Can we talk about the 'burp your jar' advice for sauerkraut?

I was making kraut for about a year, always just unscrewing the lid a bit each day to let gas out. My last batch, the one I started in early March, got a weird, almost yeasty smell after a week. I opened it and saw a faint, white film starting on top of the brine. I freaked out and called my friend who runs a farm stand. She asked me one question: 'Are you opening it over the sink?' I was. She told me that lifting the lid lets in a ton of airborne stuff, and that's probably what seeded the film. The right way is to just press down on the lid to let bubbles rise without breaking the seal, or use a proper airlock. I tossed that batch, but it was a cheap lesson. Has anyone else had a batch go off from burping it wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivan21124d ago

Yeah, that film is kahm yeast, it's harmless but a sign of too much oxygen.

sage_lewis1024d ago

Totally feel you on that. My first few batches got kahm yeast from burping over the sink too. Pressing down on the lid without opening it is the real trick, lets the gas escape without letting new air in. A cheap airlock setup is even better if you make kraut a lot, stops the guesswork. That yeasty smell means it's working with oxygen, which you don't want. Your friend gave you solid advice, it's a common mistake.