We entered the 8th week since we made the miso base and started its fermentation.
Our miso barrel has been resting in the basement since then. We decided to check on its development.
We carefully opened the lid and cover, then removed the weights.
We saw a few mold spots. According to the miso master of Komego (the traditional miso maker, from Fukui, Japan), for home miso making, the development of the mold on the surface during the fermentation is totally normal and not a big deal at all. The reason for the mold is because there was a slight contact with the air on the surface, even though we tried to make sure the surface was covered with the plastic with no air inside.
All you need to do is simply scrape off the moldy parts and smooth the surface again. The rest of the miso is just fine. In fact, with the salt and all the good micro-organisms (about 160 kinds!) living in the miso, miso could kill any unwanted or harmful bacteria even if you intentionally mix it in with the miso.
I love mighty miso. So, we tasted this still-under-fermentation miso. Wow, it already tasted quite "miso"ey and I was very happy.
We'll check it again in 6-8 week. There is still a long way to go (maybe 6 more months?) until this miso becomes ready.
