Hey, referencing that "thought it was silly" bit, but I gotta disagree. My last batch had a funky smell too, but it was gone after like two days. I use good lids on my containers and the fridge stays fine. That strong odor can actually be a sign the process is going well, like with kimchi or pickles. My family never complains about it. So it's really not a huge deal most of the time, lmao.