Cool Weather and Vinegar Brewing

We've been hit with an extended patch of unseasonably cold weather and with my side board being against the north wall of my house it just isn't staying warm enough for my vinegars to brew, even with me stirring them nightly in an effort to keep the oxygen levels high.  Tonight I've moved all the jars into my big hall closet close to the water heater hoping that it will keep the ambient air temperature warm enough to get the vinegar bacteria growing.

Making Vinegars to Use in Sekanjabin

A few weeks ago I started soaking fruits in vodka in order to make cordials so I can use them to make vinegar to use in making Sekanjabin.

A few days ago I strained the raspberries, pie cherries, peaches and pears out of the vodka. The vodka had sugar-laden water mixed into it to make cordials; I put the fruit into another jar, added sugar-ladened water, a couple teaspoons of vinegar containing mother, as well as a piece of mother I had in the side board. Today the maraschino cherries and the 80% chocolate have been taken out of the vodka, given the same treatment and into the side board they've gone with the others.

In an effort to speed up my other mixtures I've added some of their cordials to each of them. Good thing I didn't do it as I originally thought I should. I had used pure 80% alcohol vodka and, come to find out, the highest alcohol content you can have without slowing down fermentation is 10%.