Fermented brown rice question!

[Thandiwe]

I recently began soaking our brown rice after learning the merits.  But I'm following the "fermented" procedure, where you reserve some of the soaking fluid from last batch to add to next batch.  After 3 batches it's supposed to reduce phytic acid by 96%, I believe was the amount.  I soak 2 cups of brown rice in 4 cups of fluid.  To date, I've been using 2 cups of reserved fluid, which ends up being 50% of the fluid.  The articles I've read have mentioned reserving only 10% of the fluids, which would be 2/5 of a cup instead of 2 cups.  Honestly, I just started doing the full pint because I had a pint jar handy when straining out the first batch, so I filled it up and called it good. 

Am I going to do any damage using 2 cups of reserved fluid from previous batches versus the 2/5 cup?  I am soaking for 24 hours and then refrigerating the reserved soaking fluid between uses.  It smells....strong.  But is there any real risk?

[savithny]

Well, I don't soak rice, but we have been working with the same sourdough culture for years now, so some similar issues.

Over time, your starter gets more and more sour if you don't regularly feed it unsour material, take most of the starter away, and "go again" with only a little bit of starter and a lot of fresh flour/water.    I'd wonder if the same is happening to you, which is why the recipes recommend that you only use 2/5s of your liquid and use fresh for the rest. 

If the recommended system works after 3 repeats, using only 2/5s of the soaking water, you're not gaining anything other than sour taste from using all the soaking water, KWIM?   Over 24 hours, the cultures from that smaller amount are still going to successfully ferment waht you've got.

[Thandiwe]

Originally Posted by savithny 

Well, I don't soak rice, but we have been working with the same sourdough culture for years now, so some similar issues.

Over time, your starter gets more and more sour if you don't regularly feed it unsour material, take most of the starter away, and "go again" with only a little bit of starter and a lot of fresh flour/water.    I'd wonder if the same is happening to you, which is why the recipes recommend that you only use 2/5s of your liquid and use fresh for the rest. 

If the recommended system works after 3 repeats, using only 2/5s of the soaking water, you're not gaining anything other than sour taste from using all the soaking water, KWIM?   Over 24 hours, the cultures from that smaller amount are still going to successfully ferment waht you've got.

Thanks!  Makes total sense. I'm going to switch over to the lesser amount from now on.

[HouseofPeace]

i used to add in a cup from the old rice soaking fluid.  i was terrible at following the rules, so had to have an easy measurement.

that worked for about 3+ years.  i did notice that the older fluids were much stronger and really did affect my digestion of the rice.

now i have a grain-grinder and use brown rice flour for a sourdough and it's amazing!  i still use about a cup of starter and just make fresh sourdough every day.  so i guess i'm halfway between the two methods above.  by souring the brown rice flour, it gives the batter a gooey, stretchy texture that brown rice usually lacks completely and that gluten-free mixes use xanthum gum to create.  i'm not sure why fermentation changes the texture, but the strong sour flavor is our favorite part of the baked goods.

pizza crusts, pancakes, french toast, coffee cakes, buttery loaf, all with only fresh ground brown rice, pastured eggs, and clean water!

[savithny]

Originally Posted by Cassiani 

i used to add in a cup from the old rice soaking fluid.  i was terrible at following the rules, so had to have an easy measurement.

that worked for about 3+ years.  i did notice that the older fluids were much stronger and really did affect my digestion of the rice.

now i have a grain-grinder and use brown rice flour for a sourdough and it's amazing!  i still use about a cup of starter and just make fresh sourdough every day.  so i guess i'm halfway between the two methods above.  by souring the brown rice flour, it gives the batter a gooey, stretchy texture that brown rice usually lacks completely and that gluten-free mixes use xanthum gum to create.  i'm not sure why fermentation changes the texture, but the strong sour flavor is our favorite part of the baked goods.

pizza crusts, pancakes, french toast, coffee cakes, buttery loaf, all with only fresh ground brown rice, pastured eggs, and clean water!

Sourdough bread starter with wheat gets that same gooey texture.

Not only that -- but in reading up on sourdoughs, it turns out that if you use a long enough standing period, the resulting bread *can* have so much of its gluten consumed by fermentation that it is technically (by percentage gluten) "Gluten free!"    The researchers who found that didn't claim that it was the equivalent of truly gluten-free for those wtih allergies, but said that some loaves made with some starters had undetectable levels.

[Don Rademacher]

I am very interested in making baked goods with fermented brown rice flour. We do a lot of fermenting: kefir, yogurt, lacto- fermented veg: saurkraut, kim chee, etc. Would like details on how you make your fermented batter and bake time and temp. Please reply here or email at [e-mail]. Thanks. Don Rademacher