TIL my sauerkraut ferment almost exploded because I forgot to burp it for 4 days

I was making a 5-gallon batch of kraut in my basement in Pittsburgh last month, and I forgot to check the airlock for almost a whole week. When I finally opened the bucket, the lid shot up like a rocket and sprayed brine all over my laundry pile. Has anyone else had a close call with a too-active ferment that got way too pressurized?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_green2d ago

A five gallon batch in the basement? That is a lot of kraut to have sitting around. I have been making my own for years and I just use quart jars with tight lids that I crack open once a day. Never had anything shoot off like a rocket. Maybe you just packed it too tight or used too much salt? The bubbles have to go somewhere but they do not build up that fast unless something is off in the recipe.

shane_perry292d ago

Whoa, okay I gotta say I was pretty much in the same boat as you until maybe a year ago. I always used those little crocks or jars and never thought much about pressure buildup, figured it was just a normal thing. But then I tried a bigger batch in a bucket with an airlock and man, the first few days that thing was bubbling like a soda bottle left in a hot car. It really made me realize a five gallon batch in a sealed container with no relief is just asking for trouble, especially if you're not checking it daily. I mean, I still think salt ratio matters a ton, but the size and the container type are huge too. Definitely changed my mind on how careful you have to be with larger fermentations.