There’s a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions that covers fermentation adequately for the novice. It’s yellow, large, and thick, edited by Sally Fallon.
6 Likes
Pretty much. Shred the cabbage salt it, massage the hell out of it for 10 minutes or so, add in caraway seeds for proper kraut, or add in garlic, or hot pepper, or whatever you feel like adding in.
Make sure the cabbage stays under the brine or you get growths. I found an easy pebble is saving one of the outer leaves and cutting it to size and using that.
2 Likes
What people use books? Isn’t this the future already? I totes forgot to look there.
3 Likes
On the scale of “happy ending” to “Korean Sports”, how much massage should I be giving this? 
7 Likes
I was getting hand cramps but wow there was a lot of juice… So Korean Sports.
5 Likes
Don’t you two ever talk to each other?
6 Likes
Right. Bring the pain. Got it. That’s good, coz I got a lot of stress that needs working out.
Plastic tub for fermenting OK, doesn’t need to be glass?
2 Likes
Yes yes we do… at the same time we type to each other… 
4 Likes
Glass or ceramic vessels seem to be preferred.
4 Likes
I’m a fan of the Sandor Katz books.
3 Likes
I find your discussions with @JemmieDuffs one of the most intriguing things about BBS. Afterall, I’m not here for the fermenting.
6 Likes
Why’s that? I mean, like, why not food-grade plastic? Just wondering if there’s a reason behind it or if it’s just the traditional way of doing it.
Veggie stuff is alien to me. Booze, not so much. Booze will ferment in just about anything and food-grade plastic buckets are both cheap and unlikely to bust into a brazillion tiny bits when you drop them.
1 Like
This undoubtedly happened during the Alone Time.
11 Likes
Oh, I love this thread!
7 Likes
Well I guess I could have used better phrasing there…
3 Likes
Get a room, you guys! 
9 Likes
You can find some equipment info here.
To quote the site:
Although technically plastic can be used for fermentation, we do not recommend it for several reasons.
First, plastic can be damaged, and scratches in the plastic can harbor foreign bacteria. Second, plastic (even food-grade plastic) often contains undesirable chemicals that can affect the vegetables.
3 Likes
Awesome Was having difficulty wading through the some of the more surprising claims to get to useful info.
Not so worried about my wellness or whateverthehell, just fancy some tasty homebrew kraut. 
Fair call. Same for beer then, coolcool. I got some iodophor somewhere and my aseptic technique kicks ass on a good day. 
So,just to recap.
Slicey cabbage real thin saving a couple of bigass leaves, add some salt & spices, beat the living crap outta it, chuck in properly clean bucket*, bigass leaves on top with a weight to keep it all in, lid and airlock, wait until done, then eat.
Just to be a PITA and bug y’all some more before I put my grocery order in.
Temperature isn’t an issue? Don’t have to be a specific range or nothing like that?
Had a look round that website. Useful, but the prices! 
Second word is “off” and I’ll give 'em a choice of first ones. $30 for a stick will buy me a few cases of quality kraut, even at Aussie prices!
*Got a nice little 2l tub that’ll do the job perfect for a first batch.
1 Like
I suppose that the toe jam gets things going well…
5 Likes
Should be between 70-75F. Any higher and you REALLY need to keep a close watch on it.
1 Like
