My sauerkraut finally bubbled after 5 days of nothing

I was about to toss my first batch of sauerkraut last week because nothing was happening. Kept checking the jar and just saw limp cabbage in brine. Then on day 5 I noticed tiny bubbles along the edge of the glass. Turns out my kitchen is on the cool side, like 62 degrees, so fermentation just takes longer. Anyone else have a batch that took forever to get going?

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4 Comments

james_bell4mo ago

Wait isn't 62 degrees too cold for fermentation?

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harper9144mo ago

Heard a brewer once say that 62 is actually perfect for certain styles like lagers and some ales if you want a cleaner taste. The yeast just chugs along slower at that temp and puts out fewer funky esters. I've seen people online swear by keeping their fermentations in the low 60s for a crisper finish. It's not too cold, it's more like a long, steady cruise for the yeast. You get less of those fruity notes and more of the malt and hops coming through. Give it a shot, you might be surprised at how clean the beer turns out.

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karenb973mo ago

And that longer cruise really lets the malt shine through too.

7

davidkim4mo ago

Honestly that brewer was right, 62 works great for certain beers. I do all my German lagers at that temp and they come out super clean, no sulfur or weird banana notes. Just make sure you give the yeast enough time to finish out, cold temps mean slower activity. Also keep an eye on your diacetyl rest toward the end, you still need to let it warm up a few degrees for that. But yeah, for a crisp pilsner or a kolsch, 62 is a sweet spot.

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