Fly_Rodder

Recipes 

I got cabbage fresh from the farm for one batch, it fermented much quicker and the flavor was much more savory and robust. Made with cabbage from the grocery, it took a lot longer to develop, but was still very good.

Not all green cabbage is the same - some varieties have a greater sugar content than others. Additionally, if the cabbages are left out in a frost or two, they'll sweeten a bit more and provide additional sugar for the fermentation.

I just loaded a 6 gallon crock with about 4 gallons of kraut. Last year I made it with caraway seeds and didn't care for it as much. I liked it, but I love just straight kraut.

TNGabe

Recipes 

I used Juniper berries in my last batch and it was great. As others have said, room temp is fine. If you have a standard US style crock (and not the super fancy German one with the airlock lid), keeping air out & co2 in is important. I like to cover the surface of the kraut with plastic wrap and use a bucket with some cans to weight it down.

Making kraut is really, really easy if you keep te air out. If you do have air and consequently mold, just scrape it off the top and recover, no biggy.

__________________
Give a man a beer, he'll drink for a day. Teach a man to brew, he'll drink for a lifetime.

StMarcos

Recipes 

Keep the solids weighted down under the fluid and you won't have mold. The finer you shred the cabbage, and the more you smash it up, the less water you will have to add to even have enough fluid to submerge the solids. I prefer to chop more coarsely and add a bit more brine at the start. 1-3 weeks is good, depending on temp. Then into the fridge.

Chuginator

Recipes 

I've done it and it's delicious. You owe it to yourself to try it if you even THINK it would be fun. It's so much better than store-bought!

Watch this. It will put your mind at ease as to how easy it is, as well as educate you on the proper salt to cabbage weight ratio (2.5%).

http://traffic.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/bbv03-12-11sauerkraut.mp4

For those that are interested and want to get a glass jar like the one in that video, Wal-Mart really does have them for cheap. I think I paid about $10 for mine and saw it for $40 elsewhere.

Just like with brewing, the sky is the limit - straight-up, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, whatever.

StMarcos

Recipes 

If you want to get fancy there are some artisan makers of nifty crocks. The lid sits in a recessed trough/rim that is filled with water - sort of like a moat. It's one giant airlock....

TNGabe

Recipes 

Google 'German Crock' - spendy. I sure do want one, though.

__________________
Give a man a beer, he'll drink for a day. Teach a man to brew, he'll drink for a lifetime.

Chuginator

Recipes 

Yeah, I'd love to have one too, but jeez- they're expensive.

Celticgladiator

Recipes 

I've made kraut before but I canned it rather than doing it in a crock, I'd like to try the crock method though

Airplanedoc

Recipes 

Basic Brewing did a video podcast on making sauerkraut sometime back, its in their library available for download.

Chuginator

Recipes 

See message #14.