c/fermentation-station

Appreciation post: A friend in Boise told me my kimchi brine was way too salty

I was making my usual batch with a full cup of salt per 5 pounds of cabbage, thinking it needed that much to ferment right. He tasted it and said it was like drinking the ocean, which made me cut the salt in half on my next try. Has anyone else had a taste test completely change their go-to recipe?

Heard a guy at the farmers market say his sauerkraut was too salty after only 2 days, made me check my own brine math

Saw a kombucha tap at a coffee shop in Asheville that got me thinking

I was at this spot called High Five Coffee last week and they had a whole separate tap line just for house brewed kombucha. It wasn't just one flavor, they had three on rotation, all fizzy and on draft like beer. It made me wonder why more places don't set up a small station like that instead of just selling bottles. Has anyone else tried serving their home ferments from a keg setup?

Update: I switched from a big crock to a set of quart jars for my kraut

I used to do all my sauerkraut in a single five-gallon crock, thinking it was the 'pro' way. Last batch, I split the same cabbage between the crock and four separate quart jars with simple glass weights. The jars were ready in about two weeks, tasted more consistent, and I didn't lose half of it to a weird film like I sometimes did in the crock. Has anyone else found smaller batches easier to manage?

My old crock from the thrift store finally gave out after three years

Last week, I noticed a tiny hairline crack in the side of my main fermentation crock. I bought it for $12 at a Goodwill in Boise back in 2021, and it's seen me through dozens of kimchi batches. Last month, I had a batch that just wouldn't get sour, and now I think that crack was letting in air. I'm using a big glass jar for now, but it doesn't feel the same. Has anyone else had a favorite piece of gear fail on them?

TIL my airlock bubbler went dry overnight and my whole batch of sauerkraut got a weird film on top.

I had to toss about 3 pounds of cabbage after leaving it for just a day without checking the water level, so what's your go-to method to remember to top off airlocks?

Went to a farm stand in Vermont and saw their kraut setup, completely changed my game

I was driving through Vermont last fall and stopped at this little farm stand off Route 100. They had a whole corner dedicated to fermenting, not just selling the finished jars. They had about fifteen one-gallon glass jars of sauerkraut just sitting out, each with a different veggie mixed in. The guy running it said the key was using a specific weight, a simple glass disc that fit perfectly inside the jar's mouth. He told me, 'If the brine can't cover it, you're already losing.' I'd been using those fancy airlocks and still got mold sometimes. Seeing his simple, clean method with zero fancy gear was a lightbulb moment. I switched to his way when I got home and my last three batches have been flawless. Has anyone else ditched the complicated gear for something more basic and had it work better?

My brother told me to skip the airlock and just burp the jar, and my kraut turned to mush

He said a tight lid was fine for a quart of cabbage, so I left it on the counter for five days. When I opened it, the smell was off and the texture was slimy, not crunchy. I lost the whole batch, about three bucks worth of veg. Has anyone else had a ferment go bad from not using an airlock?

My sauerkraut brine level kept dropping for a solid month and I couldn't figure out why.

Turns out my kitchen was just way too dry from the heater running all winter. I had to top it off with a 2% salt solution like every other day. Anyone else deal with crazy evaporation in a dry house?

Just found a cheap way to keep my kraut submerged without buying weights

I was making a big batch of sauerkraut in my 2-gallon crock last week and ran out of my usual glass weights. I had to get creative fast. I remembered seeing someone online use a zip-top bag filled with brine, so I tried it. I took a gallon freezer bag, filled it with a saltwater mix that matched my kraut brine, got all the air out, and sealed it tight. I laid it right on top of the cabbage and it worked perfectly, keeping everything under the liquid. It cost me nothing since I already had the bags and salt. The kraut is bubbling away nicely now with no kahm yeast in sight. Has anyone else tried this trick, or do you have a different go-to method when you're in a pinch?

Serious question, has anyone else had a fermenter lid blow off? Happened to me in my kitchen last Tuesday.

I was doing a big batch of kimchi in my 5 gallon glass jar, the kind with the airlock lid. I guess I packed it too tight or the cabbage was extra juicy, because after about 36 hours I heard this loud POP from the pantry. The lid and airlock shot off like a rocket, hitting the ceiling, and kimchi brine sprayed everywhere. My whole kitchen smelled like garlic and fish sauce for two days. I lost about a quart of liquid and had to clean the walls. Now I'm paranoid and leave my jars in a big plastic tub for the first few days, just in case. Has anyone found a better way to handle really active veggie ferments so you don't have a mess?

My neighbor's kimchi comment flipped my whole view on salt

I was chatting with Mrs. Kim next door about my latest batch, and she asked how much salt I used. I said 'a handful, like always.' She just smiled and said, 'Salt by weight, not by feel. Your hands are different every day.' I bought a $12 kitchen scale that night. My last two ferments have been perfect. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a big problem?

Serious question, my kraut in a 2 gallon crock went wrong at the county fair demo

I was showing the basics at our local fair in Boise last fall, using my standard salt ratio of 2.5% by weight. A guy watching pointed out my crock was in direct sun for over an hour, and the batch was already way too warm and fizzy. What's your absolute rule for keeping a big batch cool during a long summer day?

Unpopular opinion: that fancy airlock kit is a total waste of $40

Bought one for my sauerkraut setup thinking it would be a game changer, but the basic jar and weight method works just as well. Has anyone else felt like these gadgets are just overpriced hype?

A guy at the farmers market in Boise said my sauerkraut was 'too sour' for his taste.

He was really polite about it, but it made me wonder if there's a 'right' level of tang everyone aims for. How do you decide when your ferment is perfectly done to your liking?

Update: Had to choose between a 3-gallon crock and a 5-gallon bucket for my first sauerkraut batch.

Went with the bucket, and now I have enough kraut to feed a small army for about six months. Anyone have creative uses for 15 pounds of fermented cabbage besides just eating it straight?

Warning: I thought kombucha SCOBY hotels were a total waste of fridge space

For years I kept hearing about storing extra SCOBYs in a 'hotel' jar, and I thought it was just hoarding. My friend in Asheville gave me a piece of her 3-year-old SCOBY starter last fall, and I almost tossed the extra. I kept it in a small jar with some sweet tea as a backup, totally forgetting about it. Six weeks later, my main batch got moldy from a cold snap. I was ready to quit, but I pulled out that hotel jar. The SCOBY looked weird and vinegary, but I used a cup of the liquid to start a new batch. It fermented perfectly in 5 days, way faster than my old starter ever did. That backup saved my whole routine. Now I keep a hotel going, no question. Has anyone else had a SCOBY hotel actually save them?

I swore my sauerkraut was fine without a weight, but a moldy batch proved me wrong

For years I just used a cabbage leaf, but my last ferment in a wide-mouth jar grew a fuzzy patch after 5 days. I finally bought a set of glass weights and haven't seen a speck of mold since. What's your go-to method for keeping everything submerged?

PSA: The 'burp your jar' advice for hot sauce ferments is missing a key step

Honestly, I see so many people just cracking the lid for a second each day and calling it good. Tbh, that's not enough if you're using a thick mash with peppers and fruit. About two years back, I lost a whole batch of habanero mango because I only burped it. The gas gets trapped under the thick stuff and pushes the brine out, letting mold start on the dry bits at the top. You gotta stir it or shake it gently for the first five days to let the bubbles out properly. Has anyone else had a batch go bad from not mixing it enough early on?

My sauerkraut experiment turned into a science fair volcano

Last month I tried a new recipe and packed the jar way too tight. It sat for three days before the lid blew off and shot shredded cabbage all over my kitchen ceiling. Anyone know a good way to calculate headspace for a 2-liter jar?

Question about my old crock versus a new fermenting lid setup

I used to just use a plate and a rock in a crock for my kraut, which worked fine for years. Then I spent about $35 on a fancy airlock lid system, thinking it would be a game changer. Honestly, it just makes me miss the simple way, and I feel a bit silly for spending the cash. Anyone else go back to their old basic gear after trying something new?

My sauerkraut went from a limp mess to perfect crunch in just 48 hours

I made a batch last Tuesday and after a week it was still soggy and sad. I realized my kitchen was too cold, maybe 65 degrees. I moved the jar next to the water heater where it's warmer, and two days later it was totally different, super crisp and tangy. Has anyone else had a batch stall and fixed it by changing the spot?

Appreciation post: I thought a fermentation crock was a total waste of money

My wife got me a 5-liter German one for my birthday last year, and I was sure my old mason jars were fine. After six months of flawless, mold-free sauerkraut batches, I'm a complete convert. Anyone have a good recipe for fermented hot sauce in a crock?

Unpopular opinion: My local farmer's market in Boise ruined my sauerkraut for good.

I watched a vendor there just pack cabbage and salt into a jar with her bare hands, no sanitizer, no starter culture, and after tasting her perfect kraut three weeks later, I realized I'd been overthinking the whole sterile process for years.

My sauerkraut was always too soft until I started weighing the cabbage down with a ziploc bag of brine

For years my kraut would get mushy on top where it touched the air. I tried ceramic weights, but they never covered the whole surface. Last batch, I filled a gallon freezer bag with leftover saltwater from the brine mix and sealed it tight. I laid that right on top of the shredded cabbage, and it conformed perfectly to seal everything. After three weeks, the whole jar was crisp, with no soggy bits. Has anyone else found a better way to keep everything submerged without buying special gear?