For books, I highly recommend Fermented Vegetables and Fiery Ferments. The Kindle editions of both go on sale regularly. In fact, Fermented Vegetables is currently $2.99.

For lids, I assemble my own. The new Ball Leak-Proof Storage lids aren't leak proof, but they're better than the old-style white ones. Sturdier too. Buy them at your local grocery store—they'll be way cheaper than Amazon. You'll also need 3/8" x 5/8" rubber grommets, which you can find in your local DIY store in the electrical section—you want ones that have a 3/8" inner hole and fit into a 1/2" hole, with an outside diameter of 5/8". Finally, 3-piece airlocks, which are going to be cheapest at your local homebrew store (they should be a $1, maybe $1.50). 3-piece are easier to clean than the 1-piece. From there, you just drill a 1/2" hole in the lid, insert the grommet, and then insert the airlock. Support the lid around the hole as you insert the airlock so you don't crack the plastic.

Other equipment:

• Sauer Stones are my favorite glass weights. Right now they're $10.95 for four. I think I have 20 or 24 of them at this point. They work great in conjunction with a cabbage or horseradish leaf to keep everything under the brine.
  
• You can never go wrong with having a couple of food-grade 5-gallon buckets kicking around for mixing kimchi, or salting large batches of sauerkraut, or even fermenting in. Again, these are cheapest at your local DIY store. Get a lid with a gasket, and make sure you grease the gasket with food-grade grease.
  
• Jars. Stop at garage sales, thrift stores, and rummage shops. You'll occasionally find a good deal on mason jars, or a unique Fido jar, or who knows what. The more you ferment, the more you're going to end up in situations where you need odd-sized jars. If you come across Fido jars with bad or missing gaskets, these work really well.
  
• More jars. If you need larger jars or want to buy new, Fido jars from EverythingKitchens.com by way of Google Express is the cheapest I've found them. Free shipping for buying a certain amount, sometimes you get a discount from Express for your first order, blah blah blah.
  
• Even more jars. If you need gallon sized jars that you want to fit with an airlock, this is the cheapest I've found them. Get the plastic lids, then see the instructions above. If you need extra lids (for storage), these fit and are of good quality. The 1-star review is from some dumb-dumb who ordered the wrong size.
  
• Oh. One more thing. Pouring things out of mason jars sucks. They always dribble, etc. But they're also the best way to store, say, fermented cordials, or to mix up your brine (cap and shake the shit out of it). These lids do not come cheap, but they are well worth the purchase price. Leak-proof, with a removable rubber gasket, we use them for everything from drinking to storage. And they pour like a dream. Easy to clean too.
  
• Actually, one more one more thing. Get yourself a good strainer/filter/funnel set. This one is, again, not super-cheap, but I got rid of all my other ones and use it exclusively. It disassembles, screws to wide-mouth mason jars, has a plastic strainer for the first stage and a fine-mesh filter for the second stage, the narrow bottom part is silicone and is removable, and you can put a coffee filter in the fine-mesh filter portion if you need to.
  
  One last thing. I see folks suggesting sanitizer. It's absolutely pointless for lactic fermentation. You're not sanitizing the vegetables that go in, or your hands, so there's no point in using anything more than soap and water on your equipment. If you're talking about brewing beer or cider or wine or something where you're looking to introduce a specific strain of bacteria, yeast, or fungus, then you need to sterilize.

• I don't need a airlock or anything special just saran wrap on top of a jar with a rubber band.
  
• I have landed on 6% salt by weight and I add enough liquid just to try and submerge a bit
  
• Submerging has not really been that important. My last few have "floated" after fermenting and I had no mold issues. A little discoloration from oxidation but thats it
  
• I don't really bother to stir the mash
  
• It's fun to add wine or beer for more flavor
  
• They have been surprising mild sauces using just jalapeno or harbenero.
  
• I've decided the consistency I like if I am filling woozy bottles is simmering the finished mash, then putting through a medium food mill (I have Oxo mill).
  
• I like to thicken and keep from separating with about 1/4t Xanthum gum to 1500 ML of sauce
  
• I like 1/2 gallon masons as vessels.
  
• I like Caldwell's for ensuring a solid, active ferment. Or dregs from a prior ferment with this. In my head I liken it to getting good attenuation when brewing.
  
• Speaking of brewing, when bottling I use StarSan to sanitize bottles and then I hot pack
  
• I got a cheap PH meter to ensure shelf stability for finished sauces. So far so good
  
• I am usually blending random stuff in at the end to adjust and enhance (citrus juice, sweet fruit, re-hydrated dried chilies, etc)
  
• I just did one where I added raspberries and I'm excited to experiment now with more chilies and fruit

Amazon might not be ideal for anything but the airlocks, but here goes:

Airlocks, pack of 3 for $5.39 at the moment.

Lids, probably available for the same or less at your grocery store.

As for grommets, the hardware store is your best bet. They're classed by their internal and external diameters. Internal diameter (ID) is what you're going to squeeze the airlock stem into, external (ED) is the size of the hole you've drilled in your lid. The ones I use have an ED of .5 inches. I don't remember the ID, but that's more flexible. Easier to jam a tapered stem into a rubber hole than it is to make the grommet fit into an inflexible hole in a plastic lid.

Just match the ED to whatever drill bit you're using, and you'll be fine. Oh, speaking of, none of this is going to work without a drill. But the cheapest drill you can find will work just fine. I like a spade drill bit for making clean holes in plastic lids, but other types will work just fine. If need be, you can remove burrs left in the hole with a hobby knife or file.

I'm afraid I'm made this all sounds harder than it actually is. It comes down to:

1. Drill hole
   
   
2. Put grommet in hole
   
   
3. Put airlock in grommet
   
   If you attempt this and have any trouble, feel free to PM me. I stumbled a bit with this at first and would be happy to help you DIY it.

I also try to minimize leaving the house. I like DIY projects so I made airlocks using plastic mason jar lids.

You can also get the entire mason jar fermenting lids pre-fab ready to go

I got silicone seals to make them airtight.

I drilled 9/16" holes and inserted plastic grommets.

Then I use 3 piece acrylic airlocks. I think that 3piece makes it easier to clean and acrylic is sturdier than plastic but that's just me. They make plastic ones.

I found this to be pretty cost-effective especially since I don't already own any reCAP lids. It was an easy-peasy project. Just be sure to clamp the lids to something otherwise you can't drill proper holes.

I am super happy with them; they work great and I didn't have to leave the house ;)

Edited because I hit "save" prematurely

I use the same size gallon jars, but without air locks. I always use a few whole cabbage leaves to try to seal the little bits below. Of course you should try to push everything down really well before you put the whole leaves in, then fits them in and keep pushing again to get the liquid above it. Then I use some glass weights like this. They are really made to fit wide mouth quart mason jars but any weight is good to help get the brine up. I find that if they are within the straight part of the jar (below where it starts to taper in) i can get 3 of them in a triangular shape which does a pretty good job of getting the brine up.

> Wow thanks for the input. This is exactly the comment I was hoping for.

My pleasure! They aren't the cheapest way to ferment, but you'll never waste 6 weeks on a bad batch of something. It really sucks loading up stuff from the garden and then go to find it's slimy or yeasty or whatever.

> Does it come with any instructions?

Mine came with little booklets, I don't know about that model you linked specifically. I'd be happy to scan my booklet though. The ratios and concepts are exactly the same.

In a nutshell, here's what you do for sauerkraut:

1. Slice off the woody end of the cabbage stem, peel off the outer couple layers, then any obviously damaged layers. Wash the cabbage and shake dry. Cut them into quarters vertically. Peel off 8-10 good outer layers and save them.
   
   
2. Shred the cabbage. I use a food processor with a 10mm slicing blade.
   
   
3. Weigh all the cabbage you intend to ferment.
   
   
4. Weigh out your salt. I use 8-10 g per 1 kg of cabbage.
   
   
5. Add a handful of cabbage to the crock, sprinkle on a pinch of salt, then stomp the shit out of it for like 30 seconds. Add another handful, punch of salt, stomp more. Repeat until you're about 4/5 up the to the inside shoulder of the crock.
   
   
6. Add in your cabbage leaves, so as to cover the shredded cabbage. Add the stones. If the stones aren't covered, mix up a brine. I use 15 g salt to 1 L purified/filtered water (NEVER use tap water; it likely has chlorine and other junk in it). Pour that in until the stones are covered by an inch or so.
   
   
7. Add the lid and fill the water channel. I like to fill it with brine, for two reasons: less crap seems to want to grow in the salty water, and if any of it gets sucked up into the crock it won't lower your salt concentration.
   
   
8. Come back in 4-6 weeks and eat kraut.
   
   When you do all this, make sure to save some of the juice for the next batch. Just do as before and every 2-3 layers, pour in a couple tablespoons of juice from the last batch. It will greatly speed up the process. Normally it takes a day or three for it to start bubbling. Adding some juice from a prior batch means it'll bubble that night.
   
   > How many heads of cabbage would you need to fill the 5L model?
   
   Due to headspace, you're only going to get 3.5-4 liters of veggies in there. For my 7.5L, I want to say I can fit 6-7 heads if packed very well.
   
   Speaking of mashing, do yourself a HUGE favor and spend nine bucks on this: http://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-37630-Commercial/dp/B00M4Q46T4
   
   I can't do sauerkraut without it, it's just too much of a pain in the ass. That thing basically has a big chromed steel mashing head on an 18" long broomhandle. Long enough to get down into the bottom, strong enough to stand up to heavy smashing, washable, should last a lifetime. I bent two mashers before I came across that model.

This is the set the lids and weights came from. First impressions: I really like them! They fit perfectly on wide-mouth Ball jars and the syringe seemed to get pretty much all of the air out. Just make sure you line up the threading because the first time I tried to put the lid on, it was crooked and very hard to get back off to fix.

Besides that, I’m basically remaking a sauce I made last year. But this time, I actually have a scale and was able to accurately measure my salt. When I made 4 different hot sauces last year, I had one that went bad, so I made sure to disinfect all of my equipment by soaking them in a bleach solution for about 10 minutes before starting. Hopefully between that, the airlocks, and the more accurate measurements with the salt will prevent any weirdness from happening.

Side note: the color that hibiscus gives the brine is absolutely beautiful and I love it so much.

Recipe:

-13 halved and seeded habaneros

-6 halved habaneros

-1 yellow bell pepper

-1 orange bell pepper

-4 guavas

-1 prickly pear

-2 inches of ginger, peeled

-8 small garlic cloves

-1 tsp. celery seeds

-2 tsp. coriander seeds

-4 hibiscus flowers

-5% brine with pickling salt by total weight (worked out to 39g for one jar and 40g for the other)

Fermenting for at least 2 weeks and then blending with brine and a small amount of white distilled vinegar for flavor and shelf stability. May also add a little xanthum gum to keep it from separating.

Are you looking for a recipe that specifically uses ginger bug? I've only done a little fermentation as far as food, but I've done a little more of beverages. If you seal your concoction right after bottling, you can put it in the fridge as soon as it's carbonated and it will not have produced much alcohol (based on my limited experience with homebrewing). The fridge will stop it from carbonating as long as it's below 45-50 F-ish, so you want to leave it at room temp until it carbonates.

If you're concerned about how much alcohol it produces, I recommend making a small batch and bottling it in 2 containers. Seal one so it carbonates and give the other one a bubbler so it won't carbonate. When the sealed one finishes carbonating, you can check the alcohol level with a hydrometer (do you have friends who homebrew? I bet you could borrow theirs). I assume the carbonated one will have a similar amount of alcohol. Note: you do need to measure with the hydrometer both before and after fermenting to know the alcohol content. Plenty of resources online to find the calculation. Edit: I forgot to say - check the alcohol content of the non-carbed bottle as the carbonation will mess with your hydrometer readings.

If you're willing to not use your ginger bug, read on!

This recipe uses bread yeast to carbonate (is that heresy on this sub? I've not spent much time here). It takes just a day or two to carbonate then you put it in the fridge to stop the yeast. Tastes pretty good!

From some personal experimenting, the flavor ratio I like is:

• 10g sugar
  
• 10g ginger juice
  
• 20g lemon juice
  
• 140g water
  
  This quantity isn't much (maybe 3/4 c?) but the ratio should scale up. I was playing around with tablespoon-type amounts because I didn't want to go through loads and loads of ginger. For the ginger juice, I grated the ginger with the grater blade on my food processor (had to stop to pull fibers out of the holes every so often) and then hand-squeezed the juice out of the pulp.
  
  It's fairly ginger-spicy (which I find good) but not overpowering. You can always start with less water and add more as necessary. I used this lemon:ginger ratio because more lemon made it taste like ginger-flavored lemonade (good, but not my goal) and more ginger made it taste like disinfecting floor cleaner (also not my goal). I played with sweetness by making a light syrup (25 g sugar to 100 g water) and trying varying levels of that in the final mix.

Hey guys, thank you for all supporting and joining. This time the giveaway is over.

The winners are u/Astrodon （WiFi ITC-308）and u/thespaceghetto (ITC-608T). Congratulation！We will PM you, please check your chat. Thank you again for everything.


Here are 15% off discount code if you are interested in it:

WiFi ITC-308 15% OFF page coupon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PVBG8K1

ITC-608T 15% OFF Discount Code BDU6RMUP : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GQWY9HM

These code will invalid on 31th May.


If there is any question, please feel free to reach us.

​

Inkbird

OK, here's my feedback:

1. I prefer to experiment in quart jars, then scale up to half-gallon. But that's totally a personal preference. I don't see any issues with the sizes you listed at all. Maybe throw in a couple half-gallons in case he decides to go big.
   
2. Airlocks make a world of difference. No more burping, and much less chance of mold and kahm yeast. I just recently ordered these to augment some other ones I have, and so far they are fantastic.
   
3. Normal jars are just fine
   
4. If he's doing kraut, sure...grab one. A simple wooden one is all he'd need.
   
   The only other thing I'd add is maybe a heating mat like this if it gets cold inside where you are. I have one and another on the way, and they really help ensure an active ferment.

That USDA bulletin is great! I'm definitely giving that a read through. Yeah it's really is hard finding info on any type of koji other than for Sake or Miso. I wound up using a combination of shoyu and soy koji recipes in Sandor Katz' "The Art of Fermentation" book and the directions that came with the shoyu koji-kin I bought from GEM Cultures.

http://gemcultures.com/soy_cultures.htm

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fermentation-Depth-Exploration-Essential/dp/160358286X/

I have drawn on some ideas from Joseph Needham's "Science and Civilization in China Vol 6-5: Biology and Biotechnology Part 5 - Fermentations and Food Science." It's a treasure trove of information about the history of fermentation technology in China and other East Asian cultures. The book has recipes and techniques though they have to be interpreted using modern methods and measurements which can be tricky.

https://monoskop.org/images/f/f1/Needham_Joseph_Science_and_Civilisation_in_China_Vol_6-5_Biology_and_Biological_Technology_Fermentations_and_Food_Science.pdf

Good luck on the peanuts! Looks like they successfully used them in the USDA booklet so it should work in theory.

Yeah the immersion circulator works great and koji is usually ready in about 40 hours but I am frustrated by having to use an 8x11 baking dish which limits me to about 2 lbs of koji at a time. I'm guessing from your pictures you have a cabinet setup with rows of wooden trays for incubation? Can you share some pics of what that looks like?

I was thinking about doing this cooler + aquarium heater setup but have also been intrigued about building a wood cabinet with trays.

http://fermup.com/incubators/

Don't worry about rushing to finish it super quickly. I've been eating kimchi since I was itty bitty, and I actually prefer it as it gets more and more sour. Plus, if you ever want to cook with kimchi, sour is definitely what you want. You can make killer fried rice, stews with pork and tofu and potatoes, crispy, chewy pancakes... So many great options for cooking with kimchi, but fresh just won't do for these kinds of things.

I tend to make my kimchi in really large quantities given that I live in a household of only two, and I am a Korean married to a very white man (he likes kimchi, too, but he'll never eat as much of it as me). I usually pack most of it into my giant kimchi container (like this, but taller: https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Korean-Cooking-Sauerkraut-Fermentation/dp/B00M40ANMO ) and then I pack the rest into quart sized mason jars, usually 2-3 of them. The big boy goes into the far back of the fridge where it's coldest, and I forget about it until all the jars are empty. I leave the jars out to jump start the fermentation. A couple days later I have my choice of sour level. If I want super fresh tasting kimchi just for eating, I can always raid the big boy hiding out in my fridge. For most of my meals/cooking, I pull from the jars. Once all the jars are empty, I'll fill one jar from the big boy with kimchi that I can keep more easily accessible.

A couple of ball 2 quart or 1 quart wide mouth jars.

https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Wide-Mouth-Quart-Bands/dp/B00CNHCDR6

Some plastic rings (optionally). Cause the metal bands rust easily

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KN8B2K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The easiest airlock system are the silicone lids. Some have nipples. Others are flatter like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Maintenance-silicone-waterless-fermentation-dishwasher/dp/B072N42T61/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Silicone+mason+jar+airlock&qid=1575128032&s=home-garden&sr=1-4

I would skip getting the separate plastic airlocks that brewers use because they take up space, are messy, and if the straw part extends into the liquid, it pushes mess up.
And then some glass weights, preferably with easy to grab parts

https://www.amazon.com/4-Pack-Fermentation-Glass-Weights-Handle/dp/B076V66FZ4/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Mason+jar+glass+weights&qid=1575128079&s=home-garden&sr=1-4

There are kits that have all of these which may or may not be cheaper. None of the brands I linked above are special other than I do like “Ball” brand mason jars. Everything else has lots of competitors selling more or less the same thing, so just pick what looks cheapest, has good reviews, etc.

Pepper Paste

From Fermented Vegetables by Kristen & Christopher Shockey

• 1½ pounds chiles, stemmed
  
• 2 teaspoons unrefined sea salt (I used Himalayan pink because I prefer it)
  
  

1. Put chiles, seeds and all, in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Remove the food processor blade and stir in the salt.
   
2. Press the mixture into a crock or jar (I used these ones). Press the top surface with food-grade plastic to help keep the small bits submerged. Add weight (I used these ones).
   
3. Set aside on a bang sheet to ferment, somewhere nearby, out of direct sunlight, and cool, for 21 days or more. Check the chiles occasionally to make sure your weights are in place and the chiles are submerged. It is normal to encounter yeasts; you can leave them undisturbed. The chiles take at least 3 weeks to develop a flavorful acidity, the 3 to 6 months more for a delicious and complex flavor.
   
4. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator, where this paste will keep for 2 years or more.
   
   Variation! Splash a bit of raw apple cider vinegar into the brine to create a tangier flavor.
   
   

   Details of my attempt
   

   I had a total of 3 pounds and 11 ounces of peppers that all had to be picked today because the weather's turning. So I processed those in the food processor, added 31 grams of salt, which wasn't enough. In total I probably added 40 grams of salt, which tasted right to me. I also added 2 tablespoons of raw cider vinegar. Packed into jars, added plastic wrap and weights, and now we wait!
   
   edit: formatting

Yeah either get plastic lids and manually burp whatever you're fermenting or get lids with airlocks that let air out but no air in.

These are the ones I bought when I started and while they're nice it's kinda overkill, if you can find anything plastic that has an airlock for cheaper I'd go with that.

After a quick search I found these and they look okay.

As a quick note, if you plan to make anything that smells strong, I'd advise against the ones I bought; they have rubber parts. I made kimchi using one of the lids and now it's my kimchi lid, because the rubber parts smell like an open jar of kimchi from meters away even after excessive washing and boiling in water for several minutes.

Another way you can naturally start your own yogurt culture is by using chili peppers, which is actually how they start yogurt in India.

Check out that link for some basics, if you're curious about some other ways, I definitely recommend checking out Sandor Katz's The Art of Fermentation. Probably the best book I've read on fermentation techniques, ideas, and recipes.

I use these: Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit: Simplified Fermenting In Jars Not Crock Pots! Make Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles Or Any Fermented Probiotic Foods. 3 Lids, Extractor Pump & Recipe eBook - Mold Free https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DJVVORE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SEeTBb8MQ12Y9

I've had great experiences with them.

I have these. It's really not much more than how the nipple works on a baby bottle:

6-Pack Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids for Wide Mouth Mason Jars, Mold Free, Food-Grade Silicone Easy Fermenting Lids for Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pick https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079NSKRHQ/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apap_PJsAkbk1UN3Cd

I did buy the knockoffs. Masontops makes another version, but I had a hard time with the price for a silicone mold.

I'd referenced that Noma book. There's also the gold standard of the Art of Fermentation although there's no shortage of recipes and ideas on the web: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/sitb/B0083JQCF2?sib_dp_aw_kd_udp

Tremendously thoughtful gift. Nicely done.

You can't "make" grains from scratch. You're gonna have to buy them or get some from a friend.

I got my grains from THIS SELLER on Amazon. They have over 2,300 excellent reviews, and others in this sub have also purchased grains from them. I highly recommend them. [No, I'm not affiliated with them in any way]

Hi,

Caveats to below:

1. This is copied from a previous response on another thread on this topic.
   
2. I emailed the manufacturer of my fermenting container about lead...NO lead in their porcelain...also...on their site...container is good for 'fermenting kombucha'...ultimately, the question is do you believe this...I did/do.
   
   Interesting you bring up glass...I used a Walmart 2 gallon glass jar for months (no problems with mold due to use of grow mat with thermostat...at least this is why I think I did not have mold) and decided I like continuous brew (had this going in a 2.5 gall glass lemonade dispenser seperately) So I went to kombucha Kamp to see what they were selling for continuous brew...NO glass...they had porcelain, 304+stainless and one other material if I recall correctly, but no glass. This made me really start to wonder....why???...why are the kombucha experts not selling glass. I knew about glass possibly containing lead (no relationship to your original post...I think)...but this fact alone...that kombucha Kamp was not selling glass for their kombucha continuous brew made me retire all my glass when I switched over to continuous brew. I decided on porcelain...and found 2.5 gal continuous brew setups for very cheap online.
   In my opinion the biggest reason for mold is temps too cold...glass, without insulation looses heat quickly....especially in winter.
   My setup: Brew Container: https://foryourwater.com/collections/water-dispenser-crocks/products/solid-black-crock-dispenser-porcelain-silver-faucet-fyw-cksblk?variant=5588511457311
   Germination mat: VIVOSUN Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 3'' x 20" for Kombucha Tea & Beer Brewing, Fermentation, Seedlings & Plant Germination https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073PTZCJ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_Y0QMCbVKHEB93
   Thermostat: VIVOSUN Digital Seedling Heat Mat Thermostat Controller 68-108℉ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015F4VFGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_81QMCb2K5YSWK
   Stainless steel dispenser: Oak Leaf Replacement Spigot for Beverage Dispenser,Water Dispenser Faucet, Stainless Steel Spigot for Drink Dispenser, Food Grade, 2-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JZ6KJQJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_T2QMCbJTK12ED
   And insulation in colder weather...Reflectix for inner and outer layer and middle layer of thick insulating fabric...velcro to hold it all together....insulation saves money in cold weather....cutout where the spigot is.
   Place germination mat wrapped around upper part of brewing container.
   Hope this post is not too long.

I use a $15 back warming pad (for treating back pain). Wrap your container with the pad, then with an outer blanket or cloth to keep the heat in. Before you try ferments, fill your container with just water and place a thermometer in for a few hours, then pick from the 3 settings (low/medium/high) that best suit the temperature you want.https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-UltraHeat-Technology-Heat-Settings-Washable/dp/B00075M1T6/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=back+warming+pad&qid=1571076268&sr=8-13

More advanced method (and an additional $15):Wire up an STC-1000 to precisely control the temperature (you can set any temp and it will turn any device you plug into it on or off to reach desired tempurature)https://www.amazon.com/KETOTEK-STC-1000-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B073QQ2VP2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=stc1000&qid=1571076448&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWDRISFZCT1JaNENFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODE4MjMxRUVCU1JCUUdOUUxFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwODM5MDYyOERaTUVRVUFBS1hFJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I've made kimchi like this several times without issue and I've never read anywhere to rinse the cabbage out prior to stuffing the container. I've followed the basic outline for most of my cabbage based ferments from this book .

It's never come out ultra salty either ... keep in mind this is for a gallon sized ferment. So those 4-6 tablespoons aren't over much.

Also, salt is not bad for me. Sodium is very needed and I get enough potassium in my diet. I used to use cheesecloth instead of a lid but now I just burp it ever 2-3 days the first week or so.

Your link is interesting, but honestly that's a lot of work that I probably won't want to ever do!

I have 3 extra wide airlocks that I bought for a family member and they never used. You are welcome to them fellow kimchi maker. Let me know if they would fit those jars. I would recommend the wide mouth weights as well or a rock in a 5% salt zip lock bag to weigh it down.

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Wide-Mouth-Lid/dp/B01DJVVORE

Here's my tried-and-true recipe that I've been developing for years:

Supplies:

• 1 head Napa cabbage
  
• Pickling salt or non-iodized salt
  
• 1 head garlic, finely grated
  
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
  
• (optional) 1 tsp Sesame oil
  
• (optional) Green onions and/or fresh ginger to taste
  
• Kimchi container or very large glass jar (1 gal)
  
• Glass or ceramic weights
  
• Kitchen scale
  
  Weigh cabbage and measure out 2% of its weight in salt. Cut cabbage into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add salt and toss to mix. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.
  
  Meanwhile, combine garlic, red pepper, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
  
  After sitting with salt, the cabbage should be somewhat wilted and wet. Mix again, squeezing and kneading with hands to squeeze out liquid and soften the cabbage. Add garlic/chili/other seasonings and mix thoroughly with cabbage. Place in container or jar and set weights on top of cabbage (I usually can fit 2-3 weights.) The weights will help keep everything under the liquid.
  
  WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP!!
  
  Store container at room temperature away from sunlight for 1-4 weeks. If using a jar, "burp" the jar once a day by loosening the lid to release gas (you will hear a hissing sound.) There will be a lot of gas for the first week, and then it will slow down and you won't need to burp it as often. When kimchi reaches desired sourness, store in refrigerator.
  
  Edit: forgot the scale

I use the first linked lids and they do a great job. They very compact too so they fit well on my self. I would recommend you get weights. These are the ones I got for my wide mouth jars. If you are wondering (and just to show off a little bit) here are those lids and the weight in action on a recent hot sauce ferment I started

Wide mouth mason jars with these on top

Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit: Simplified Fermenting in Jars Not Crock Pots! Make Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles Or Any Fermented Probiotic Foods. 3 Lids, Extractor Pump & Recipe eBook - Mold Free https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01DJVVORE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0ITXDbA6WMKFD

This one:

https://smile.amazon.com/Fermented-Vegetables-Creative-Fermenting-Chutneys/dp/1612124259/

Got it for Christmas a couple years back, it's a really great resource with some good recipes. If you're into spicy foods, the same authors also wrote this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Fiery-Ferments-Stimulating-Fermented-Condiments/dp/1612127282/

A glass weight would be best.

weights

Those are the ones I use and they work great. I’ve never done it with the bag. Just doesn’t seem sanitary and more likely to ruin your ferment.

I’d start with a small Batch so you don’t throw a lot away. You’ll learn from any mistakes and it won’t cost you a lot. Use 1 quart jar. Put your vegetables in there. Then mix 2 cups of water with one tablespoon of salt. Mix well and then pour into quart jar with the weight.

I learned from the video below. His simple technique works with pretty much any vegetable.

Craig’s kitchen

Pink salt should work but I like Celtic sea salt.

Celtic sea salt

They look like these. I have them, they're great.

From reading your other posts, it sounds like you do this fairly often. I would recommend getting some fermentation weights. I have these.

I also recommend getting some self burping lids like these. All in all, you're talking about under $30.

Np!

I was also gifted these weights for my mason jars and it makes things even easier throw in these airlock lids got these lids and now my ferments don't need any more day-to-day upkeep :)

I tend to go by [The Art of Fermentation] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Fermentation-Exploration-Essential/dp/160358286X), but I'll do vegetable ferments for 3 - 7 days then refrigerate (longer with root vegetables), kombucha for at least 1 week, then carbonate for 1-2 weeks before chilling, and I don't make kefir so nothing on that one. Things like kvass and opaque beers I'll cook at night then ferment for 2-3 days before bottling.

Temperature makes a huge difference in fermentation time regardless of what bug you're using, so I'll just taste anything I make after a day or 2 to see how far along it is.

You are welcome! I found quite a few others that will probably work just as well and shave off a few bucks too!

$12.99

6 pack $15.99

>Well, that depends. You say water. Do you mean a brine?

I meant brine. I take two cabbages, shred them in a food processor, put the shredded cabbage in oblong glass dishes, measure out two tablespoons of sea salt and massage that into the cabbage for 5 minutes, leave the cabbage in the glass dish for 1 hour, and then pack it into half-gallon mason jars. Once these jars are filled to the top (noob mistake I keep making), I use a sauerkraut pounder to squish as much brine out as possible. Afterwards, I add an additional 1 tsp of salt and put glass weights on the cabbage before putting on the lids. If at this point there's not enough brine to submerge the cabbage, I add a little bit of bottled water until it is submerged.

>Why are you adding extra liquid at the start instead of just 2% salt by cabbage weight?

I do this under two scenarios:

0. I pack the jars full of cabbage and pound out as much brine as possible but there's still not enough brine to keep the cabbage submerged

0. Sometimes I don't have enough cabbage to fill up a half-gallon mason jar so I add bottled water until it reaches near the top of the jar

>Do you have a weight in the jar (I assume not based on your question, but maybe you do)

Yes, I use the glass weights that came with the fermentation kit

Fermenting vegetables with Sandor "Sandorkraut" Katz

The guru of fermentation.

His Most Recent Book. This won a James Beard.

Check him out. It's worth it.

The ferment veg book says it works better using dried mushrooms. We're yours fresh?

Just buy some online. Several people in this sub (including myself) got their grains from this seller on Amazon. They're cheap, and the seller has 2,600+ excellent reviews.

Wide mouth mason jars + fermentation weight + fermentation lid


I personally love these lids but they are pricey and the other ones work fine.

I use this: https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Waterproof-Seedling-Hydroponic-Standard/dp/B00P7U259C

Works great, just used it to speed up a kimchi ferment since it's about 16-17C in my apartment without the heat on.

​

edit: a word

This one seems to be fairly popular.

The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083JQCF2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZkX5Bb67HJ1CK

These from Amazon:

4-Pack of Fermentation Glass Weights with Easy Grip Handle for Wide Mouth Mason Jar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076V66FZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VD.DDbQ9AGFZD

Most non Asian grocery stores tend to not sell their kimchi heavily fermented. The kimchi boxes work for any ferment for what it's worth. They look like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M40ANMO

Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit: Simplified Fermenting In Jars Not Crock Pots! Make Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles Or Any Fermented Probiotic Foods. 3 Lids(jars not incld), Extractor Pump & Recipes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DJVVORE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SdIzCb490E139

Here you go


Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit: Simplified Fermenting In Jars Not Crock Pots! M... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DJVVORE/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_8PWODb005SZB5

Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612124259/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.d9WzbN1KDCTE

I've heard that this is a pretty good source on what you're asking.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083JQCF2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I'm reading his other book before I dive into this one.

I'm using this fermentation container.

Is the whole thing still good for consumption or do I have to throw this batch out?

You might be interested in The Art Of Fermentation.

Looks good! How far along is this and do you have an amazon link to the lids?

Edit: here's the link but they seem to be out of stock https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Wide-Mouth-Lid/dp/B01DJVVORE

I tried this once and it left my veggies with an odd taste. I think the brine ate into the plastic and contaminated the ferment. I had to throw it out. I use glass pebbles instead. They're effective and don't leave behind a bad taste.

https://www.amazon.com/Sauer-Stones-Fermentation-Preservation-Pickling/dp/B01GVSHK8O/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1479056031&sr=8-5&keywords=glass+weights

http://www.amazon.com/SocalHomeBrew-Plastic-Piece-Airlock-Pack/dp/B000E60G2W/ref=zg_bs_979848011_1

Haven't grown my koji yet because I'm on vacation, but here's what I purchased and it all works:

​

- Humidistat: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071ND7N8L/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o00\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

- Perforated pan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E95D6H0/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o02\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

- Pan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VZ6Y4O/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o01\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

- Humidistat: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J1E5LWM/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o04\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

- Thermostat: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015FKG4CC/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o04\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

- Heating pad (I fold it in half): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P7U259C/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o04\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

- Styrofoam container: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NO6F8E/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o05\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DJVVORE/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_bmx1DbPF79GQ3

dude, just pick up a three pack of these:


https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Wide-Mouth-Lid/dp/B01DJVVORE


so worth it.

The glass weights that I use came with a wide-mouth mason jar fermentation kit. They seem to be sold separately:

https://www.amazon.com/4-Pack-Fermentation-Glass-Weights-Handle/dp/B076V66FZ4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Glass+fermentation+weights&qid=1570978781&smid=A18D0VXFD94UHI&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRE80UldaTjg4SDc5JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODMwMDE3M0gwWEtYWkwxUzQ4OCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTM0NDc1MkRWSFdYTFRJUlM5NyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

If you are having problems with it getting moldy (and depending on the ferment, aren't comfortable with removing the mold from an otherwise good ferment) then you probably need something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Wide-Mouth-Lid/dp/B01DJVVORE

I would suggest going with a salty brine ferment to cut done on the mold, with or without whey. You can use a plastic bag filled with water to keep what you are fermenting under the brine.

I'd avoid aluminum just so there's no off flavors.

I just bought these glass weights... 4 for $17. Seem to work swimmingly so far.

Looks right. On the next batch, I would get something to weight it all down so it stays fully submerged, but at 9 days, you aren't going to have much to worry about and there would be a visible scum on the top.

I use pickle weights. Used small glass bowls before I got them:

https://www.amazon.com/4-Pack-Fermentation-Glass-Weights-Handle/dp/B076V66FZ4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540230571&sr=8-3&keywords=pickle+weight&dpID=41VmlGo4ldL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Was looking at them last month. Not cheap to buy or ship here to the UK unfortunately :(
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DJVVORE/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_8PWODb005SZB5