Home brewer Sauerkraut?

[jamiesavoie]

I just finished fermenting a batch of kraut and sour beets and kimchi. It's my first time trying kimchi and so far I'm not disapointed!

One tip I can give is try to ferment at lower temp, I do mine in my basment. It makes it sweeter

 

[SLI]

+1 on the kimchi! Anyone have thoughts on reusing the brine from leftover sauerkraut/kimchi? I've found that just by throwing the dregs of the last batch I did into the new batch, the flavor has become more complex. I'm several generations in, it is soooo tasty!

 

[hampdenbrewing]

My father used to make it when I was a kid. Always in a larger crock 10-15 gal. He had an old wooden slicer (3 blade) , used only Kosher salt, smashed the layers down with big maple tamper and covered it with a piece of cheese cloth. This was held down with a large flat rock. I remember him boiling the rock to keep it clean. He would peel off and replace the cheese cloth weekly to remove the funk on top. Can't remember how many weeks it would be in there, but the cellar really smelled. When it was done it was canned in Ball jars with the glass tops and with the flip lids.

 

[porcupine73]

I've been making sauerkraut for about six months now. I have two 10L Harsch crocks. Those work perfectly. I mix up cabbage, carrots, onions, celtic sea salt, and whey from raw milk kefir. I pound it with a wooden kraut pounder. I start filling the crock, having left some juice from the previous batch in place also. Then I put in some cucumbers, beets, turnips, radishes, garlic, ginger or whatever I was able to find for that batch. Then I cover those with the rest of the kraut. Turnips work the best, amazing flavor in the kraut. Leeks come out absolutely amazing. I normally get organic produce when possible. The leeks I just leave the roots on and it's interesting when it comes out the roots have grown about six inches.

Also I put in black peppercorns, white peppercorns, hawthorne berries, juniper berries, coriander, and a few other herbs.

In those Harsch crocks, after 4 weeks at 70F it is perfect, just slightly underdone and ready for a little more cool temperature aging. I can it up in quart jars and refrigerate to let it age a little more.

 

[alchemedes]

For what it is worth, can I mention that fermenting saur kraut and dill pickles is what got me into home brewing in the first place? Cooking is a gateway drug to drinkin' ;-).

This is so true. I'm really into cooking, and especially experimental cooking. I enjoy being in the kitchen... the swmbo... sadly not so much these at all. More food for me! But yeah, pickling things definetly got me into brewing too. Maybe its because I need a good beer along with my pickled eggs.

Oh, and saurkraut is awesome. Turns out I found a traditional kraut crock in perfect condition in my mums garage - but without the weights. I'm gonna try a batch when I get a chance and I'll be sure to post pics.

 

[mrmcdowe]

Does anyone add a brine after pounding cabbage. I bought cabbage at store and forgot to add brine because it did not produce much liquid after pounding. I added apples for the first time and let sit 4 weeks In harsh crock. It was RANCID smelling. The 2 other times I made it I had great results. But that was in Canada. Was it the lack of brine or the 75+ degree fermenting temp or both? Does anyone make sauerkraut in the south ( Houston)? Ooh well going to try again.

 

[porcupine73]

Yes, I almost always add brine even after pounding the heck out of the cabbage. I think because I include onions, carrots, turnips, leeks, etc., I need more brine than normal. The extra brine is VALUABLE when putting the kraut later into say quart jars, because you can suck off the extra brine and put it in those jars to help prevent yeast on the top few inches. It really is a benefit. Also extra brine afterwards is tasty and is excellent starter for the next batch.

Fermenting kraut above about 75F does not yield optimal results I have found. The kraut will get soft quickly, but it won't have much flavor. It really needs to be under 70F for best results it seems, then a nice slow 'second' ferment in a 45F or so fridge for many months afterwards yields amazing results.

 

[mrmcdowe]

I definitely think it was the lack of brine.

I am going to try another batch and keep it in the closet I keep my fermenting ales.

Thanks

 

[escapeman]

Hi folks, I've been making kraut for several years now. A friend of mine and I make about 800lbs a year. I use only late cabbage, I seem to get a better tasting kraut. I've never had any trouble getting a lot of brine from just pounding the cabbage. I normally use a bit of extra canning salt(its a finer salt and disolves better) in the beginning to get a good brine started. I also use a double garbage bag with enough water in it to weight down the cabbage (not too much though, you want the co2 to be able to escape around the edges of the garbage bags). I then cover the buckets with cheese cloth. I use five gallon food grade buckets.

 

[mrmcdowe]

How many of you get your cabbage from a grocery store? I think because I do, it is older and has less liquid so if I don't add brine I am in trouble.

Anyone ferment in warmer temps though?

 

[porcupine73]

My first attempt with grocery store cabbage did not work for some reason, it just didn't seem to want to ferment, even though I had added whey. I'm wondering if it was GMO cabbage I had gotten, and maybe if it was somehow poisonous to the fermenting organisms.

 

[escapeman]

My first attempt with grocery store cabbage did not work for some reason, it just didn't seem to want to ferment, even though I had added whey. I'm wondering if it was GMO cabbage I had gotten, and maybe if it was somehow poisonous to the fermenting organisms.

How long did you let it ferment?

 

[mrmcdowe]

It was 5 weeks without looking in crock and not adding brine. It was RANK smelling when I did look.

 

[porcupine73]

How long did you let it ferment?

Those were let ferment for a few days at room temperature then for several months in a fridge set at about 45F. It was an attempt at fermenting in mason jars.

After that, I got two Harsch 10L crocks and buy organic produce to make the kraut (I actually make something more like curtido). Organic is far from perfect but supposedly organic foods cannot be GMO so that makes me feel a little better anyway.

I'm hoping to maybe grow all my own produce next year if I can squeeze it into my schedule. I've heard cabbage almost always gets a worm in each head I think from cabbage moths if they aren't sprayed with anything. But I'm wondering if that is such a bad thing ... supposedly many insects are actually very nutritious.

 

[kincade]

For those of you that do smaller batches of sauerkraut, what vessell options are there other than crocks? Id like to try my hand at making some, but spending $150 for a crock doesnt seem very cost efficient or plausible. OTOH Ive read that its tough to make good kraut without the crock and stone.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mrmcdowe]

Google making it in mason jars ( Internet is down). I saw one made from a chef and I followed his directions and it worked well.

 

[porcupine73]

The main benefit of the crocks such as Harsch is that they pretty much eliminate the yellowish yeasty stuff growing on the top since they maintain pretty much a perfectly anerobic atmosphere. But they are definitely definitely not required. A popular option is the 5 gal Ohio Stonware crocks for about $50, if you have an Ace Hardware nearby you can get free shipping to it. They have smaller ones too. Then you use some elastic and tie a bedsheet around it. You do need a few inches of brine over the top and then you scum off the yucky stuff in the first inch or two when harvesting it. Because you can easily to sauerkraut as an open ferment for the entire time.

 

[escapeman]

It was 5 weeks without looking in crock and not adding brine. It was RANK smelling when I did look.

I scrape off the scum when the kraut starts to stink. I'm then good for a few days until I scrape if off again.

 

[TNGabe]

I use small buckets (2 or 2.5 gallon icing buckets - often free at grocery store bakeries). A layer of plastic wrap on top of your kraut and some weight in top bucket and you'll have a nice anaerobic fermentaion environment for fermentation. I'm thinking of rigging up a 2nd mash tun similarly for sour mashes.

 

[Homercidal]

I tried making sauerkraut earlier this year, but it was fairly warm. It got pretty nasty. I found that you need to ferment it at a cool temperature for best results.

I've still left the jar of goo on the counter. I'm waiting for someone in the household to either dump it out or pay me to do it...

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Does anyone have a suggestion on what I could use in lieu of buying a weight for that express purpose? Maybe a flu tile or something?

 

[TheBrewinator]

I personally use the crock from one of my crockpots with a 1 gallon ziplock bag filled with water for the weight.

Homer, do you know how warm it was when you tried it and it went bad?

 

[Homercidal]

I personally use the crock from one of my crockpots with a 1 gallon ziplock bag filled with water for the weight.

Homer, do you know how warm it was when you tried it and it went bad?

It must have been in the 80s. I started it this spring and it was a very warm spring.

FYI - I used the bag before and it worked well, but I switched to a styrofoam plate to hold the kraut down after my first gross batch. Turns out the heat was the culprit I think.

 

[kincade]

Thanks for all the tips on alternative vessels and weights. The bag full of water is a great idea.

 

[gregolma]

You have to cover the kraut in liquid. I use winter cabbages after the 1st frost, because I can. It's a harder, denser head that slices thin.

Salt and spice in 5 lb increments. mix well. Pound ll (a base ball bat can be adapted. Wash first.)

If enough juice hasn't arisen from the salted, pounded Kraut, then it won't. Time for brine.

Memory tells net it that e brine id 6 tbs to the gallon

 

[NickTheGreat]

I'm going to try this soon. I acquired a HUGE (>20 lb) cabbage.

Any reason I can't use my old Ferm Bucket? Would one of my airlocks help? Or does that defeat the purpose?

I'm just a little nervous about finding a lid to go down inside this bucket. I need to check one of our dinner plates, maybe I'll get lucky . . .

 

[Homercidal]

I'm not sure why a plastic bucket wouldn't work. It would be worthless for anything else that wasn't pickled.

I'd love to have a real crock. The glass jar I am using has a lip to deal with. The crocks I have seen at yard sales have all been "ANTIQUE" priced. For some reason they are all really expensive at the store too. I should really sign up for pottery lessons. I could probably make a crock in the class for the same price and get lessons on turning at the same time.

 

[StonesBally]

I use plastic buckets. Just cabbage and kosher salt. I have used garden, farmers market, and grocery store cabbage, all with good results. I don't use extra brine. Just keep packing the cabbage down until it covers itself in liquid. Leave in the basement for 2-3 weeks and you're good to go. If I pickle anything else I make a 5 % salt brine, submerge the veg and wait a few weeks. Sauerkraut is just a natural cabbage pickle. Same methods for carrots, cukes, pretty much anything.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Thanks guys. I realize that would become a pickling bucket, but I haven't used it for anything except water since I got my carboys.

I have been looking for a crock over the last year or two, and realized that they are antique priced. I don't need one that badly.

 

[Grapesmasher]

I made sauerkraut last year. I just used pickling salt and cabbage, with some caraway seeds for flavor. It turned out very good, but next time i might skip the caraway, and decrease the salt a bit. I love the smell of kraut which smells like vinegar but is actually an acidic smell from the bacteria that ferments it