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I went with a 2 gallon crock over a 5 gallon bucket for my first big sauerkraut batch
Everyone on here seems to push for the bigger vessel to make more at once. I had the choice last fall and picked the smaller crock. It took me three full weekends to process 15 heads of cabbage, but I did it in stages. The smaller batches let me catch a bad ferment early on the second round, where a huge single batch would have ruined everything. I lost maybe 4 pounds total, not the whole project. Has anyone else found that starting smaller, even for a big harvest, actually saved them more in the long run?
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ericschmidt1mo ago
Read somewhere that a lot of old school fermenters actually swear by doing smaller batches in rotation. They say it gives you more control over the salt ratio and the temperature changes, especially if your house isn't perfectly steady. I tried a 5 gallon once and had to toss the whole thing because one bad spot spread fast. Now I do 2 and 3 gallon crocks and just stagger the start times by a few days. The smaller ones also fit easier in my basement fridge for long term storage. You lose way less sleep over a 2 gallon batch than a 5 gallon gamble.
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knight.drew2mo ago
Smart move dodging that five gallon disaster.
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ericp672mo ago
Oh man, that's so true. I mean, people always talk about the mess or the weight, but what about the water just going stale? Unless you're running a whole office, drinking from a giant container for weeks means the last half always tastes a little off. It's a commitment you just don't need.
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