Fermented steel cut oats: water / starter question

[definitelynotsane]

Hi - Am going to try my first attempt at fermenting steel cut oats. Hopefully someone could advise on two questions:

1. I'm using chlorinated NYC tap water. Should I dechlorinate first? And if so, recommended ways of doing so without access to a charcoal filter? Have heard that boiling for 20 mins works and seems pretty simple.

2. Any recommended non-dairy starters for the oats, and if so in what proportion to the amount of oats? Am considering using a few tablespoons of coconut yogurt (anitas) but thinking that using sauerkraut brine might give it a bit of a strange taste.

Thanks!
Chris

[Christopher Weeks]

I don't know what's in NYC water, but the simple chlorine will out-gas overnight and as I understand it, the monochloramine will stick around in significant quantity for 1.5 months. You can boil it off, but that's energy-expensive. But maybe just try it and see. I use spring water when I have it, but if I haven't been to the spring recently to fill my bottles, I just use tap water and it works out OK.

When I've soured grains, I never used a starter. The grains or the air had sufficient LAB to kick things off just fine.

[rettaa]

Hello - I'm not sure if this is a reply or a new question.
I like to make a muesli from rolled oats, rye and seeds, and I soak it overnight in the fridge to soften it and then eat it with yoghurt. I am excited by the idea of actually fermenting the muesli rather than soaking in the fridge.
My question is this: if I leave it out of the fridge overnight with the yoghurt mixed through, am I fementing the oats? Or am i just giving the yoghurt an extra bit of fermenting time with oats in it?
I guess what I want to know, is this: will the bacteria in yoghurt ferment the grains, or will the grains ferment themselves while mixed with the yoghurt? Or will the grains not ferment at all, but simply end up soaked with extra-fermented yoghurt?
Cheers
Retta

[Rootdigger]

Go to Dairy Ferments and see my post on Kishk. I never got a reply but never expected one given the rarity of reviving a 5000 year old ferment. It did take 20 days to get the yogurt to ferment once soaked into the bulger at an ambient temp of 65 degrees. It is still in the drying phase (day 4) but the smell is insane good. I don't think overnight will do much for anything, in a fridge nothing at all. I say that because 20 days to have yogurt sitting on the counter next to the wood stove was quite a leap of faith...will role those dice on Sunday. Talk about a leap of faith, we are snowed in with an 8 mile snowshoe to medical

[rettaa]

Thanks for your reply Rootdigger. I looked up your post, and though it didnt really help with my question, it was interesting anyway. I'm glad to see your Kishk worked out, and you are still with us!

[sourmilk]

I soaked rolled oats with water in a closed jar for about 36 hours. The resulting porridge had a sour after taste. Not unpleasant, but I did not care for it. I went back to just soaking it overnight.