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My neighbor insisted on using a $15 airlock from the hardware store for his kimchi, but after my batch with a proper fermentation weight didn't get moldy like his, the difference was clear.
Has anyone else found that skipping the proper gear just isn't worth the risk of ruining a whole crock?
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camerona791mo ago
A 2017 study in the Journal of Food Science found that improper fermentation weights can actually introduce harmful bacteria by trapping pockets of air and brine. I lost a five gallon batch of sauerkraut once because I thought a ziploc bag of water would work, and it leaked salt water all over my basement floor. Sometimes the gear isn't about being fancy, it's about not spending three hours scrubbing mold off a crock.
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dylanwilliams1mo ago
That "difference was clear" part is so true. I tried using a plate as a weight once and the whole thing just floated up and got weird. Sometimes the cheap fix costs you more in wasted food.
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reese_perry61mo ago
Wait you used a PLATE? That's wild, I can see how that would just pop right up. I've used a smaller lid or a bowl before but a dinner plate sounds like a disaster. Bet that pickle brine went everywhere.
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