My entire batch of kimchi got moldy after one hot day in Sacramento

Honestly I was so careful with my fermentation setup, kept everything clean and used a proper airlock. Then I left town for a work trip and the AC went out in my apartment for about 8 hours. Came back to find fuzzy white mold on top of 5 jars of kimchi I had going for 2 weeks. The temperature hit 85 degrees in my kitchen and that was enough to ruin everything. Now I check my thermometer every day before I start a batch and I keep a backup fan on a timer. Has anyone else lost a big batch to a sudden temperature swing like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinn_nguyen18d ago

Ugh that heat spike is brutal! I keep my ferments in a cooler with ice packs now if I know I'll be gone. Lost a whole batch of sauerkraut the same way last summer.

tylerw9218d ago

You mentioned using an airlock, but those don't really do much for kimchi since it's not a sealed ferment like beer. The jar just needs to be burped. That heat spike was definitely the main problem though, it lets the bad stuff grow way too fast. I've had batches go fizzy and weird from a hot afternoon. Your backup fan idea is smart.