[liquidbrewing]

I've been thinking about making some sauerkraut.  Have watched a lot of videos online, and wondered I could ferment it in a brewing bucket?  Closed completely with an airlock?  Anyone make sauerkraut?

[Slowbrew]

My folks used to.  They used a Red Wing crock and set a plate, face down, on top with a jar full of water on top to hold everything under the liquid.  I would think a brew bucket would work.

Paul

[Jimmy K]

I'd never use it for brewing again ...

[The Professor]

I'd never use it for brewing again ...

I don't know about that...if you clean it right, it should be no problem. 
I use containers that held kimchee in my brewing (I even store yeast slurries  in them) and have never had any issues with contamination or souring.   And kimchee is, after all, just Korean sauerkraut (just spicier and fishier).

It's all about how how clean such vessels for brewing use.

[kruz805]

I help my parents make kraut every other year.  I would suggest using old ceramic crocks.  Use kitchen (unscented) garbage bags to seal the top of the crock.  You need to place the bottom of the bag on the kraut and fill with water and tie off.  You only need enough water to seal the kraut from the air.  End up being no more than an inch of water in the bag.

[tschmidlin]

That's an awesome idea, I love it.  Any other tips and tricks?

[Jimmy K]

I'd never use it for brewing again ...

I don't know about that...if you clean it right, it should be no problem. 
I use containers that held kimchee in my brewing (I even store yeast slurries  in them) and have never had any issues with contamination or souring.   And kimchee is, after all, just Korean sauerkraut (just spicier and fishier).

It's all about how how clean such vessels for brewing use.

Huh! I was as worried about the plastic absorbing kraut flavors as contamination. But if you can make kimchee and brew in the same bucket then I stand corrected.

[gmac]

Just an aside.  A friend of the family (now deceased) used to make sauerkraut in a big barrel and would put whole cabbage heads in the bottom (cut out the core I think).  They took a longer to ferment but because he'd leave it in the barrel for a long time, no problem.  Then, he'd use the whole leaves to make cabbage rolls instead of regular cabbage.  Awesome!

[MDixon]

Kraut is super easy. Chop (or slice or whatever) the cabbage and salt it, the water will come out. Weigh it down with a plate and a rock (the way my grandmother did/does it - she's 98 BTW). You want it all submerged for sure and it can get a bit funky at the surface of the liquid. Sandor does a great job with all wild ferments.
http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut

[hubie]

Maybe it was the cabbage I used, but the only time I tried to make it, I didn't get nearly enough water to come out and cover the cabbage.  Is there some sort of rule-of-thumb to use with respect to how much salt you use?

[MDixon]

I seem to recall about a tablespoon per head, but it was a long time ago that I made it...way more kraut than I generally eat, so one and done for me...

[tallcall]

I used to make it with my dad we would shred a head into the crock sprinkle about 1/4 cup of salt, then pound down with the end of a clean 4x4. Keep layering cabbage and salt and pound down after each layer. Should have plenty of liquid to cover cabbage when you finish. Turn a plate upside down and weight it down with a clean rock or gallon jug of water. Store in a cool place until done.

[bluesman]

I've been thinking about making some sauerkraut.  Have watched a lot of videos online, and wondered I could ferment it in a brewing bucket?  Closed completely with an airlock?  Anyone make sauerkraut?

I use an old 5 gallon pickle bucket that works great. You could use a 6.5 gallon fermenter as well. I'm not sure if the residual hop aromatics would work their way into your kraut but would likely be gone after a batch.

[kramerog]

How did the brewing bucket work to make sauerkraut?  Did it avoid issues with mold and such? 

[el_capitan]

The true ratio of salt to cabbage is 3 Tbsp/ 5 lb of cabbage.  Make sure you use non-iodized salt, as that will inhibit the fermentation.  The optimum fermentation temp is 68-72 degrees, and it's recommended that you let it ferment for at least 10-12 weeks prior to eating.  I couldn't find the source of that info again, but here is an interesting chart that shows how the different bacterial strains operate in a kraut ferment:



Here is the source page for the above graphic.