Is it ok my LAB smells sour

I let it separate from the rice wash and milk for five or six days before straining. I’ve never made LAB before so I’m wondering if this smell is OK or if it went bad before I got a chance to separate and refrigerate?

@maranibbana @Dr. Who @Northwood @Rurumo

It's sour stuff. 5 or 6 days sounds right.

If the curds are white, and anything on the bottom is white, and the strained liquid is yellow it's probably fine.

Dreminen169 said:

I let it separate from the rice wash and milk for five or six days before straining. I’ve never made LAB before so I’m wondering if this smell is OK or if it went bad before I got a chance to separate and refrigerate?

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A little background may help. Are you originally starting this with a commercially available culture mix? You kept it in your freezer and it's not expired?

I've done many LABs from wild sources however. But we add the mass of 2% to 3% sodium chloride. In my case I mean making pickles from cucumbers and other stuff, along with sauerkraut, hot pepper sauce making, and kimchi. I've never made LABs to feed cannabis, only to put into my own LAB-pie-hole! Lol

You should see a very noticeable quick drop of pH at proper temperatures; at least at 90 F. The initial drop is delayed for about 12 hours until the lactobacillus multiply begin noticeable respiration. The drop should go easily down to 4.6 and then lower before things start to stabilize over a few days. You will see bubbles being produced in your airlock now and then. All that is a promising sign you're actually growing what you want. If you haven't verified this and it was for human consumption, I'd just throw it out because who knows what you grew in there! Lol

Edit: I forgot to mention, in other LAB fermented foods I make like raw dried cured salami (mostly from pork) and other shelf stable products, I always use an inoculant culture. I give this shit away, so the safety of my family and friends is important to me.