Took me 8 batches of sour pickles to figure out my brine was way too salty. The tip-off? My kid said they tasted like the ocean. | Fermentation Station - Librear
My third batch of sauerkraut was way too salty. I started using a kitchen scale to weigh the salt against the cabbage weight, not just tablespoons. A 2% salt ratio by weight finally got it right for me.
Oh man, I feel your pain on using volume measurements for salt. But heads up, the standard for kraut is actually 2.5% salt by weight, not 2%. 2% might work okay but you'll probably get softer kraut that goes bad quicker. A little extra precision can save you from another batch of watery pickles.
Eight whole batches is a serious commitment to salty pickles. I would have given up after the second jar tasted like seawater. Your kid's honesty saved you from a ninth batch.