Fermentation

Years ago, when I was diving deeply into the materials of incense, I felt the urge to write about them, in a book. I still have that book outline and it lists a dozen types of frankincense, a dozen types of myrrh, the differences between copals, and what copals are, including the misidentifications, and an absolute cornucopia of further information on resins, herbs, roots, flowers, and formulations. Now, a few years later, there are more 'types' of these resins to include, and more information available. The task of finishing this book seems monumental, but now that I have my Scrivener program to plug it into, it doesn't seem as daunting as it once did. The problem is that I will be forced to come out of my shell and actually converse with a few experts every now and again to wrap up the project. To give you an idea of how big this is, the outline, just the outline, is over 12,000 words long. And the paper file, from which none of that information has yet been added to the book document, is as thick as a 1902 dictionary. To say that I have my work cut out for me if I decide to continue with the project is a vast understatement.

Fermentation in incense is important. Fermentation helps break down the carbohydrates in the incense formulation and creates an increase of scent that otherwise would not be present in an un-fermented work. This is why incense that is rolled or formed using water and a small bit of wine smells different after a time than its plain, unformed, powdered twin. Adding fruit only intensifies this fermentation process as the yeasts in the incense 'eat through' the sugars in the fruit. As I pointed out in the previous post here, this process of fermentation is why Kyphi smells different from its start through its lifespan (until all of it has been used up). 

Do this; take a small batch of incense formula before adding water or essential oils, and split it in half so that you have two jars or bowls of incense. Store one in this form in a glass jar and set it aside, then add a few tablespoons of sweet wine or honey water to the second bowl/jar of incense until it holds its shape, and store it in another jar for a couple of days in a cool place -- even the refrigerator will work here. Then shape the wet incense and let it dry out and store it in a clean glass jar and forget about it for a few months. After three or more months, pull both jars of incense, the loose powdered stuff, and the formed stuff, and compare their scents straight from the jars, and then compare their scents on a warm incense heater. This will demonstrate the importance of fermentation like no amount of explanation can.