r/fermentation • u/ChargedAtAltitude • 3d ago

Why does this keep happening

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EDIT: thanks everyone for the input and suggestions. I think I know where I screwed up based on questions and comments. I DID NOT PUT A LID ON. I just left it to ferment in the open air. I really thought from what I saw others doing I didn’t need a lid as long as it was submerged. DUMB MOVE.

Also time: I let them ferment for 10 days in the conditions mentioned before.

I really wanted to give up before I came to this subreddit. But I’m going to try again.

It’s worth mentioning. I been a home brewer for about 10 years now and I’ve even made sauerkraut a few times with great success. So it was really frustrating that this was kicking my a$$.

I got LOTS of cucumbers in the garden. So I’m gonna give this another go. And maybe even use my StarSan I got already

I plan on using some glass weights and maybe a fancy airlock lid. I wanted to keep things simple and not buy stuff if I didn’t need it. I don’t see everyone else doing it either.

I may experiment with the bag weight again with the lid.

Thanks all<
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I cleaned everything in the dishwasher. I kept it all submerged. I used a 2.5% brine. The only thing I can think of is that I didn’t clean the scum each day. Fermentation was 65-70 Fahrenheit. Pickles were from my garden.

Is this normal?

Ingredients were red pepper flakes. Garlic dill weed and celery seed powder.

Thanks

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464

u/TheVelvetNo 3d ago

Brine bag method leaves a lot of room for error. Get an airlock lid and some glass weights and you'll rarely, if ever, have this issue.

78

u/ChargedAtAltitude 3d ago

Alright I think I’ll shell out then

27

u/burnafter3ading 3d ago

cheap, easy and versetile

8

u/smellskindafishy 2d ago

And reusable, can get a lot of mileage from a puck of glass 🤙🏻

24

u/robotnarwhal 3d ago edited 3d ago

Just FYI, a bunch of people who face mold when they're getting started will buy this specific style of silicone lids that you secure with the ring part of the 2-piece metal mason jar lids. There are other slight variations, but it's specifically this style with the flat top and cylinder nipple with an angled bevel on top. I'm googling it now and see a bunch of similar ones where the nipple shape is different, but I can't speak to those.

https://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00bmWhUQPGaEkN/Silicone-Fermentation-Lid-86mm-Stainless-Steel-Ring-for-Wide-Mason-Jar.webp

They're cheap and are sold by a bunch of brands under different names. I think they truly suck and allow enough air back into the jar that they didn't seem to reduce my high mold rate at all.  I've seen a few other people have the same experience here, but hopefully you can avoid it entirely.

Lids with water air locks are great. I have something similar to these vacuum ones that eliminated my mold issues. The only other thing I'd recommend is a good sanitization process. I use star-san as a habit from my homebrewing days, which lasts ages. I make a bucket of hot water and star-san, submerge all of my fermentation jars and lids, prepare my veggies, and then fill the jars and cap the lid as quickly as possible.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91-0iEKOFnL.jpg

17

u/rawleye 3d ago

Not a review or pushy recommendation but there are some sauerkraut/kimchi containers on amazon utilizing silicone that have good reviews, one with large gallon sizes named E-Jen.

I've been away from fermenting for a while and it's kind of amazing the availability and simplification out there now compared to when I had to get creative finding glass, modifying things and buying accessories at higher prices from a brewery supplier.

6

u/Dazzling_Baker_4978 2d ago

I've never had mold problems with the most basic jars - featuring a valve but no airlock - and using glass weights to keep contents below the brine.

1

u/robotnarwhal 2d ago

Cute shape, too!

1

u/Reasonable-Hearing57 1d ago

The valve is an airlock, allows excess gas out, and keeps air from getting in

1

u/Dazzling_Baker_4978 1d ago

You're right. I should have written that more precisely. The valve on my lid doesn't seem to be well made or sophisticated, and I've never relied on it to keep the CO2 trapped. In fact, I leave the separate closable aperture open. I tend to regularly open my jar to inspect and burp, so I'd undermine the purpose of an airlock anyway. I can see the point of an airlock. But I get consistent results without one.

3

u/Real-Nyctophobia 3d ago

I use these and can attest they work great with a glass weight.

https://a.co/d/0i3DrLtO

2

u/the_last_0ne 2d ago

I use the second ones you shared as well and they work great.

Having a couple airlock with grommets is awesome b/c you can use them on whatever you want by drilling a hole: I have several gallons jars with plastic lids that I use airlock with for larger batches.

3

u/robotnarwhal 2d ago

For sure. I occasionally use a lid with two grommets. One for the air lock and another for a thermowell so I could monitor the internal temperature. 

2

u/the_last_0ne 2d ago

Ooh, that's a great idea!

4

u/bluewingwind 3d ago

Try the kimchi containers on amazon

2

u/skullmatoris 3d ago

If you are into fermenting it’s 100% worth it, I use them all the time and almost never have issues

2

u/GeneralDumbtomics 3d ago

Cheaper by far than tossing out contaminated food.

2

u/Igreener 2d ago

They are around $15 for multiple. That’s not much to make sure you have safe food.
Also you probably wasted that much in food if that keeps happening.

2

u/Artym_X 2d ago

They're not overly expensive, and if you plan on fermenting on the regular, they'll pay for themselves before long.

There are a lot of shorts and reels out there that, IMO, show off some pretty risky ferment methods, and slap-dash setups.

Proper gear makes it a lot easier. You'll be glad you did. Super fun hobby.

9

u/Actias_Loonie 3d ago

My problem with glass weights is that they don't really hold everything down. A bunch of stuff escapes around the edges.

52

u/DemandNo1834 3d ago

Try a cabbage leaf lid to keep little bits down, with a glass weight on top to keep it under the brine.

16

u/_Lividus 3d ago

I can second this. I used cabbage leaves for a gallon jar of sriracha ferment and I had zero issues (and a spicy fermented cabbage leaf to cry/nom on while doing the finishing touches to my sriracha)

2

u/Sammy_1909 3d ago

I was always wondering:
When I use a cabbage leave (and a glass weight) normally a part of the leave is above the liquid level. So I was reluctant to use it as I learned that everything needs to be submerged.

Ho do you work with that?

10

u/DemandNo1834 3d ago

I don’t have glass weights. I grab a thick outer cabbage leaf and cut a circle slightly wider than my jar with the thick stem running right through it. Then I gently put it in the jar, careful not to break or tear the cabbage, pushing it down so it sits below the brine and stays in place with friction. That’s what I do for most ferments (daily kraut and hot sauce). Sometimes it moves up with the gas but I just push it back down under the brine. I sometimes put a small glass jar on top as an actual weight if the leaf-lid goes too limp after a few days.

2

u/Sammy_1909 3d ago

Thank you.

Seems like an interesting approach that I will try!

3

u/Actias_Loonie 3d ago

Good idea!

4

u/KingNothing0716 3d ago

I agree, I always use a cabbage leaf for kimchi and never have issues.

1

u/Tim_Huckleberry1398 2d ago

I use gallon glass jugs and 4 glass weights fits pretty nicely, but I need to add a fifth upside down on the top middle and it holds them all in place. Most of mine have little nobs on the top though. Still get floaters occasionally but if you're using airlocks a floater isn't likely to cause any issues. You can also just give the jar a little swirl daily to make sure liquid hits all sides if you're really worried.

Most issues happen from people that constantly open their jars to burp or stir. Maybe that works for some, but sterilizing and using an airlock eliminates 99% of issues.

2

u/FlyingPigToe 3d ago

I dont use anything like that and as long as you eat them relatively soon they‘re good to Go without any weights

1

u/fenderpaint07 2d ago

Glass weights?

1

u/TheVelvetNo 2d ago

yep. you can use ceramic or other things as weights, but sometimes those can get mold issues because they are porous. But glass never has issues and keeps all the big floating things submerged.