red chilis
brine
white vinegar

Before making this recipe, be positive you have home insurance just in case you blow out your windows. This recipes can be made with any amount of chilis. Wash and remove stems
from the chilis and place in a stoneware or glass crock large enough to
leave 3 inches of space above the chilis. Make enough brine by dissolving
3/4 cup of salt into 1 quart of pure water. Cover the chilis with the brine
and weigh them down with a Ziploc bag filled partially with water so that
all the chilis are submersed. Put in a cool place for at least thirty days.

At the end of the pickling, drain and rinse the chilis. Batch process them
in a blender or food processor using enough vinegar to facilitate making the
emulsion. Strain through sieve such as a fine mesh screening or cheese cloth
and return unused pulp to incorporate with the next batch.
Bottle and use within a year.
Sauce will settle and separate in a week or so. Should you want more heat
and less vinegar, you can decant the top layer of vinegar to your taste.
Save pulp by-product to use in chow-chow, guacamole, etc.

* note: real Tabasco claims it is ‘aged’ in white oak barrels. Perhaps a
chunk of the same or similar hardwood in the brining crock would give you a
similar result?