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Honestly, my first attempt at a 3% brine for sauerkraut turned into fizzy, weirdly sweet mush after 5 days in a 70-degree kitchen.
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sean_green441mo ago
Yeah that fizzy sweet stage is a bummer. Had the same thing happen with my first batch, it just went way too fast. Next time I tried a cooler spot, like the basement floor, and let it go for a full three weeks. The slower ferment gave it that classic tangy bite instead of turning to mush. A heavier weight to keep everything under the brine helped a ton too.
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pat_moore1mo ago
My last batch fizzed up sweet in the basement after four weeks. I've found the tang comes more from the cabbage type than just the ferment time. A fast, warm ferment with the right green stuff works better for me.
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christopherw341mo ago
Totally get what you're saying about the cabbage type being key. It's like a lot of things, the base ingredient sets the whole tone. You can't rush a good foundation, whether it's a ferment or anything else that needs time to develop its own character. That fizzy sweet spot feels like a shortcut that just doesn't pay off. What kind of cabbage are you using for your faster ferment?
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