(Part 2) Best products from r/fermentation

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

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 don't know much about it yet either - but just wanted to say, make sure you follow tmgastronaut on instagram, he posts a lot of cool stuff! Also, this doesn't help a lot on growing your own koji, but I bought a bag of it on Amazon to make miso with and it worked out well. I've tried all the Asian markets in my area and no one seems to have heard of koji.

Here's the product I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FH67ZQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

edit: I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for, I'm just excited to see more people interested in koji :)

These lids are great and allow you to suck air out of your ferment.


Using these+ not leaving a lot of headroom + using a glass fermentation weight to keep everything submerged under the brine pretty much ensure a mold free ferment.


Of course this is not necessary, just keeping everything under the brine will do. However, I like these lids because they are very hands off because you don’t need to burb the jars (they let CO2 out).

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==

No worries of safety for the rust, but I'd definitely recommend a food grade ceramic fermentation crock for future ferments. They're not super expensive, they will literally last your lifetime (as long as you don't drop it). This is the one I use, has a built in water airlock (just keep it topped up every few days), its thick and heavy and opaque to prevent light damage. They also make a 10liter version for larger ferments! Good luck!

I love the look of the big benchtop scale /u/gogers recommends, but if you are like me and have a tiny kitchen, and need something battery powered that can slide into a drawer (I keep mine behind the forks and spoons), then I can recommend this Escali: https://www.amazon.com/Escali-Digital-Kitchen-Capacity-Increment/dp/B0007GAX04

I've been using mine for baking, fermenting and other cooking for at least 12 years.

https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Pickling-Flavor-Packed-Recipes-Vegetables/dp/1558323759

This is a good book for actually making pickles.

Sandor Katz's books are more fun for reading, but his approach isn't about making refined and perfected recipes as much as just explaining the variety of processes for making different fermented foods. for example, while he explains how to make miso, I wouldn't use his book as a guide to make my own. It's more about reading about the process than a step by step guide by an expert.

The Noma Guide to Fermentation!

It's basically the bible for modern fermentation techniques perfected by one of the best restaurants in the world.

-A kitchen scale for weighing out the proper salt by mass ratio is pretty much a necessity.

-If you're interested in making things shelf-stable, then you'll need a pH-meter to make sure you're below 4.6.

-I recently started using a food-safe spray bottle with a StarSan dilution for sanitizing everything that comes in contact with my ingredients.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QK1NX91/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/Star-Sans-Sanitizer-4-oz/dp/B00E5MXGKK/ref=sr_1_5?crid=YOMTTJMJEDG4&keywords=starsan+brewing+sanitizer&qid=1575148862&s=beauty&sprefix=starsan+%2Cbeauty%2C200&sr=1-5

Pickle pebbles are the expensive option, Glass marbles in a bag work great and you don't have to worry about fluid leaking out into your ferment like you do with baggies filled with water.

If you want to keep using your crock, maybe try glass or ceramic weights like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Luna-Glass-Crock-Weights-6-5/dp/B00RA1D9CI/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ceramic+weights+for+crock&qid=1564155628&s=gateway&sr=8-2

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I use them in my crock for making saurkraut and they work great. Just use a large cabbage leaf or two under the weight to hold all the small bits down.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JG77G8M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just finished my first sauerkraut batch in the TSM crock, it turned out great :)

yes they're all in the fridge, the best by date isnt until next May --- think I'll add the one that's already open and give it a trial run, I can always experiment later

looks like enough to do all 10 containers right here lol

and I keep kosher so not sure I would trust most fish sauce, I've been to some oriental markets near me and wasn't confident enough they weren't made from krill

I've got one too and am just about to start fermenting. In their brilliant book 'Miso, Tempeh, Natto and Other Tasty Ferments' Kirsten and Christopher Shockey give lots of tips for using a bread proofer, as well as other methods.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tempeh-Natto-Other-Tasty-Ferments/dp/1612129889/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1574363244&refinements=p_27%3A+K.%5CcKirsten+Shockey&s=books&sr=1-3&text=Kirsten+Shockey%2C+K.

Just remembered there are instructions for how to make tempeh on the Brod and Taylor website.

https://brodandtaylor.com/how-to-make-tempeh/

This should make over carbonation impossible!

Obviously you want some carbonation for Komubucha, so this might not work for that. But for kimchi saurkraut etc it is great!

just saw something new on Amazon the other day that would fit your bill , kinda pricey for 1 lid+weights but it should work.

Easy Fermenter XL

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Simplified-Fermenting-Sauerkraut/dp/B0789PYHY5

I’ve bought it online where it’s been completely dried and shelf stable. Like this https://www.amazon.com/MIYAKO-Malted-making-Pickles-Isesou/dp/B004FH67ZQ

I’m not looking to fully dehydrate it, but just want it dry enough that I can easily blend it into a powder. It’s too moist to do that out of the fermenter.

I forgot to mention I used 2 cups of chili powder and this bomb stuff on amazon that my friend reccomended

red chili powpow

If you want to do it on the cheap, a clean rock works fine. There are also plenty of commercial products available;

https://www.amazon.com/Pickle-Pebbles-PLUS-Fermentation-Small-Batch/dp/B00V41EZNC

https://www.amazon.com/Co-Stainless-Pickle-Fermenter-Weight/dp/B07DPW2CXY/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=pickle+springs&qid=1563109203&s=home-garden&sr=1-1

I'm really enjoying Fiery Ferments right now.

Sandor Katz's the Art of Fermentation is good, but wordy. I started out with Real Food Fermentation because it's got pictures to demonstrate the steps.

These are the ones I bought

It took some searching to find ones that weren't ridiculously pricey.

The silicone lid gaskets I have

I don't recall if I used 1/2" or 9/16" as recommended on the grommet packaging.

You shouldn't have any problem using them. I've used crushed red pepper before in my kimchi when I ran out of gochugaru. Just remember to sift out the seeds and use only the flake. I didn't care for the texture of the seeds in my kimchi. The real issue you're going to run into if you don't have an Asian market is lack of salted shrimp/fish sauce. Unless you're going for vegetarian kimchi, the shrimp/fish is the difference between decent kimchi and fantastic kimchi.

I order my kimchi ingredients from Amazon because I also live in a rural area. Gochugaru and Salted shrimp. Tiparos fish sauce will work in place of salted shrimp.

https://www.amazon.com/Noma-Guide-Fermentation-lacto-ferments-Foundations/dp/1579657184

I basically follow this recepie:
https://www.tempeh.info/maketempeh/how-to-make-tempeh.php

But I learned how to make tempeh from the book Miso, Tempeh, Natto

As an Incubator I use a reptile heating mat and a thermostat. I place the tempeh directly on the mat and the temperature sensor directly onto the tempeh to maintain a internal temperature of 30 Deg Celsius. It took about 44h

Done in the style of the restaurant Noma. The head chef's released a book on how they make a lot of the dishes.

Essentially the food is salted and vacuum sealed; no loss of flavour into a brine.

Highly accessible and worth a read. Amazon link is below or who knows what you might find with a half decent Google..

The Noma Guide to Fermentation (Foundations of Flavor) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1579657184/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_X1uEDb72MSPSE