-12 hrs until 72 hrs. You will be good!
@@francius1003 ok so this time I think it has been a success. My fermentation looks a little different though. It has become dry and brittle, like yours, however, still “hairy” on top... is that ok?
@Hemal Vasant Do you get blackish color too? If yes it is fine. Go ahead with the next step. The hair is not a problem. If it is brittle during the 48 hrs of incubation it means it lost humidity too much. Maybe the cover became too dry. In my video, I wipe the lid every now and then.
@@francius1003 yes blackish colour. Thank you so much :) !!
@@hemalvasant3943 Very good. Go ahead with the next step!
I tried to make tempeh with tempeh starter i bought but Its taking 96hrs to become Tempeh that too with black mold.. I sundried it to use as a starter.. Can you tell me what causing it take 96hrs to become Tempeh? Here in home temperature is 85f i am doing in a large plate covered with towels..
Hi, Jay!
96 hrs to make tempeh is way too long. Normal time 36-48 hrs max. If your tempeh starter is fine then the temperature is the culprit. I suspect you are not using an incubator, relying only on ambient temperature, which definitely you have no control. The optimum temperature is 88F, but 85F is not bad as long as it is continuous and consistent. You may not know what is the ambient temperature during the night. Do some elimination process, to understand why your tempeh failed you. If you live in a tropical country, which is warm all the time, then something else is not right. Covering the plate with a towel has some catch. Did you damp the towel every now and then? If not your tempeh may have lost its humidity, became too dry, and failed to ferment. But, don't be too discouraged! Keep trying!
Francius
@@francius1003 Thank you I live In India here temperture in Home is 30. Not using any temperature meter. What i doing is just covering with towel now, failed 3 times till now, because of too much moisture, 2nd time too hot, 3rd time hot and unremoval of chickpea hulls, now as you said i try to moist towel.. Thank you very much.. I am not sure what causing problem. I keep trying...
You don't need an incubator or thermometer if your home temperature is around 30C. Too hot? How do you know it is too hot when you don't use a thermometer? I don't remove the hulls too for chickpeas, and it is fine. And I don't understand what do you mean by too moist. When you air dry for 20 minutes it will remove the moisture enough. Please follow my tutorial closely, and keep trying!
Pakde, tutorialnya yang pake daun pisang donk, biar orang amrik impor daun pisangnya dari Indonesia 😁
Haha .. udah banyak daun pisang disini dari Philipine, Thailand dan Vietnam.
Could you please turn a music a little bit down we can't here clear when you speak. Thanks
Hi! Thank you for your comment. But you can always control the volume through your phone or laptop.
I must steam for how long?
Normal rice steaming using rice cooker is 60 minutes using water the same amount of rice. If you steam 3 cups then you need to use 3 cups of water.
Hi , if tempeh becomes black, is it a good tempeh starter?
I’m using tempeh to make tempeh starter, it becomes black easily before dry
The black is the spores we are looking for. So it is good. The next step is to dry the tempeh, either leave it without lids in the incubator or, if you have sun, in the sun until completely dry. It may take a couple of days to dry.
@@francius1003 do I have to cover it under the sun ?
No, don't cover it. Just sundry it until it is completely dry and ready to grind.
Warm rice or cold rice
Cold rice, no hot.
@@francius1003
Thank you for speed feedback
@@francius1003
Little warm any problem
@@amarhomoeo just as warm as your body temperature is fine because later on you still need to warm it to 31C anyway.
@@francius1003
Thank you so much 💗
Hi Francius, I am starting to produce and start a new business in Brazil. Really liked your vídeos and wanted to check if you are available for a quick call.
Yes you can call me. Just let me know how you want to call. I am available. I live in the US, west coast (Oregon). I think you are 4 hrs ahead of me. Send me email or Instagram or facebook message. Search for my name.
Hi, Felipe. How are things going? I was waiting for your call. You can chat with me through instagram if you want to.
That dark specs u wearing 😮 WHY? SPESK ENRRGETICALLY.
Sorry, I don't quite understand your question. Please clarify.