Wheat berry vinegar

Question

I soaked these wheat berries. They are fully submerged for about 6 months now. As far as I can tell it should have just gone from the stages of ferment, to malt, to alcohol, to vinegar. I did not put in any sugar (to feed vinegar) nor did I put in any salt (to kill bad bacteria to aid in lactofermentation / sour dough).

It smells pretty much like vinegar (which also lasts out at room temperature indefinitely). My one concern is the layer of white at the bottom. I haven’t stirred it up. I’m wondering what it could be.

Answer 1

White powdery sediment is a common occurrence in lacto-fermented foods, and it is simply a byproduct of the fermentation. It is not harmful.