To summarize:
Batch 1: Pinto bean, flax seed, cumin seed, and jalapeño: 4 bags plus 2 dishes. Successful except that jalapeño should have been added after cooking since the flavor was attenuated in the end product. But good, solid tempeh.
Batch 2: Peanuts and kamut with curry powder. A semi-success. Curry powder contains ground coriander, an antifungal, and that undermined the mold. Lesson learned: Check ingredients to verify no antifungal properties.
Batch 3: Black bean and green lentils with chia seed. A failure. Chia seed, which I added right at the end of cooking the lentils, forms a glutinous coating that holds water. The mold never had a chance. Lesson earned: Follow the instructions. The instructions in the starter packet state:
Dry the [cooked] beans by patting with a clean towel or using a hair dryer on low heat. Beans must be dry to the touch before continuing.
Batch 4: Black bean and green lentils, with no fancy stuff. I cooked 2 cups black beans and 1 cup green lentils, so 1/3 larger than the 2-cup batch of the instructions. I decided to go with all bags this time, bags well perforated with my small-hole punch, each bag ~11 ounces.
I decided that I’m not weighting they bags: they went into the oven on the rack as shown, no weight on top. In Batch 1 the unweighted tempeh in the bowls formed solid bricks, so I don’t really see weighting as necessary, and the starter instructions don’t mention weighting. Plus weighting is a pain.
The white areas in the bags are from steam, not mold. I don’t expect to see any mold until tomorrow. This went into the incubator (oven with light on) at exactly 12:00n.
If this works, I’m going redo peanuts and kamut, but plain—no curry powder.
