Fermenting.

[akgardengirl]

No fruit flies around here this time of year. One thing I did wrong with the kraut was to make it a day before I took a trip. When I returned, one qt. jar and one 1/2 gal. had heaved up into the airlock with bits of cabbage inside. I transferred the cabbage out of the qt. jar into another 1/2 gal. I am sure I have let oxygen in by letting this happen and also opening the containers to add more brine. When do you transfer to the fridge? Mine has been on the counter for 10 days and no more bubbles can be seen. I had to add brine today.
Sue

[mcool61]

Originally Posted by akgardengirl

When do you transfer to the fridge? Mine has been on the counter for 10 days and no more bubbles can be seen. I had to add brine today.
Sue

I read somewhere that the probiotics peak at about 3 wks. so that is when I put mine in the fridge. It is somewhat a matter of personal taste. The longer you let it go the more sauer it becomes. It will mellow a bit in the fridge & if refrigerated will last several weeks although I don't often let it go that long.

[akgardengirl]

Worth, you'll have a small fortune invested in the fermenting equipment. I think beer takes more expensive items to brew with. Rairdog, your pale ale looks refreshing although it is in the 20's here and quite chilly.
Sue

[Rairdog]

I knew the Dunkel would getcha bro. I make 5 gal a week in an 8.75 gal alum pot, turkey fryer. Its easy. Google BIAB

More German beers you say.....!...I like Hefe's with a big head. Trick is the the right fermentation temp to bring out banana and slight clove.

[Worth1]

It came in the fermenting crock the weights ten pounds of insta cure #1 and five pounds of insta cure #2, some casings for dry sausage sticks and summer sausage.
I might go buy some cabbage.
Worth
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[Worth1]

I have been looking at a few places on how to make sauerkraut and I have to say some if these people are over the top with OCD and measuring.
One person acted like they were measuring cocaine or hand loading ammunition.

It isn't that hard,.
It is about 3 tablespoons of canning salt for every 5 pounds of cabbage.
You dont need to drag your powder scales out.
You can mix it in or spread it on the top.
Use a wooden stomper and tamp every layer in until fluid comes to the top.
Repeat steps until you are about 4 to5 inches from the top.
If you need more water use clean boiled and cooled or RO or filtered NOT chlorine water.
Mix 1/1/2 tablespoons per quart of any water you need to add.
Put the weights in and make sure the fluid covers the weights.
Put lid on and fill channel with water and dont let it dry out.

I need about 25 pounds of cabbage for this 15 liter crock I think.

Worth

[Worth1]

Homemade 48 inch cabbage stomper from Douglas Fir and and yellow pine oiled with pure tung oil.
A hole was drilled with a forstner bit and the pole was inserted tightly and glued.
No nails or metal.
All from scraps around the house.
I made it long so I wouldn't have to bend over to tamp.
Worth
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[mcool61]

I fermented some dilly beans this year also the same way I do kraut. Oddly they taste a bit like olives for some reason. I like them, they are good, but I was surprised at the flavor.

[Karrr_Luda]

Saw my favorite word "fermenting", had to stop by and read!! LOVE your new crock Worth! I know I'll never get one...sigh. Just got some myer lemons fermenting ina jar today, kimchi ready in the fridge, and a head of cabage waiting to become kraut. Cranberries are nice addition to kraut, I also add a little bit of carrot and caraway seeds. Only have one kind of sourdough starter - awful!
My set up is a bunch of jars that fit into each other - kraut tower. I Cover the whole thing with cheese cloth or an old pillowcase to keeping stuff out. I still think I don't know what I am doing, but the result is good ...mmost of the time.

image.jpeg

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Karrr_Luda

Saw my favorite word "fermenting", had to stop by and read!! LOVE your new crock Worth! I know I'll never get one...sigh. Just got some myer lemons fermenting ina jar today, kimchi ready in the fridge, and a head of cabage waiting to become kraut. Cranberries are nice addition to kraut, I also add a little bit of carrot and caraway seeds. Only have one kind of sourdough starter - awful!
My set up is a bunch of jars that fit into each other - kraut tower. I Cover the whole thing with cheese cloth or an old pillowcase to keeping stuff out. I still think I don't know what I am doing, but the result is good ...mmost of the time.

Attachment 54932

Glad to see another sister joining the party.
You stuff looks good.
I have also looked at all of you illustrations some time ago I like them.

Here is some fermenting carrott slaw I just started.
Worth
IMG_20151209_21714.jpg

[Karrr_Luda]

Thanks Worth! Your carrot slaw looks awesome. The one I did in the photo, pretty big jar, tasted great but went bad quickly in the fridge, we got to eat 3/4 the rest went to compost pile. That is sad. Smaller amounts that you can eat within two weeks or so are good for carrot - my experience. Whatever amount you did, looks right. Maybe i didn't have enough liquid covering it in the fridge...don't know what went wrong. Now I need to make carrot slaw too, maybe mix some parsnip with it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Karrr_Luda

Thanks Worth! Your carrot slaw looks awesome. The one I did in the photo, pretty big jar, tasted great but went bad quickly in the fridge, we got to eat 3/4 the rest went to compost pile. That is sad. Smaller amounts that you can eat within two weeks or so are good for carrot - my experience. Whatever amount you did, looks right. Maybe i didn't have enough liquid covering it in the fridge...don't know what went wrong. Now I need to make carrot slaw too, maybe mix some parsnip with it.

I wonder if the temperature is wrong or something like not being fermented long enough.
People dont do it but it should last even on the counter for a long time.
I made some pickles that smelled like lacquer thinner and tossed them.
Worth

[akgardengirl]

I used a similar tool to pound the cabbage...a turned rolling pin. It worked good with the crock set up on a stool so I didn't have to bend over too far. Almost 3 weeks now so I will try out the taste soon.
Sue

[Karrr_Luda]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I wonder if the temperature is wrong or something like not being fermented long enough.
People dont do it but it should last even on the counter for a long time.
I made some pickles that smelled like lacquer thinner and tossed them.
Worth

Worth, you are probably right about not being fermented long enough, cause i don't like them too sour, but it never happened to other ferments, only carrots. Perhaps the sugars in the carrots started turning into alcohol.
I found some garlic scapes in my breezeway fermented in the summer-yikes, and they are still awesome.
About laquer thinner sounds familiar, done that the last time I killed my sourdough starter... very very bad.

[Worth1]

My mother fermented years and years ago.
I remember the 5 gallon crock was below the phone in the dinning room.
She was always doing something with that crock.
It may have even been a ten gallon crock.

I remember one time we are in Arkansas at a shop and the had a big 100 gallon crock for sale.
It must have been the forst thing she saw when we went in.
This was back in I think 1968 and I remember seeing her eyes glaze over when she saw it.
The huge thing had a price tag of $100 on it.
Back in 68 $100 was a lot of money and we didn't get it for thagt reason and it wouldn't fit in the car.
All she could talk about was that 100 gallon crock.

Last night I had the same feeling as she did I was looking on line some place and found a 40 liter crock for $365.95.
Not gonna get it but it made me think about my mother and that 100 gallon crock.
It made me realize just how much her and I were alike.
If I were to buy any more crock the would be small crocks and have a line of them all bubbling away.
Here is the 40 liter fermenting crock.


Now that I look at the dimensions of the 40 liter crock of 25 high by 18 wide my moms was a 10 gallon crock.
40 liters is about 10 1/2 gallons.
The little 5 liter crocks hold about 1.3 gallons and weight about 12 pounds.
The 40 liter weights 70 pounds.