Sauerkraut

I’ve been thinking about making some sauerkraut.  Have watched a lot of videos online, and wondered I could ferment it in a brewing bucket?  Closed completely with an airlock?  Anyone make sauerkraut?

My folks used to.  They used a Red Wing crock and set a plate, face down, on top with a jar full of water on top to hold everything under the liquid.  I would think a brew bucket would work.

Paul

I’d never use it for brewing again …

I don’t know about that…if you clean it right, it should be no problem. 
I use containers that held kimchee in my brewing (I even store yeast slurries  in them) and have never had any issues with contamination or souring.  And kimchee is, after all, just Korean sauerkraut (just spicier and fishier).

It’s all about how how clean such vessels for brewing use.

I help my parents make kraut every other year.  I would suggest using old ceramic crocks.  Use kitchen (unscented) garbage bags to seal the top of the crock.  You need to place the bottom of the bag on the kraut and fill with water and tie off.  You only need enough water to seal the kraut from the air.  End up being no more than an inch of water in the bag.

That’s an awesome idea, I love it.  Any other tips and tricks?

Huh! I was as worried about the plastic absorbing kraut flavors as contamination. But if you can make kimchee and brew in the same bucket then I stand corrected.

Just an aside.  A friend of the family (now deceased) used to make sauerkraut in a big barrel and would put whole cabbage heads in the bottom (cut out the core I think).  They took a longer to ferment but because he’d leave it in the barrel for a long time, no problem.  Then, he’d use the whole leaves to make cabbage rolls instead of regular cabbage.  Awesome!

Kraut is super easy. Chop (or slice or whatever) the cabbage and salt it, the water will come out. Weigh it down with a plate and a rock (the way my grandmother did/does it - she’s 98 BTW). You want it all submerged for sure and it can get a bit funky at the surface of the liquid. Sandor does a great job with all wild ferments.
http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut

Maybe it was the cabbage I used, but the only time I tried to make it, I didn’t get nearly enough water to come out and cover the cabbage.  Is there some sort of rule-of-thumb to use with respect to how much salt you use?

I seem to recall about a tablespoon per head, but it was a long time ago that I made it…way more kraut than I generally eat, so one and done for me…

I used to make it with my dad we would shred a head into the crock sprinkle about 1/4 cup of salt, then pound down with the end of a clean 4x4. Keep layering cabbage and salt and pound down after each layer. Should have plenty of liquid to cover cabbage when you finish. Turn a plate upside down and weight it down with a clean rock or gallon jug of water. Store in a cool place until done.

I use an old 5 gallon pickle bucket that works great. You could use a 6.5 gallon fermenter as well. I’m not sure if the residual hop aromatics would work their way into your kraut but would likely be gone after a batch.

How did the brewing bucket work to make sauerkraut?  Did it avoid issues with mold and such?

The true ratio of salt to cabbage is 3 Tbsp/ 5 lb of cabbage.  Make sure you use non-iodized salt, as that will inhibit the fermentation.  The optimum fermentation temp is 68-72 degrees, and it’s recommended that you let it ferment for at least 10-12 weeks prior to eating.  I couldn’t find the source of that info again, but here is an interesting chart that shows how the different bacterial strains operate in a kraut ferment:

Here is the source page for the above graphic.

Love it. We have a sauerkraut ron Pattinson.  This forum rocks

I don’t see why a fermenting bucket with airlock wouldn’t work. I’ve made sauerkraut several times. I’m fortunate that a college friend from Switzerland gave me a 20 liter crock to make it in. I use 20lbs cabbage blended with 2 1/2 ounces salt, 2 tsp caraway seed, and 2 tsp crushed juniper berries. When packed in the crock, it makes enough juice to cover the cabbage by 1 1/2 inches or so. Add 8 oz. cultured buttermilk on the top then cover with a large cabbage leaf or two. My crock has two half circle weight stones to hold everything down (I do heat these in the oven to sanitize before use). The lid sits in a groove that is filled with water, thereby forming the airlock.

We just packaged 5 lbs. of sauerkraut yesterday, and sliced up the last two garden cabbages to make another 5 lbs.  The first batch we let go for three weeks at around 70°F, and it seems plenty sour enough.

After last year’s attempt in a bucket got all moldy and I threw it away, we decided to buy the right tool for the job:

http://www.canningsupply.com/product/fermentation-crock-3-gallon/act_frgt?p=GSHOPCS&x=GSHOPCS&gclid=CjwKEAjw5ZKiBRDhqa-Yjcml9kYSJABia-Rn13er1679jjyuYbhkxLXI_mnWCWKGueaYH_gqyo41dhoCsk3w_wcB

I made some slovakian goulash with it, and it was a hit at hunting camp this year.

If you do go the fermenting bucket route, here is some good advice I recently learned.  For a weight, use a few gallon ziploc bags filled with water.  The bags will conform better with the bucket, creating a better anaerobic seal.

I would be cool with fermenting in a bucket, with a big plate as a follower to keep the cabbage under the liquid.  My wife is not down with plastic in ferments though, so we’ve used the 1-gallon glass jars.  I think one of the new big mouth bubblers would be perfect for a large batch, and the Ziplock bag full o’ water method would work fine in that case.

In my experience, there is a considerable volume gain when the ferment really gets going, so plan on leaving some head space in whatever container you use.  I’m thinking about fermenting a small batch in my classroom this year, up on my desk so students can watch the activity.  Then I’ll gross them all out when I take a bite.    :o

The other day I told a girl that she was eating billions of living bacteria as she ate her yogurt.  She was so grossed out she threw it away!  Kids these days, sheesh…

Just saw this thread and thought I would chime in.

I’ve done sauerkraut plenty of times before and use a food grade 2-gallon bucket with lid and airlock/bubbler. I live in PA and purchased my bucket from Keystone:

http://www.keystonehomebrew.com/shop/2-gallon-bucket-with-drilled-lid.html

It’s cheap and works great.  Keeps the bugs & flies away in the warmer months too.

Cheers.