Had to choose between airlock and open crock for my first sauerkraut batch

I was about to start my first sauerkraut ferment and couldn't decide between a fancy airlock lid or a basic open crock that I had to burp myself. I went with the open crock because I liked checking on it every day and seeing the bubbles form. After 3 weeks at room temp around 68F, the kraut came out perfectly tangy with no mold on top at all. The only extra work was pushing the cabbage down every other day which took like 30 seconds. Has anyone else tried both methods and found one actually gives a better taste?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlie1988d ago

Hang on though, 3 weeks at 68F is actually on the long side for an open crock. You probably got lucky with the temp being stable and not too warm. I've done both methods a bunch and the airlock lid actually changed the flavor for me a bit, made it cleaner and more predictable. The open crock is fine if you're home a lot and can babysit it, but that daily peeking lets in oxygen which can make it soften faster or get weird yeasts. Not saying your way is wrong, just that the airlock lets you walk away for weeks without worrying.

the_laura8d agoMost Upvoted

Read somewhere the yeast and bacteria change a bit with less oxygen exposure.

blair_torres708d ago

Funny you say that, I used to swear by open crocks for the hands-on feel. But after a few fuzzy batches in a row during summer heat, I finally caved and got an airlock setup and honestly the flavor is way more consistent now.