I used to just cram a ziploc bag of brine on top of my ferments, but last October I lost a whole quart of kimchi to mold growing under the bag. Swapped to glass weights from the brew shop and now my kraut stays submerged without any weird air pockets. Anyone else have problems with bags leaking or floating?
I keep seeing posts where people ask why their kombucha exploded or their sauerkraut got moldy, and they never mention burping the jars. I've been fermenting for 3 years now and I burp my jars every single day without fail. Has anyone else had a batch go bad because they skipped this step?
Used to go by feel and ended up with salty brine every batch, but after reading a post here about weighing it at 2% of cabbage weight, my last batch finally came out perfectly crunchy. What ratio do you guys use for spicy kimchi do you stick to the same 2% or go higher?
I threw some sliced beets in a jar with 2% salt brine back in March, following a recipe from a friend in Portland. After 10 days, I opened it up and there was this weird grayish film floating on top, not fuzzy like mold but kinda slimy. Turns out it was just kahm yeast from the beets being too warm in my kitchen cabinet. I scooped it off and the beets tasted fine, but now I keep my ferments in the basement where it stays around 65 degrees. Has anyone else dealt with kahm yeast on root vegetables?
I used a ziplock bag full of brine as a weight for my first few batches of sauerkraut, but switched to a glass fermentation weight 3 weeks ago... the glass one keeps things submerged way better and I haven't had any mold on top at all. Have you noticed a big difference between using plastic bags and glass weights for your ferments?
I had a batch of sauerkraut going for 10 days and it looked fine, but then I noticed this weird fuzzy growth on top. Turns out I didn't push the cabbage down enough and it got exposed to air. I lost a whole 5-pound head of cabbage and it smelled like old gym socks. My kitchen counter had this fuzzy ring under the jar too, which was gross to clean up. Anyone else ever lose a batch to something dumb like mold?
I spent 6 months using those expensive glass weights and kept getting mold on top anyway. Switched to the ziploc bag filled with brine trick my grandma taught me and haven't seen a speck of mold since. The bag just seals everything off way better than any weight ever could. Anyone else ditch the fancy tools for the old school methods?
My neighbor (she's been fermenting for like 30 years) said she just eyeballs her salt, no scale or anything. I've been obsessing over getting exactly 2% every time, and it made me wonder if I'm overcomplicating things. Has anyone else tried going by feel and had it work out okay?
Been making kraut for about 3 years now, started with a basic mason jar and a cabbage leaf as a weight. Last month I finally caved and bought a fancy airlock lid set for $25. Used it on a batch of red cabbage with caraway. Honestly? The kraut came out fine but no better than the stuff I made with the old jar-and-leaf method. I think people worry too much about oxygen exposure when you can just pack it tight and burp the jar. Am I missing something or are airlocks just another gadget?
I got excited about wild garlic season back in April and foraged about 5 pounds of it near the creek behind my house. I figured I'd swap it into my go-to kimchi recipe instead of regular garlic and scallions. Three weeks later I opened the jar and it smelled like a wet wrestling mat mixed with old cheese, absolutely rank. I dumped the whole batch down the sink and lost about $80 in Napa cabbage, gochugaru, and fish sauce. Has anyone else tried foraging ingredients for ferments and had it go sideways on you?
I always followed recipes that said 2 tablespoons of salt per pound of cabbage. Then last spring my kraut came out slimy for the third batch in a row and I got frustrated. A butcher friend asked what salt I was using and I said table salt. He just laughed and said the anti-caking agents mess with fermentation. Switched to plain sea salt at the farmers market and suddenly my batches stay crisp and sour every time. Anyone else have a basic ingredient swap that changed their whole fermentation game?
I've been tracking my ferments for the last 2 years and I just logged my 50th successful batch. But man, I forgot about the 3 I had to toss this morning because of mold on my carrot sticks. I used a new jar from Target and I think the seal was bad. Anyone else keep a running count and get surprised by the losses piling up?
I was at my kitchen counter last month making a 5 pound batch of red cabbage kraut. The recipe said to weigh every single gram of salt and cabbage for the perfect brine ratio. I forgot my scale was broken so I just eyeballed it with a tablespoon and packed it tight. Three weeks later it came out perfectly tangy and crunchy. Sure my ratios were off but it still worked. Has anyone else found that the strict ratios are overrated?
I always just guessed on the salt amount when I started fermenting back in 2013, never measured anything. Last month I saw a post in here about using exactly 2% salt by weight for kimchi and decided to try it with a scale. The texture and taste came out way better than my old batches - has anyone else had that moment where they realized a basic step was the problem the whole time?
I was at the kitchen supply store last weekend and stood there for 15 minutes trying to decide. The expensive German crock was $65 with weights and an airlock, but the basic stoneware one was only $20. I went cheap cause I'm still learning. Two days in and I've got this weird white film on top and I'm not sure if it's kahm yeast or mold. Should I have just dropped the cash on the real deal from the start? Anyone else cheap out and regret it?
Bought those glass weights with the little handles last month after seeing them in a YouTube video. They kept sliding off my cabbage and letting mold form on top. My brother laughed at me and said just use a clean jar lid with the rubber seal removed. Tried it on my next batch of sauerkraut and it stayed under the brine perfectly. Wish I had asked around first before dropping that cash. Anyone else have kitchen items that worked better than the overpriced stuff?
I got talking to this older Korean lady at the farmers market last Saturday. She asked about my fermentation setup and I mentioned my kimchi keeps turning out too soft. She told me not to rinse the salt off the cabbage so aggressively, you want some salt left to keep the crunch. I tried her method with my last batch and it came out way better, still firm after 2 weeks. Anyone else get advice from random strangers that totally changed their ferment game?
Last week I tossed out two jars of cabbage that just turned into slimy mush after 10 days. What am I missing with salt ratios? Anyone else hit a wall like this?
I used to toss a tablespoon of pickle crisp into every batch of fermented dills without thinking about it. Then about 2 years ago I forgot to buy more and just used straight canning salt and filtered water for a 3-gallon crock. Those cucumbers came out way crunchier than any batch I made with the calcium chloride stuff. Now I never bother with additives, I just keep my salt at 3.5% and let them sit for a full 4 weeks in the basement. Anyone else ditch the extra chemicals or am I the only one who noticed a difference?
I always thought kimchi had to be this huge project with napa cabbage and all that prep. But last month I tried making a quick batch with just daikon radish from the farmers market, some gochugaru, and fish sauce. It was ready to eat in like 3 days and tasted way better than I expected. Anyone else have a go to simple ferment for when you don't have much time?
I finally decided to try making sauerkraut at home last week (been putting it off for ages). Couldn't decide between using a standard mason jar or spending the money on a proper fermentation crock. I went with the jar since it was free and I already had it. Used about 2 pounds of green cabbage from the local farmer's market with 3 tablespoons of salt. Packed it down tight with a small saucer and a water bag for weight. It actually bubbled up nicely after 4 days and tasted way better than the store stuff. But the brine kept seeping out around the edges (annoying cleanup). Anyone else start with a jar and regret not just getting a crock from the get-go?
I left a jar of kimchi on the counter for 2 weeks last month and forgot about it. When I opened it, the smell almost knocked me over. Has anyone else had a ferment go so wrong it fizzed like soda?
I kept reading that by 2 weeks your starter should be doubling and giving you tangy bread. Mine took almost 3 months to even get close to doubling consistently. I've been using whole wheat flour from a local mill, feeding it at 1:1:1 every 12 hours like clockwork. Still, the bread I bake barely has that sour taste people rave about. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but has anyone else had a starter that just refused to get tangy no matter what you did?