c/fermentation-station

12

the_anna•3h ago

Vent: My sourdough starter just hit 14 days and it's still flat

I've been feeding it twice a day with 50g of rye flour and it just won't double. Anyone else have a starter that took forever to get going?

9

the_blair•13h ago

My kraut in the basement bubbled over and I panicked

I was checking on my first big batch of sauerkraut in my basement last Tuesday, and the whole 5-gallon crock was fizzing like crazy, with brine leaking out the airlock. I thought I ruined it for sure. I just grabbed a clean bowl, scooped out a bunch of the top layer to make more headspace, and wiped everything down. Has anyone else had a ferment get that active and still turn out okay?

15

ellis.charles•15h ago

Update: My sourdough starter kept failing until I stopped using tap water

I mean, I kept getting mold or it just wouldn't bubble up, and I couldn't figure out why for weeks. Turns out the chlorine in our city tap water was killing the wild yeast. I switched to using filtered water from our fridge, and my starter was active in like two days. Has anyone else in a city with heavy water treatment had to do this?

4

the_blair•20h ago

Talking to my neighbor Gary about his sauerkraut changed my whole plan

He said he never measures salt, just tastes the brine until it's like the sea. I've been weighing grams for two years. Tried his way on a batch of red cabbage last week and it's the best kraut I've made. Anyone else just go by taste instead of strict numbers?

1

noahs82•1d ago

Just dropped $45 on a proper pH meter and it saved my latest batch of sauerkraut from going slimy.

I was trying a new recipe with red cabbage and juniper berries. After about four days, it just didn't smell right. My old litmus strips were useless. The meter showed the pH was way too high, so I added a bit more salt brine. A week later, it's perfect and crunchy. What's the one tool you bought that actually made a real difference in your ferments?

13

dylan_green58•2d ago

My sauerkraut batch turned pink overnight and I panicked

I was ready to dump it, but my buddy in Portland said it's just a harmless yeast and to just scrape it off. Has anyone else had this happen with a red cabbage ferment?

26

gonzalez.anna•2d ago

I used to think my ginger bug was a dud after a week with no bubbles

But I left it on the counter for five more days and now it's fizzing like crazy, maybe my kitchen was just too cold. Anyone else have a slow starter that finally took off?

23

fiona502•2d ago

My kraut blew its lid at 3 AM last night

I was using a standard airlock on a quart jar, but the cabbage was way too active. It made a huge mess all over my kitchen counter. Anyone have a better setup for really fizzy ferments?

23

leo_campbell•4d ago

My sourdough starter completely changed after I switched from tap water to bottled spring water

For years I kept my starter alive with regular tap water from my kitchen in Portland. It was fine, but the rise was slow and the flavor was just okay. Last month I ran out and used a bottle of spring water instead. The next feeding, it doubled in size in 4 hours and the smell went from just sour to really complex, like fruit. I think the chlorine in our tap water was holding it back. Has anyone else seen a huge jump just from changing the water?

20

mason283•7d ago

Everyone says to burp your jars daily, but I tried leaving mine alone for a full 5 days

I started a batch of kimchi in two identical jars, burping one each morning and leaving the other sealed tight. After 5 days, the sealed jar had way more fizz and a sharper, better taste. I think the constant air exposure from burping slows things down. Has anyone else gotten better results by just leaving it be?

4

olivia_chen35•7d ago

My friend told me my kimchi looked like a science experiment gone wrong

So I was really proud of my first big batch of kimchi, you know? I packed it into a huge glass jar, left it on the counter for two days, and sent a picture to my friend who actually knows what she's doing. She texted back, 'Girl, that looks like a biohazard. You're gonna give yourself the runs.' Turns out I was using WAY too much fish sauce, like a whole cup for a 3-pound batch, and I wasn't pushing the cabbage down enough to keep it under the brine. She said it looked gray and sad. I felt pretty dumb. I started over, used only a quarter cup of fish sauce, and got one of those glass weights to keep everything submerged. The new batch turned out bright red and actually tasted good. Has anyone else gotten a brutal but helpful review on their ferments?

22

lewis.diana•8d ago

My kraut went pink in the jar after a week in my basement

I was making a big batch of sauerkraut in my 5-gallon crock, and after moving it to the basement where it's a steady 68 degrees, the whole top layer turned a weird pink color. My neighbor, who's been fermenting for 20 years, came over, took one look, and said 'your salt ratio is off, that's a bacterial party you don't want.' How do you guys test your brine strength before a big ferment to avoid this mess?

7

wells.morgan•10d ago

My 3-month-old sauerkraut batch in my Brooklyn kitchen suddenly turned pink and slimy last Tuesday, so I dumped the whole jar, sanitized everything with Star San, and started over with a fresh cabbage head and more salt.

Has anyone else had a batch go weird that far into the ferment, and what do you think causes that specific pink color?

30

shane_ross•11d ago

My brother-in-law told me to ferment my hot sauce in the garage during a Texas summer

He swore the heat would speed things up, so I left my jar of peppers out there for a week. Came back to a truly explosive mess and a smell that still haunts my garage in Dallas. Has anyone else had a fermentation go totally sideways because of bad location advice?

16

hugo50•12d ago

PSA: My switch from a basic crock to a 5-gallon glass carboy for sauerkraut

I used to just pack cabbage into a regular ceramic crock for years, but after a batch went moldy last fall, I changed my method. Now I use a 5-gallon glass carboy with an airlock, which I got from a brew shop in Portland. It keeps everything anaerobic and I haven't had a single failed ferment since. Anyone else make a specific gear change that solved a recurring problem?

25

sam530•13d ago

My neighbor said to use a cabbage leaf instead of a weight for my kraut

I was making a batch of sauerkraut last month and couldn't find my glass weights. My neighbor, an old guy named Frank, told me to just use a big outer cabbage leaf to keep everything submerged. I was sure it would mold, but I tried it anyway. The leaf worked perfectly and kept everything under the brine for the full three week ferment. Has anyone else used this trick, or did I just get lucky?

5

troyjackson•15d ago

Pro tip: I switched from a loose lid to a proper airlock for my sauerkraut.

After 5 days, the batch with the airlock had zero kahm yeast, while the other one was starting to get a film. Anyone have a favorite brand for wide-mouth jars?

8

shane_ross•15d ago

My kimchi kept getting mold on top for like three weeks straight

I mean, I was using a regular jar with a lid, but I guess it wasn't letting enough gas out. I watched this old video from a guy in Seoul who said to just use a plastic bag filled with water as a weight and leave the lid loose. It took me a full month of gross batches to finally try it, and now it works every time. Has anyone else had that happen with a tight seal?

31

noahs82•16d ago

My kraut turned out way too salty for months until I watched a video from a guy in Portland

He showed how he weighed his cabbage and salt separately before mixing, and I realized I was just dumping salt in by feel. I switched to a 2% salt by weight rule and my last batch is perfect. Anyone else have a simple trick that fixed a basic mistake?

17

wells.morgan•17d ago

Update: My sauerkraut brine level disaster last Tuesday

So I was feeling pretty good about a big batch of sauerkraut I started last Monday. I had it all packed down in a 2-gallon crock with a glass weight on top. Checked it Tuesday morning before work and the brine was just covering the cabbage, perfect. Came home that night and the whole thing had burped up, the weight was sitting on dry, exposed cabbage. I panicked, thinking the whole batch was ruined and I'd have to toss 5 pounds of cabbage. I ended up mixing up a fresh 2% brine solution with filtered water and just poured enough over the top to re-submerge everything. It's been bubbling away fine since then, no weird colors or smells. Has anyone else had a batch just drink its own brine like that overnight? I'm wondering if my kitchen was just too warm.

26

amy858•20d ago

My sauerkraut got way too fizzy last month and I think I know why

So last month I was making a batch in my usual 2-liter jar, and after about 5 days it was crazy fizzy, like opening a soda. It was my first time using green cabbage from the new farmer's market downtown, and I think that was the problem. I used the same amount of salt I always do, but this cabbage was way juicier than the stuff from the grocery store. My kitchen was also warmer than usual, like 75 degrees, because we had that heat wave. I burped it twice a day but it just kept building up pressure super fast. The kraut tasted fine, just really, really bubbly. Has anyone else had this happen with super fresh, local cabbage? Did you just use less salt or ferment it in a cooler spot?

16

ryan_hayes2•21d ago

Just realized my basement setup almost ruined a 6-month ferment

I was in my basement in Cincinnati last week checking on a big batch of hot sauce when I noticed the airlock on one of my half-gallon jars was completely dry. The temperature had spiked from a heat wave and the ferment was way too active, it almost pushed the brine out and let air in. How often do you guys check your airlocks during big weather swings?

2

jamesmason•21d ago

My uncle Frank told me to skip the airlock for my first kraut batch

He said just to burp the jar every day for the first week in my Chicago apartment. I did it, but after day three the whole thing exploded all over my kitchen counter. Lost about two pounds of cabbage and had a mess to clean up. Anyone have a good starter airlock kit they'd recommend for a beginner?

21

paige870•22d ago

TIL my sauerkraut was failing because I was using the wrong salt

For months, my kraut kept coming out soft and smelling a bit off, not crisp and tangy. I was using regular iodized table salt from my kitchen. Then I saw a comment on a forum from someone in Asheville who said iodine can mess with the good bacteria you need. I switched to plain sea salt without any additives, and the difference was huge after just one batch. My last jar fermented for three weeks and came out perfect, crunchy and sour. It was a total facepalm moment because the salt bag was right there the whole time. Has anyone else had a batch go weird from something simple like that?

25

jakewhite•23d ago

I finally gave up on the airlock for my hot sauce ferments after a batch in my garage last July blew its lid and painted the ceiling.

Now I just use a loose cloth cover and a weight, which feels way less fussy and has given me better results for the past 8 months, but am I just asking for trouble skipping the lock?