uma409•6mo ago

I was wrong about my kraut needing a month to taste right

I started a batch of red cabbage kraut three weeks ago and tasted it early because I saw bubbles. After one week it was just salty cabbage, but at two weeks it had a nice sour bite and good crunch. The big change happened because my kitchen got warmer, around 75 degrees, for a few days. That extra heat really sped up the fermentation. Now I'm pulling it at 21 days instead of my usual 30. Has anyone else found their ferment time changes a lot with room temperature?

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3 Comments

derekl796mo ago

Read somewhere that temperature is the biggest variable for fermentation speed. Your experience totally lines up with that, warmer means faster. Makes sense why recipes always give such a wide time range.

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loganthompson6mo ago

Ever have a batch just stall on you because the room got too cold? I've learned to watch the thermometer more than the calendar. It's frustrating when a recipe says "7-10 days" but your place is cool, so it takes two full weeks. That wide time range is the only thing that saves us from flat beer or bottle bombs.

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sam175mo ago

Maybe it's just me but I've had the opposite happen a few times. Warmer can mean faster, sure, but it also pushes the yeast hard and can give you some weird off flavors. I'd rather have a slower, steady ferment at a cooler temp than a rushed one that tastes funny. That wide time range is more about yeast health than just speed, idk.

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