c/fermentation-station

I switched from airlock lids to cloth covers for my kraut and wow what a difference

For like 3 years I used those plastic airlock lids on my mason jars for sauerkraut. They worked fine but I got tired of cleaning them and replacing the gaskets. Last month I tried just using a coffee filter and a rubber band over the jar mouth. The ferment is way more active now and the kraut has a better crunch. I think the cloth lets more oxygen out so the good bacteria thrive. No more weird smells from trapped gases either. Has anyone else ditched the fancy lids for something simple like cloth or a napkin?

My sauerkraut batch grew mold and I learned why

I tried making sauerkraut for the first time about 3 weeks ago. Followed every video I could find, used 2% salt by weight, packed it tight in a 1 gallon jar. After 10 days I saw this fuzzy white stuff on top and freaked out. Everyone in the fermentation groups always says throw it out if you see mold, total loss. But I did some digging and found out that as long as the mold is just on top and the brine is still good underneath, you can scrape it off and the rest is fine. I pulled like an inch of cabbage off the top, checked the pH with strips and it was at 3.5. Tasted it and it was perfect, actually the best tangy kraut Ive had. So now I think people are too quick to trash ferments over a little surface mold. Has anyone else saved a batch that way or did I just get lucky?

Last week I fed my sourdough starter with pineapple juice instead of water and got a better rise than any flour feeding in 3 years

I read about using pineapple juice to lower pH in a sourdough textbook from 1995, tried it on my neglected starter in Brooklyn last Tuesday, and now I'm wondering if the whole "just use filtered water" crowd has been making things harder than they need to be.

PSA: Stop ignoring the pH strips during sauerkraut ferments

I skipped pH testing on my last 3 batches of kraut because everything looked and smelled fine, but after a week I noticed a weird film on top - turns out my brine was only at pH 4.8 instead of the safe 4.6 or below. Had to toss 8 pounds of cabbage down the drain. Has anyone else gotten lax with testing and regretted it?

Switched from baling twine to actual butchers twine for my salami after 4 blowouts in 3 months

I used to just grab whatever twine was lying around the barn but since I swapped to proper stuff in June I haven't had a single casing split on me, anyone else cheap out on supplies and regret it later?

Picked a ceramic crock over a plastic bucket for my first hot sauce ferment

Had a choice between a 2 gallon ceramic crock and a food grade plastic bucket at the local homebrew store last weekend. Went with the crock because I worried about scratches in plastic hiding bad bacteria. The crock is heavy and a pain to clean, anyone else regret skipping the bucket for easier handling?

Found out my grandfather's sauerkraut recipe is over 90 years old

Was cleaning out my dad's attic last weekend and found an old notebook. Tucked inside was a handwritten recipe card from my grandfather dated 1932. Same basic salt to cabbage ratio I use today, 2.25% by weight. Made me wonder how many generations have been making the same batch without even knowing it. Anyone else stumble across old family fermentation recipes?

My neighbor said my kraut was too salty after a single bite...

I used to just dump a full tablespoon of salt per cabbage head without measuring, but she pointed out it made the brine harsh. Now I weigh everything and aim for 2% by weight, and the flavor is way more balanced. Do you guys weigh your salt or just go by feel?

Update: Bought a $25 pH meter for my kombucha and it was a total waste

It gave me three different readings in five minutes, so I just went back to tasting it. Anyone have a cheap meter that actually works?

Finally got my sauerkraut to stop going soft after 3 batches by using a different kind of salt.

My sourdough starter went totally flat after a week away

Got back from visiting family in Austin and found it had zero bubbles, just a gray liquid on top. I tried feeding it twice a day for three days straight, but it's still not rising. Has anyone brought a starter back from this kind of slump?

My first batch of sauerkraut finally tasted right after 3 tries

I started a new jar last Tuesday with just cabbage and salt, no extra spices. For the first time, it got bubbly after four days and smelled tangy, not funky. I tried a piece this morning and it was crisp and sour, not mushy like the last two times. What's your trick for keeping the cabbage crunchy?

I was sure my kimchi needed a month, but my friend in Seoul said two weeks is fine

I always fermented my napa cabbage kimchi for a full four weeks, thinking it needed that long to develop flavor. My friend Min-jee, who lives in Seoul, told me to try a batch for just two weeks at a cooler 60 degrees. The result was a much crisper, brighter kimchi that's perfect for eating fresh with rice. Has anyone else tried a shorter ferment for their kimchi?

Vent: I just read that a batch of sauerkraut can have more vitamin C than an orange, and I'm shook

I was looking at a study from a university in Wisconsin about fermented foods, and they said a cup of homemade kraut can have over 700 mg of vitamin C, which is way more than a fresh orange. I found this out while reading their food science blog last night. Has anyone else seen numbers that high, or is my starter just extra strong?

I chose a stone crock over a glass jar for my first batch of sauerkraut

It was a tough choice at the kitchen store, between a simple glass jar for $15 and a heavier stone fermentation crock for $60. I went with the crock, thinking the weight would keep everything submerged better. After two weeks, my first batch came out perfectly crisp and tangy, with no mold at all. Has anyone else started with a crock, and do you think it's worth the extra cost for a beginner?

Saw a new kombucha setup at the farmers market in Portland

I was at the Portland Farmers Market last Saturday and a local vendor had a huge kombucha station... like 15 gallons brewing right there. They were using these wide mouth glass jars with cloth covers, but the twist was they kept them on a heated shelf. The vendor said it cuts the first ferment time down to just 5 days in our cool weather. I've always done mine at room temp and it takes almost 2 weeks. Has anyone else tried using a consistent heat source like that for their brews?

My sauerkraut brine went cloudy and I panicked for a week

I started a new batch with red cabbage and after three days, the brine looked milky. I thought it was mold and kept opening the jar to check, which probably made it worse. It actually took me seven full days of searching forums to learn that cloudy brine is normal for lacto-fermentation, especially with red cabbage. I just needed to leave it alone. Has anyone else had a batch look weird but turn out fine?

The guy at the hardware store asked me what I needed the food-grade bucket for

I told him it was for a new batch of sauerkraut, and he immediately launched into a story about his grandmother's kimchi crock. He said she never washed it, just kept it going. Has anyone else had a stranger give you unexpectedly solid fermentation advice?

I thought the whole 'burping' thing for kombucha was just extra work for no reason

My first batch in a swing-top bottle from a kit I got in Austin last fall didn't fizz at all, so I figured I'd skip it. The second time, I left it for 5 days in a warm spot and burped it once a day like the guide said, and it came out perfect with just the right amount of bubbles. That one simple step made all the difference. Anyone have a good rule for how often to burp during a second ferment?

My airlock blew off a batch of hot sauce and painted my ceiling

I was making a big batch of fermented habanero sauce last week, about 3 quarts total. I guess I filled the jar a bit too full, because after two days the airlock just popped right off. It shot a spray of bright orange mash all over my kitchen ceiling. I mean, it looked like a crime scene. I spent an hour cleaning it up with a step ladder. Has anyone else had a ferment get way too active and make a mess? What do you do to stop it from blowing?

I finally opened my first batch of fermented green beans from June and they were fizzy!

Just saw my first batch of sauerkraut go from cabbage to gold

I started a jar of kraut about 10 days ago, just green cabbage and salt. For the first week it looked pretty sad, just a dull green with some bubbles. I almost tossed it. But I left it alone in the pantry. Checked it this morning and the color is totally different, a bright, creamy yellow. The smell changed too, from salty cabbage to that sharp, tangy kick. The biggest thing was the taste. I tried a piece and it was perfect, sour and crunchy, not soft at all. The good bacteria just needed that quiet time to do its thing. Has anyone else had a batch that looked wrong but turned out great after waiting a bit longer?

My neighbor saw my kimchi jars and said 'that's just old cabbage'

Appreciation post: My sauerkraut went from a soggy mess to perfect crunch after I finally bought a proper weight for my jar.

Rant: My neighbor said you should never burp a sauerkraut jar more than once a day.

He said it at the community garden on Saturday, but my last batch got moldy when I followed that rule. How often do you actually check your ferments?