My sauerkraut brine level dropped and I spent a whole weekend fixing it

I started a big batch of sauerkraut in a 2-gallon crock last Friday. By Sunday, the brine had dropped below the cabbage, and I saw a tiny bit of mold starting. I spent the next two days, maybe 5 hours total, trying to make more brine, weighing it down with new weights, and checking it every few hours. I finally got it stable by using a zip-top bag filled with extra salt water as a weight. Has anyone else had this much trouble keeping everything submerged? What's your go-to method?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella_lee1mo ago

Yeah that bag trick is solid, I do the same thing but with a ziplock full of brine so if it pops I'm not diluting anything. And hey @price.nora, the plate thing always lets stuff sneak around the edges on me too, drives me nuts. If you've got a narrow crock, try a small mason jar filled with brine as a weight, just screw the lid on tight first so it doesn't get funky. That's what I use after my last batch tried to grow a fuzz hat on day three.

price.nora2mo ago

Ugh, that brine drop panic is the worst. I feel your pain, spending a whole weekend babysitting a crock. Like @grantb92 said, a plate can work, but my cabbages always seem to float around the edges. My go-to is the bag trick too, but I use plain water in the bag, not extra brine. That way, if it leaks, it doesn't mess up the salt balance. It's the only thing that keeps everything truly drowned.

grantb922mo ago

My grandma always used a clean, heavy dinner plate that fit snugly inside the crock. I've found a glass pie plate works even better because you can see the brine level.