Sauerkraut

[Dan_Shade]

I started a batch tonight in a 2 qt jar.

I bought a "pickle pipe" off of Amazon and a glass Fermentation weight.

I'll see how it goes, last batch was 15 gallons with my mom.

[Dan_Shade]

[21incher]

I use a 2 gallon glass crock I found in walmart. There is nothing like home made sauerkraut. digin_2 digin_2

[WV Sawmiller]

Dan,

   You have my deepest sympathies. Sure looks like a lot of wasted cole slaw. To each his own. Enjoy.

[sawguy21]

 :D I was given a jar of home made kraut, it was so strong I threw it out. Didn't know I was supposed to rinse it. I like it occasionally but not on a regular basis, 15 gallons would outlive me.

[coxy]

I never heard you have to wash it I eat mine out of the jar I would think it takes the flavor away washing it  :-\

[Bandmill Bandit]

10 gallons last a year in our family. If you have to rinse it you just ain't German enough.

Some years it can be quite a bit stronger and I am not sure what makes the difference.

Our recipe is pretty simple. 2 x 7 gallon crocks that are likely older than I am and maybe older than Dad. He says his Grama brought the crocks and the kraut cutter with her from the Black Hills when they homesteaded up here in 1906. The oak cover boards came then too. The stone weights are Canadian though. The "stumper" is oak and came along from the Black Hills as well and was made by Gramas Grand dad.

Cut the cabbage and put in about 4 inches and "stump" it hard and good. Add a hand full of coarse pickling salt and stump it hard and good some more, more cabbage more stumping more salt more stumping more cabbage more stumping more salt more stumping etc till the cabbage juice starts to splash out.

Scoop off juice into a container and keep filling till the cabbage is about 2 inches from top of crock.

Place oak board (critical for flavor) on top of cabbage and at least a 50 lb ish rock or other weight. Re fill the crock with juice to cover the oak board and leave it sit for the next few weeks till its ready for jars, which will vary depending on the year.

Best in the old Gem jars with the glass lids.

Put in in the root cellar and use as you like. It will continue to sour but not a lot in jars with glass lids

         

[drobertson]

The single jar is a neat concept, we recently got a 10 gal crock and will give a go when the cabbage is ready this season, just finished off  my last quart from my neighbors today at lunch, (you can only ration so long)

[Bandmill Bandit]

FYI
Would be best to not use the early varieties of cabbage for Kraut as it tend to turn mushy. We try use the later maturing but some times yield requires mixing the 2. The best kraut come from the solidest, heaviest heads. Do NOT use split ones.

I am getting the actual recipe translation from Dad if any one would like it.

The "pack board" is best cut from White Oak at least 1.5 inch thick. Red oak is good too but makes a little sharper taste. The weight should be near or over 50Lbs. heavier is better. A cheese cloth or the like secured to the crock to keep out pests is required.

Once the ferment has started check the crock every day and scoop off a bit of brine as required to keep it from running all over the floor but make SURE the board is just covered with brine, OR set the crock in a pan of some type to catch the over flow. The brine does attract insects.

Jars must be packed VERY VERY well with either method.

The single jar system does work AND a half of a white oak clothes pin in the jar does give it the old barrel taste but it is generally not near as good that way
 

[sawguy21]

'If you have to rinse it you just ain't German enough.'  :D Everything in moderation. I am of German descent but my adoptive parents hailed from England and Ireland, they wouldn't touch the stuff. It was much later in life I learned to like it.

[Bandmill Bandit]

'If you have to rinse it you just ain't German enough.'  :D Everything in moderation. I am of German descent but my adoptive parents hailed from England and Ireland, they wouldn't touch the stuff. It was much later in life I learned to like it.

Yea saw guy it is an acquired taste I've been told BUT I am sure my momas milk probably tasted like it AND I was probably eating before I was a year old so I "aquired" the taste before I even knew what it was. Same goes for the Dills we make. Cant get a better pickle any where that I have been so far. Have to screw your socks off after 1 of em.   

[Howdy]

I have been making fermentation pots for friends for a while and someday one of them will bring a batch over I hope.  Getting the size right with a lid sitting in a water channel so it can pass gas is fun.  The weights for holding stuff down are made as a disk then cut in half so each side can pass through the top and then put together in the pot.  Fun times for a potter.

[drobertson]

Thanks for the heads up BB! Will follow your advice,

[sawguy21]

'If you have to rinse it you just ain't German enough.'  :D Everything in moderation. I am of German descent but my adoptive parents hailed from England and Ireland, they wouldn't touch the stuff. It was much later in life I learned to like it.

Yea saw guy it is an acquired taste I've been told BUT I am sure my momas milk probably tasted like it AND I was probably eating before I was a year old so I "aquired" the taste before I even knew what it was. Same goes for the Dills we make. Cant get a better pickle any where that I have been so far. Have to screw your socks off after 1 of em.

I will definitely do a quality control assessment of your pickles. ;D