Showerthought: I used to think airlocks were a must for my sauerkraut, but my grandma's old crock proved me wrong.

For years, I followed the common advice and used an airlock on my fermentation jar. Last fall, I switched to my grandma's old stoneware crock with just a plate and a weight on top. After about 10 days, the kraut had a much deeper, more complex flavor compared to my usual batch. It seems the tiny bit of oxygen exposure made a real difference. Has anyone else found that going simpler actually improved their ferment?

3 comments

3 Comments

marymorgan1mo ago

I read a book by Sandor Katz where he talks about this. He said the old open crock method allows for a more diverse microbial community. That tiny bit of air lets some yeasts work that get stifled under a strict airlock. It makes sense you got a more complex flavor.

henry10114d ago

Katz actually says in that book to use a weight to keep everything under the brine, not just a cloth. The air gap above the liquid is the key part for those yeasts.

andrew9161mo ago

Totally, my last batch in a regular jar with just a cloth cover turned out way more interesting than my airlock ones.