Richtee's Sauerkraut

[walking dude]

THANX ERAIN

GREAT tip dude.......great tip........sealed up the container perfectly

now i won't have to worry bout scumsucking skimming the scum........LOLOL

once again erain........big thankx

 

[earache_my_eye]

WD was almost a "scum sucking kraut maker".....

I better just stop now........LOL

 

[richtee]

Why is that? Run with it ;{)

 

[erain]

WD, i was just lookin at ur pics and the one from the link i sent to get the general idea across, not sure if make a diffrence but maybe a shorter container so the fluid level is at least even with the top, the stuff created in the fermentation will push past sides of bag and has to run down the outsides of container. if not when you want to remove the bag all of that stuff will be on top of the bag and some will prob fall back into kraut when you try and remove bag. other than that it lookin good!!!

 

[earache_my_eye]

Maybe I'm totally off the mark here, but shouldn't the only "stuff" coming out around the water bag be CO2 gas? If the bag is there to prevent oxygen from causing the scum to form, I would think it should keep all the goodies held in and just let the gases escape.......then again, it's prolly been 25 years or more since I saw kraut made by mom n pop...and I don't really remember just how they made it...

 

[richtee]

As with any fermentation process, yeasts and microbes that carry out the process multiply by the millions. As they die, they of course leave behind their mortal coil. In addition there are small bits of veggie matter and yes, some dust and dirt. The CO2 bubbles will attach themselves to this and cause it to rise to the top, not unlike a raisin in a glass of soda.

 

[erain]

exactly, man that was good richtee!!!! esp the mortal coil haaa. but yes it kind of oozes out a foam which would dry up and particles of this dried foam would fall back, not nessesarily affecting taste or harming it but i would consider it undesirable. i have to set my crocks on about 4 layers of cardboard to soak up all that is expelled. oh by the way there is odor associated with this process so a spot in the garage might be in order.

 

[walking dude]

no garage basement only

PLUS, page three of the link you posted, shows a setup like what i have

 

[erain]

u are correct WD, i meant to mention that but i forgot, over the past few years i been doing this with the water bags i kinda figgered out the deal accidently cuz i fill my crocks almost full, and i noticed the stuff just run down the side. i had one that was only half full and did it like the pic and thats where i run into the foam crumbling back in when taking bag off. so i fill them all to withen 2-3 inch from top in 5 gal crocks, if extra left i use a smaller crock to maintain the 2-3 inches instead of having the bag down inside. also as far as the smell i got 4-5 crocks goin so thats a ton of fermenting going on. its not all that bad either. also cowgirl said about doing straight to jars she puts jars in a tub, u cud put your container inside another,even a pan to catch runoff.

 

[walking dude]

not sure if i have a smaller container......so now i am at a loss

 

[walking dude]

okay.....lets see if this setup will werk better for me

found a smaller container........cabbage up to a inch of the top........is this enuff?

this with the waterbag on top

didn't think this was going to be a small batch.......but i guess from sites i have been reading on, it is........should of cut up two heads of cabbage

 

[earache_my_eye]

Looks like it should work, WD.....being that you're not doing a 5 gal. crock full, it shouldn't take 3-4" of water in the bag to hold it down and seal it. Maybe if holding some pressure on it is a concern, a plate or two inside the water bag might take care of that well enough. My .02

L8r,
Eric

 

[erain]

cool beans, ya we haul the cabbage up from the garden by the wheelbarrow full. after this u may inrease ur production some too!! kraut always great with homeade sausage,bologna, most any pork. let us know how that garlic kraut turns out.