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That time my buddy called my kraut 'flat soda' and I finally checked pH
He was right, my brine was fine but the pH was sitting at 5.2 after two weeks, so I started testing daily and now I pull jars at 3.8 before they even hit the fridge, anyone else skip pH meters until someone roasts their batch?
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mason.drew3d ago
Had the same mindset for years, just trusted the brine and my nose. Then one batch came out fizzy and sour, and my wife said it tasted like someone dumped lemon juice in it. Now I'm checking pH on everything, it's honestly way less hassle than I figured it'd be.
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blake_kelly193d ago
That fizzy sour thing is the worst feeling. You put all that work in and then it's ruined. Good on you for catching it before anyone got sick though. My first batch did the same thing and I nearly gave up on ferments entirely. The pH meter feels like overkill but honestly it takes thirty seconds now. Way better than the gut punch of opening a jar and knowing something's off from the smell alone.
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