Skip to content

Dr Johnny Drain

FUTURE OF FOOD | FOOD DESIGN | SCIENCE | FERMENTATION

About
My Work
Consultancy
Recipes
Videos
Writing
MOLD Magazine
Contact Me

drjohnnydrain

2 years ago to the week that I was visiting @sando

2 years ago to the week that I was visiting @sandorkraut in autumnal Tennessee. I've just interviewed him (link in bio) for @thisismold about interspecies collaboration, the war on bacteria, and his new book Fermentation as Metaphor, which explores what fermentation—and the communities of microbes responsible for it—can tell us about culture, politics, religion, art, sexuality and identity.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It's full of beautiful images (➡️ pic of Kahm yeast with macro lens by Sandor), and thought-provoking and, I would argue, very important ideas.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#fermentation #enzymes #nomaferments #fermenting #fermentationasmetaphor #lactofermentation #fermentations #sandorkatz

Bring the 'brini. Pt. II of a series of ferments t

Bring the 'brini. Pt. II of a series of ferments that take food/drink brands + messes with 'em (see Guinness garum Pt. I).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Lambrini is an oft maligned UK perry (pear cider) that at 7.5% abv and £3 for a 125 cl bottle is essentially an cheap way to get drunk and, perhaps, not much else. (There's a British drinking game—Edward Lambrinihands—in which you have a bottle gaffer taped to each hand and can't remove them until you've drunk them dry...Don't say we don't know how to enjoy ourselves)(I've done it once, at a stag party in Wales: it's brutal).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
7.5% abv, I had noted, is also kinda perfect for making vinegar. Throw in a vinegar mother and leave for a month or two (there's sulphites, i presume, in the perry so it's slow; tho you can remove sulphites from any wine by adding a few drops of hydrogen peroxide if you want).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The result? Surprisingly complex and actually tasty af. A modestly sharp vinegar (got to pH 3.8) that tastes of honey, dried apricots and green raisins.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@lambriniuk #lambrini #bringthebrini #fermentation #enzymes #fermenting #vinegar #aceticacidbacteria #cocktails #cocktail #mixology

From trash to treasure. I'll be joining 💚 @char

From trash to treasure. I'll be joining 💚 @charlesxmichel 💚 on his🥒 FOOD TALK SHOW 📺 this Thursday, 5 pm UTC
————————————
"From Trash to Treasure: Fermentation as a Tool to Reduce Food Waste"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We will talk about how to use one of the oldest methods of food preservation in the world, and how to make it tasty too! We'll also dive deeper as we discuss the topics of food sovereignty and resilience of food systems.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
@DrJohnnyDrain is a leading expert on using fermentation as a resource to create and amplify sustainability through deliciousness. He is a trusted voice with his work in the future of food at @thisisMOLD, exploring how what we eat can change the health of the planet.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Join us...we'll be taking questions directly from the chat, so feel free to comment below!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🗓Thursday, October 22nd at 5:00pm UTC on IG Live 🗓

📸 @lateef.photography
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#fermentation #deliciousness #moldmagazine #foodwaste #gastronomy #consciouseating #iglive #foodtalkshow

I'm taking part in @communitycultures fundraiser i

I'm taking part in @communitycultures fundraiser in support of BIPOC-led food justice organizations. Join me on IG live on Saturday, 17h UK/12h EST.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can find out what this is ⬆️ + I'll be talking about more adventures in food waste + nukazuke.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The event includes 60+ presenters, inc. Sandor Katz, Chef Jenny Dorsey, Kirsten Shockey, Sarah Owens, Jeremy Umansky, Rich Shih. More info @communitycultures.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The event is open to all, a schedule can be found @communitycultures (http://communitycultures.com).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
100% of proceeds will go to BIPOC-led food justice organizations incl. @theokraproject, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, @habitat.sur, @blackfoodjustice + @la_via_campesina_official. You can donate via venmo @fermentforfoodjustice or Paypal (fermentforfoodjustice@gmail.com).

In 2019 I started a series of ferment projects in

In 2019 I started a series of ferment projects in which I took food/drink brands I love—or, indeed, hate! more on THAT soon—and fucked with 'em.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I love Guinness (just as it is) but wanted to see what flavours were lying hidden inside my pint, waiting to be liberated. The Guinness garum retains the core maltiness of the original but brings to the fore notes of coconut + toasted marshmallow (a lot like the Jelly Belly flavour!).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
People often ask me, what if you ferment cookies? Or, can I ferment jelly? The answer is; you can! Fermenting lets us unpack the component parts of our food + transform them. Which is fun. And fascinating. Particularly if you start with something someone's already made. You simply need to think about what types of compounds are in your food and then what microbes in your fermenting toolkit might break them down to produce something delicious.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I made the 'garum' (term used loosely, and cuz alliteration. 'amazake' might be better) by mixing @Guinness Original with white koji barley + letting the koji's enzymes break down the liquid. This was made in Sept '19. There were some wild yeasts kicking around in there too, for a while. Guinness contains a fair whack of carbs, sugar, some protein, + lots of existing flavour compounds, all waiting to be transformed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#guinness #guinnessoriginal #koji #fermentation #enzymes #nomaferments #garum #fermenting #aspergillusoryzae #cocktails #irishcocktails #cocktail #mixology

Talisker 10 x sourdough miso x bananas. For last n

Talisker 10 x sourdough miso x bananas. For last night's World Class talk on the vital role of bacteria in whisky, we assembled some special serves. This one was to honour all the sourdough + banana bread that got made over lockdown. My miso, made @lyan.cub from waste sourdough (ft. lactic acid bacteria), some of @crucibleldn Stu's shonky bananas, and Talisker 10: all mixed up, centrifuged, and served neat over ice. All the maritime loveliness of T10 with an extra kick of umami and banana esters.

#fermentation #lactofermentation #bacteria #whisky #fermenting #scotch #miso

Follow on Instagram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Collaborators

Here are some of the amazing people I’ve worked with, cooked for, and made things for.

Restaurants

Bars & BOOZE

Food Brands

Miscellaneous

Proudly powered by WordPress