c/fermentation-station

Update on my sauerkraut airlock situation

So last month I tried a batch with just a cloth cover and another with a proper airlock lid. The cloth batch got a weird film on top after about 5 days (in my 68-degree kitchen), but the airlock one was perfect. The airlock kept the bad stuff out while letting the gas escape, which the cloth just couldn't do. Has anyone else had mold issues with the cloth method, or did I just get unlucky?

Showerthought: I was sure my first batch of kimchi would be a total fail

I rushed it and only let it ferment for two days in my cool kitchen, but it turned out super tangy and good. What's the shortest time you've had a ferment actually work out?

My old boss insisted on using a single 5-gallon crock for all our kimchi batches, but after a whole batch went slimy in 2021, I switched to using separate 1-gallon jars for each vegetable.

Has anyone else had a major fail that made you completely change your setup like that?

My kraut went fizzy after I left it in the garage for a month

I forgot a jar of my usual cabbage mix out there when it got cold, and when I opened it, it was super carbonated like soda. Anyone know if that's safe to eat or what causes that much fizz?

Dropped $40 on a fancy airlock for my first big batch of hot sauce and it clogged up in two days.

I was making a gallon of habanero mash and thought the bubbler would be better than a simple cloth cover. The thick pulp just rose up and blocked the whole thing, making a real mess. Has anyone found a good way to keep a bubbler clear with chunky ferments?

I finally got my sauerkraut to stop being mushy

My last three batches in a basic ceramic crock came out soft and unappealing. This time, I switched to a Fido jar with an airlock lid and packed it way tighter with a kraut pounder. After 10 days at 68 degrees in my pantry, it was perfectly crunchy and tangy. What's your go-to method for keeping the texture firm?

My kombucha turned into vinegar for a solid year and I just figured out why

I've been brewing in my kitchen for ages, and every single batch came out way too sour, no matter what I did. I thought my scoby was just super strong. Then last Tuesday, my friend Sam tasted it and said 'Hannah, this is straight up salad dressing.' I realized I'd been leaving it to ferment for three weeks because I read that time frame in an old book. Turns out my apartment is so warm it only needs five days. I was basically making kombucha vinegar on purpose. Anyone else brew in a really warm spot and have to cut the time way down?

Warning: my 3 gallon sauerkraut crock went from 'quietly bubbling' to 'active volcano' in about 36 hours flat.

I noticed a lot of people keep their sauerkraut way too warm for the first few days, like on top of the fridge.

I mean, my last batch got funky because I had it in a spot that was maybe 75 degrees. I read in a book from the library that the ideal temp for that initial ferment is more like 65-70. If it's warmer, the bad bugs can take over faster than the good ones. Now I just stick it in a cooler corner of my basement and it comes out way more crisp and sour every time. Anyone else find a good cool spot in their house for this?

Showerthought: My sauerkraut just hit 4 weeks in the crock and the tang is perfect.

I was aiming for the usual 3 weeks but the cooler basement temps slowed it down, and that extra week gave it a deeper, more complex sourness I didn't expect. Anyone else find their best results come from ignoring the calendar and just tasting?

Warning: my kimchi brine overflow took 3 days to clean up after I misjudged the headspace in a 2-gallon jar.

I thought a quick wipe would handle it, but the sticky, fermented goop seeped under my counter and required a full disassembly of the cabinet to properly sanitize, so what's your worst cleanup story from a batch gone wrong?

Showerthought: my neighbor said his sauerkraut smelled 'like victory' after a week in the crock

It made me realize my own fear of a funky smell was holding back my ferments. How do you know when a weird smell is good weird versus bad weird?

My brother-in-law in Portland changed my mind about airlocks

I was over at his place last weekend and saw his kimchi jar bubbling away with just a cloth cover, no airlock in sight. He said, 'For a quick ferment like this, the gas pushes out any bad stuff anyway, and the cloth lets it breathe better.' I always thought you needed a proper airlock for everything (you know, like a rule), but seeing his setup work perfectly for a 3-day ferment made me rethink my whole process. Has anyone else moved away from airlocks for their shorter projects?

Took me 8 batches of sour pickles to figure out my brine was way too salty. The tip-off? My kid said they tasted like the ocean.

I read that some of the oldest sourdough starters in the US are kept in jail

I was looking up stuff on old sourdough cultures last week and came across a fact that made me laugh. Apparently, the San Francisco Boudin Bakery has a starter they call 'Mother Dough' that dates back to 1849, which is wild enough. But then I read that some prisons, like the one in Monroe, Washington, have kept their own starters going for decades because it's cheap and reliable. The idea of a sourdough starter being a prized inmate in a prison kitchen is just so funny to me. I picture guards doing a headcount on the crocks. It makes sense when you think about the constant feeding schedule fitting into a rigid routine. Has anyone else run into a starter kept in a really weird or strict place like that?

I gave up on the airlock for my sauerkraut and just used a cabbage leaf

For the last three batches, I was using a fancy glass weight and a proper airlock on my half gallon jar. It worked, but I always got a bit of kahm yeast on top. This time, I was out of town when my cabbage was ready and had to improvise. I just packed it down hard, tucked a big outer leaf over the top, and jammed the jar lid on loosely. Came back five days later and it was perfect. No scum, no mold, just clean, crunchy kraut. The leaf created a much better seal against the air than the weight did, and it was free. Has anyone else had a simple trick beat out the fancy gear they bought?

My neighbor told me to skip the airlock for my first batch of sauerkraut

He said just to burp the jar every day, and after a week my whole kitchen smelled like a sewer because it went bad. In my experience, using a proper airlock from the start is worth the few bucks. Has anyone else had a simple piece of advice backfire that badly?

Talking to my barber made me dump my SCOBY hotel

He said my kombucha smelled like his old wrestling gear from high school. Has anyone else had a batch go that wrong after 6 months?

TIL the new brewery in Springfield has a kombucha tap that smells like old gym socks

Honestly, I went to check out their setup last weekend and the whole place had this weird, funky smell right by the bar. Ngl, the bartender said it's their 'special wild ferment' but it honestly reminded me of my high school locker room. Has anyone else tried a kombucha that smelled that off but actually tasted okay?

Appreciation post: My 3-year-old sourdough starter finally got a name after a trip to the coast

Last month, I took my starter jar to a cabin in Oregon and used local well water for a feeding, which made it more active than I've ever seen. I ended up calling it 'Dunes' because it just seemed to fit the bubbly, wild character it developed there. Has anyone else had a location change their fermentation project's personality like that?

I had to pick between using a glass weight or a fermentation spring for my first batch of sauerkraut.

My neighbor in Austin tried my first batch of hot sauce and said it tasted like a real restaurant's.

He asked for a second bottle after finishing his taco, which felt better than any five-star review.

I finally saw a kraut explosion at the farmer's market in Boise

I was at the Saturday market about three months ago, and a vendor had a big jar of fermenting sauerkraut on display. The lid was on too tight, and it popped off, spraying brine and cabbage shreds everywhere. It made a huge mess on their table. Now I'm always super careful about burping my jars, but my friend says a loose cloth cover is better than a sealed lid you have to remember to open. What's the safer way to go for a beginner, a tight lid you burp or a cloth cover with a rubber band?

My neighbor saw my kraut jars and said something that made me rethink my whole setup

I was moving my fermenting crock to the basement last fall in Cleveland, and my neighbor Dave stopped by. He pointed at my three half gallon jars of sauerkraut and said, 'You know, you're making a science project, not a pantry staple.' He explained that his grandma in Poland always used one big stoneware crock for the whole batch, not a bunch of small ones. It made the flavor more even and was easier to manage. I've been splitting batches into smaller jars for two years thinking it was safer. After that talk, I bought a single 5 liter crock and my last kraut ferment was the best yet, way more consistent. Has anyone else switched from multiple small vessels to one large one and noticed a real difference?

TIL my neighbor thinks his kombucha is done when it stops fizzing after 2 days

I mean, I had to gently explain that my SCOBY from a batch last fall took a solid 7 days in my 72-degree kitchen to get properly tart, and now he's asking me to check his next attempt.