c/fermentation-station

DAE try a glass weight vs a cabbage leaf for keeping kraut submerged

Used a fancy glass weight for my last batch, but a plain cabbage leaf worked way better and didn't trap any bits. The weight let stuff float up the sides and I got mold after 5 days, but the leaf kept everything under the brine perfectly. Anyone got other cheap tricks that actually work?

2 comments

michaelcoleman•2d ago

My $80 airlock setup was a total game changer for my sourdough starter

I got tired of dealing with dried out crust on my starter jar lid, so I bought a special airlock lid and glass jar set online. It cost about $80 with shipping, which felt like a lot for a jar. But after using it for a month, my starter is way more active and predictable. The airlock lets gas out without letting any outside air in, so no weird smells from the kitchen get in. I used to get a hooch layer on top sometimes, but now that never happens. It just bubbles away happily. Has anyone else tried switching from a regular lid to a proper airlock system for their starter?

2 comments

nora735•2d ago

Showerthought: The Korean market on 5th Street uses old kimchi fridges to store their bulk flour and rice.

I was picking up some gochugaru yesterday and noticed they had three big, clearly older kimchi refrigerators in the back corner. The manager said they keep them unplugged and just use them as sealed, sturdy bins for dry goods. Said the seal is still perfect after 15 years and it keeps bugs out better than plastic tubs. Has anyone else seen a second life for old fermentation gear like that? I'm curious if those fridges hold up that well, or if this is just a lucky one-off.

2 comments

paul_sanchez•2d ago

The new brewpub in Asheville has their kombucha taps set up all wrong

I was there last weekend and they're running the lines way too warm, you can taste the yeast overgrowth in every glass. It's a shame because their base tea blend is actually really good. Anyone know a good spot in the Carolinas that actually knows how to manage a draft system for live cultures?

3 comments

perez.cole•5d ago

My neighbor's sauerkraut lesson from 15 years ago

I was in my first apartment in Chicago, trying to make kraut in a big glass jar. My neighbor, an older guy named Frank, saw me struggling and came over. He showed me how to pack the cabbage tighter, saying 'You gotta push until the brine covers it all, kid.' He used a wooden spoon from his own kitchen to press it down for me. That simple tip changed how I ferment everything now. Anyone have a similar story about a small piece of advice that stuck with you?

2 comments

janahenderson•6d ago

My friend in Portland mentioned their kombucha scoby looked like a jellyfish...

We were talking about my first batch of sauerkraut, and they said 'it's all just a happy little ecosystem in a jar.' That phrase stuck with me because I'd been so focused on following the recipe exactly. Now I'm less worried about perfect temps and more about watching the bubbles. Has anyone else found that a simple comment changed how you approach your ferments?

3 comments

stella_ross14•6d ago

Saw a clever jar trick at the farmers market in Boise

I was at the Boise farmers market last weekend and a vendor selling kraut had all their jars sitting in a plastic tub with an inch of water. When I asked, they said it's a simple way to catch any overflow during active fermentation and keep the counters clean. They just use a basic storage tub from the hardware store. It's such a simple fix I'd never considered. Has anyone else used this method for their batch ferments?

2 comments

wadeyoung•6d ago

My airlock bubbled for two days and then just stopped dead

Turns out the gasket on my new fermentation jar wasn't sealing right, so no CO2 was escaping. I spent three hours checking everything else before I figured it out. Anyone know a good brand for replacement gaskets that actually fit?

2 comments

sam_harris68•10d ago

Just realized my 2% brine for kraut beats the 'pack it tight and hope' method every time

Tbh, I lost three jars last month before I got a scale and started measuring the salt. Anyone else find that a specific brine percentage is the key to not getting mold?

3 comments

matthewbarnes•11d ago

Stopped by a new farm stand near Eugene and their kraut setup was wild

I was driving through the Willamette Valley last weekend and saw a sign for fresh produce. The guy running the place had all his ferments in these huge, clear glass jars sitting right on the counter in the sun. He told me he 'lets the light do the work' for at least two weeks. I always thought you were supposed to keep things dark and cool. Has anyone else seen a method like this, or is it just asking for trouble?

2 comments

the_river•12d ago

PSA: People keep telling me my sauerkraut is too salty when they see the brine amount

Honestly, I see this all the time in recipes and comments. Folks see 2% salt by weight of the cabbage and think it's a mistake because the brine looks so salty. Ngl, I made that same worry my first batch three years ago. That exact salt ratio is what keeps the bad stuff out while the good bacteria does its work. If you use less, you risk mold or a slimy texture. Has anyone else had to explain this to a friend who was scared to try fermenting?

2 comments

the_drew•12d ago

Just had a major overflow with my first kimchi batch

Tbh, I got overconfident and packed a 2-gallon crock way too full last Tuesday, and it bubbled over all night onto my kitchen counter. Honestly, I just scooped the overflow back in and wiped everything down with vinegar, but now I'm worried about contamination. Has anyone else salvaged a batch after a mess like this?

2 comments

haydensanchez•14d ago

PSA: I chose a 5-gallon glass carboy over a plastic bucket for my first big batch of sauerkraut and the weight nearly gave me a hernia moving it.

After 3 weeks of fermenting, the glass was so heavy and slippery I almost dropped the whole thing, so has anyone found a safer way to handle large glass ferments?

2 comments

wendy_clark•15d ago

My first kraut batch in 2018 was a total mess, but now it's my favorite thing to make

I started with a big old crock I found at a yard sale in Spokane, and I had no idea what I was doing. I just chopped a cabbage, salted it, and hoped for the best. After about a week, it got this weird slimy film and a funky smell, so I tossed the whole thing out. I gave up for almost a year, honestly. What changed was finding a local workshop where this guy named Frank showed us his simple method: using a specific weight, like a glass jar filled with water, to keep everything submerged under the brine. I tried it again with just one head of green cabbage, and after five days it was perfect, tangy and crisp. The difference was just knowing that one little trick about keeping air out. Has anyone else had a total failure turn into a success with one small fix?

2 comments

dixon.rose•17d ago

Update: My kimchi brine level mystery took three days to figure out

I was fermenting a big batch of napa cabbage kimchi in a 2-gallon crock, and after the first 24 hours, the brine level dropped by almost an inch. I kept adding more salt water, thinking it was evaporating or something. Turns out, the cabbage was just still releasing liquid and pushing the heavier, salty water I added to the bottom, making it look low. It took me three days of fussing with it before I just left it alone for a full 48 hours and saw the level stabilize on its own. Has anyone else had a ferment look like it's losing liquid when it's really just settling?

3 comments

evana71•19d ago

My first batch of sauerkraut in my old apartment was a total mess

Back in my old place in Denver, I'd just cram cabbage into a jar and hope for the best, which usually meant mold. About six months ago, I started using proper weights and an airlock lid. The difference is night and day, my last batch came out crisp and perfect. Has anyone else found that one small change made their ferments way more reliable?

2 comments

patricia385•21d ago

Pro tip: I compared using a regular jar lid versus a proper airlock for my first batch of sauerkraut.

The jar lid blew off after two days and sprayed cabbage juice all over my ceiling in Portland. The airlock batch bubbled away quietly for a full month and came out perfect. Anyone have a good method for cleaning fermented cabbage off a popcorn ceiling?

3 comments

elliot_harris25•21d ago

My neighbor thought my sourdough starter was a science project gone wrong

I keep my starter jar on the kitchen counter, and my neighbor came over to borrow a tool last Tuesday. He pointed at the jar and said, 'What's that, some kind of failed biology experiment?' I told him it was my sourdough starter, and he just stared at it for a solid 30 seconds. Then he asked, 'So you just... feed it flour and water? And it's alive?' I explained the process, but he kept calling it 'the blob.' Has anyone else had to explain their ferment to someone who thought it was straight-up weird?

2 comments

pat540•22d ago

I finally tried using a glass weight versus just a cabbage leaf to keep my kimchi submerged.

After my last batch got moldy, using a 2-pound glass weight from my local kitchen shop kept everything under the brine perfectly for three weeks, so what's your go-to method for keeping ferments down?

3 comments

uma_patel19•22d ago

My sauerkraut bubbled over for 23 days straight

Had it in a 2-gallon jar, weighed down with a plate. The brine just kept pushing up and spilling out every single morning. Is that normal or did I mess up the salt ratio?

3 comments

tessa922•22d ago

I just found out my sauerkraut jar was way too full for a month

I saw a tiny crack in the glass and realized the pressure from the gas had nowhere to go. How do you guys leave the right amount of headspace in your ferments?

2 comments

robinl90•24d ago

TIL a fact about sauerkraut that blew my mind

I was reading a library book from 1998 about food preservation and it said a single tablespoon of salt per quart of water is the classic brine for kraut. I always just eyeballed it. Has anyone else found a specific ratio that works better for them?

3 comments

the_ben•25d ago

Was reading an old fermentation book from the 70s and found a wild fact about salt ratios

It said some traditional kraut recipes used a salt level over 3%, which seems crazy high compared to what I do now. Where did you guys learn your basic brine percentages?

3 comments

the_caleb•28d ago

Remember when we all just used old pickle jars for our ferments?

Back in 2015, my whole setup was a bunch of washed out jars with the lids just sitting on top, not even screwed down. I lost more than a few batches to mold that way. Then about three years ago I finally bought a set of those glass weights and proper airlock lids. The difference was huge, my sauerkraut stopped going bad. Now I wouldn't go back to the old way for anything. Anyone else still using the jar lid method, or did you all switch over too?

4 comments

christopher321•29d ago

TIL my sourdough starter was weak because I kept it too warm

For months, my loaves were dense and barely rose. I kept my starter on top of the fridge, around 78 degrees. Moved it to my basement counter, about 65 degrees, three weeks ago. The difference is huge. It's slower, taking almost 12 hours to peak, but the flavor is deeper and the rise is way better. My last bake had an open crumb I never got before. Is a cooler spot really that big of a deal for everyone?

3 comments