Comments on: tempeh trials

By: Lala

Lala — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:35:13 +0000

I did actually put them on top of the fridge last time Thank you for the tips…I will try again and let you know.

By: kimmykokonut

kimmykokonut — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:39:05 +0000

I’m sorry you’re having problems getting the tempe to ferment correctly. Are you using enough bacteria? I find the most likely problem is temperature, too cold or too hot. Where and how are you incubating your tempe? I have no problems with the perforated ziplock on a cooling rack in the oven. If yours is getting over 30 deg C, I’d try to move it to a different location (not on top of the fridge or in the oven, perhaps a basement? maybe start your first 12 hours in the evening when it is cooler outside?) After a few hours I tend to stick a thermometer in the tempe cake to get an idea of where it’s at. Good luck, let me know how it goes!

By: Lala

Lala — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:53:32 +0000

I’m Indonesian origin and tempe (we spell that way ) was daiy life back then. Moved abroad and found no tempe has been couraged me to actually try to make it myself. Unfortunatelly, so far been failed After I read this, I just realised that making tempe is not easy than I thought. I’ve been wondering why I was failing over and over again. Now I know, I probably got the temparature wrong. It was too hot! So, if the temparature is above 30 degree c, what should I do? Where should I keep the tempe?

My friends told me, how lucky they are to not have to make one and it’s very cheap in Indonesia

Thank you

By: kimmykokonut

kimmykokonut — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:09:38 +0000

I’ll look forward to it. Good luck and enjoy!

By: Angela

Angela — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:30:49 +0000

THANK YOU!!! Now it all makes sense and I can’t wait to try. It never occurred to me that the oven didn’t have to be turned on! Thanks again. I’ll report back on my magical tempeh adventure.

By: kimmykokonut

kimmykokonut — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:54:54 +0000

I don't wrap it in foil, the ziplocks were just on top of a stainless surface. I packed the bean mixture straight into ziplocks and pressed it into the shape and put it on a wire rack so there is airflow all around. Don't wrap it with foil because the bacteria need the air to grow. I have finished pictures of the tempeh on another blog post here. Most gas ovens propped open will be about 85 degrees. The pilot keeps it toasty. You can test it with an oven thermometer. I wouldn't bother turning it on unless you have an electric oven. In that case, turn it on to the lowest setting, then shut it off. You don't want the oven hotter than 88 degrees F. You may need to turn the electric oven on and off in a few hours to keep it warm. I keep the tempeh in the oven for the full 22 hours to incubate. It may take more or less, depending on the freshness of the bacteria and your soybeans. Your apartment won't explode. The oven shouldn't be on, the pilot light is enough to keep the tempeh at the right temperature. Good luck and let me know how it turns out! Contact me if you have more questions.

By: Angela

Angela — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:45:29 +0000

Cool! I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for posting the recipe. I just wanted to ask, do you wrap the bean/bacteria mixture in foil and then put it in the ziplock (in the picture it looks like there’s foil or something)? Also, the lowest setting on my gas oven is 200 degrees. Do you think that propped open with a towel it would stay around 85 (I wouldn’t want the plastic ziplock to melt)? Finally, do you just do it in the oven for 12 hrs and then take it out for the remaining 10 hrs, or do all 22 hrs in the oven? I don’t know how I would keep the oven on for 22 hrs, and I even wonder if having it propped open for 12 hrs would make my apartment explode. Thank you for addressing these paranoid questions if you have time!