What R you doing today?

[reefman]

Cleaning out the basement today. Need to sell some junk on Ebay to make room for more wine.
I have three batches going now, just pitched the yeast on my Candy Cane, plus two other batches in secondary. Cranberry lime Skeeter Pee and an ice style reisling kit (WE).
Need room to start my WE Sangria Zinfindel Blush kit.

 

[RegionRat]

Home Made Sauerkraut

Is there a forum for making kraut? Or a recipe somewhere. I'd like to try it myself.

No problem.

I have a special fermentation crock but you don't need one. You can just weigh the sauerkraut down with a bottle filled with water and a plate. I also used a food processor to shred the cabbage but you could just use a knife.


Sauerkraut:

3Tbs salt per 5# cabbage.

7 small heads of cabbage Removed outer leaves and reserved 4 to use later.

Quartered heads and removed cores.

Cut them into 1/8 heads.

Cuisinart 12-Cup Food Processor. With 3mm shredder head.

Ended up with 15lbs shredded cabbage



Added 9Tbls canning salt.

Worked cabbage and salt in by crushing in hands for hour or so to break down the cell walls to get juice flowing.

Once it started getting wet I switched to a plastic cup to crush it more. Notice the drop in volume.



Transfer to Fermentation crock



Place reserved outer leaves on top of cabbage and put stone weights on top

Put on lid and fill water channel with water

Leave on counter over night

Juice should rise to 1 ½ to 2 inch above stones.

If more brine is needed use: 1 cup of water and 1tbls salt

Leave in a warm place for a few days until fermentation starts.

Transfer to cool spot for 4 to 6 weeks.

Enjoy

RR

 

[reefman]

wow, that's fairly simple, just cabgage and salt?

I'll look for a crock and give it a try.

 

[RegionRat]

wow, that's fairly simple, just cabgage and salt?

I'll look for a crock and give it a try.

You dont have to use a crock, they are nice though. Any nonreactive container would work. I am sure you could walk around the kitchen section of Walmart and find something to use. You could even use a 1 gal food grade bucket.

RR

 

[rezod11]

Here is a good place to start.

http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sauerkraut-2/

You don't have to make such a large recipe, but it is quite simple. Just make sure to keep it submerged. Keep one or two leaves of cabbage whole to cover all of the shredded cabbage under your weight.

 

[Julie]

Here is a good place to start.

http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sauerkraut-2/

You don't have to make such a large recipe, but it is quite simple. Just make sure to keep it submerged. Keep one or two leaves of cabbage whole to cover all of the shredded cabbage under your weight.

This is how I do it, I lay whole leaves then add a plate and then add the weight and to add to this, you can either can it or freeze it.

 

[pjd]

I started 25# of Sauerkraut tonight. I know it is not wine but it is still ferment.....

RR

Does anyone know how to do pickles? Fermented the old fashioned way? I believe they are called sours in the fancy delis.

 

[RegionRat]

Does anyone know how to do pickles? Fermented the old fashioned way? I believe they are called sours in the fancy delis.

http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sour-pickles-2/

I have this guy's book Wild Fermentation
The above 2 recipes are from that book. It is a good read. I ferment all kinds of things.

RR

 

[rob]

Pickles you say? Make them with the krout, buy small 3inch cucumbers and layer the krout every 2inches and then put 10 to 12 cucumbers, they are the best!

 

[Pumpkinman]

RR, is this the guy who owns Katz deli in NYC?

 

[RegionRat]

Pickles you say? Make them with the krout, buy small 3inch cucumbers and layer the krout every 2inches and then put 10 to 12 cucumbers, they are the best!

I have never done that. It sounds like something that would be soooo good.

I do use a little juice from what ever I have going at the time as kind of a "starter" to get a batch going.

RR

 

[reefman]

Pickles you say? Make them with the krout, buy small 3inch cucumbers and layer the krout every 2inches and then put 10 to 12 cucumbers, they are the best!

Sliced or whole?

 

[RegionRat]

RR, is this the guy who owns Katz deli in NYC?

He does mention growing up in NYC but makes no mention in his book of the Deli you speak of. He says in his book he is now living in the "Hills of Tennessee."

His book Wild Fermentation is a very good read.

RR

 

[RegionRat]

Sliced or whole?

I would leave them whole. I might mention also to cut 1/2 - 1/4 inch off the blossom end.

RR

 

[ffemt128]

Stirred and checked the sq of the latest batch of pee. SG was at 1.040 so I added the additional nutrient and energizer along with the last bottle of lemon. Should be ready to go into carboy in about a week.

 

[Hokapsig]

Racked the Red Zin and Cran Lime Skeeter Pee into carboys last night. Also racked the Concord, which now has no turpentiney smell after sulfiting. The apple wine continues to ferment, and I hope it will eventually clear (I had added bentonite pre-fermentation). I need to do a bit of back sweetening and acid adjusting so I can start bottling.

 

[Boatboy24]

Praying that this little winter storm tweaks it's path a tad northward. We are expecting just a couple inches right now. But a very slight shift would move us into the "3-6 inches of accumulation" area.

 

[Hokapsig]

Boat, make sure it's clear NEXT Sunday in your area (specifically Silver Spring) so I get into work and back out the same day.

 

[ttimmer]

Going to spend money at the supply store (new carboy, mix and stir, etc) then home to rack my Tropical Daze variant into the secondary, and backsweeten my Dragons Blood. Gonna be a busy wine night at my house. Not sure if I will bottle the DB tonight, or wait until tomorrow. Wine rack was finished this morning and I am itching to put something on it!

 

[Boatboy24]

Boat, make sure it's clear NEXT Sunday in your area (specifically Silver Spring) so I get into work and back out the same day.

Should only be a dusting up there. The worst is supposed to be on the South side of town this time.