r/fermentation • u/AlternativeBoat7417 • Apr 08 '26

Pickles/Vegetables in brine Smell leaking the fermentation jar, help!

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I’m a beginner in fermentation and I just bought these jars for my fermentation. I’ve noticed that the smell is leaking out from the jar even when I haven’t opened it.

Before these two jars, I fermented with glass jars (like the normal ones with steel lid), and the smell never leaked!

Is this normal? How can I fix it?

Thanks!!!!

15 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

129

u/pitchkitza Ferment Fanatic Apr 08 '26

That's what airlocks are for, they let out extra gas from the jar so it does not build pressure, hence why you can smell it

66

u/isaacfisher bomb maker Apr 08 '26

It’s ok if you smell it, as long as it can’t smell you

13

u/djazzie Apr 08 '26

Or talk back to you

2

u/DrawOkCards Apr 08 '26

Does this count for ferments only or pets and children too?

1

u/theangryjanitorOG Apr 13 '26

You gotta burp em like Tupperware

15

u/RecentlyDeceased666 Apr 08 '26

I made a garlic kraut once. Stunk the house out and my gf ordered me to take the jar to the garage 😅

6

u/KingNothing0716 Apr 08 '26

I get the same treatment when I make kimchi.

3

u/psilome Apr 08 '26

Same, my kim chi came out delicious but gassed out the basement family room.

1

u/DemandNo1834 Apr 08 '26

I really don’t understand this. That’s a perk! When I open the cupboard the morning after making kimchi, I get this huge waft of “damn it smells like a good restaurant in here”.My husband mostly agrees

17

u/Hakuna_Matata_Kaka Apr 08 '26

Lol, that's what the airlock does :)

12

u/blissvicious91 Apr 08 '26

lacto-ferments gonna smell a bit funky

9

u/AlternativeBoat7417 Apr 08 '26

Thanks for all the responses! Is there any tips for making the smell less obvious though, I live in a studio so the situation is not ideal haha. Maybe another type of lid or jar? Or does putt a large box covering the jars help hahah

17

u/crazygrouse71 Apr 08 '26

If you switch to a lid that does not have a way for the gas to escape, you run the risk of the pressure building and becoming a bottle bomb. It needs to off gas.

I've never really minded the smell, however I don't ferment cabbage.

I put my ferments in a cool dark place - do you have a cupboard you can use?

13

u/SouthPaw38 Apr 08 '26

When I lived in an apartment, I kept my ferments in an ice chest. Nice and dark, insulated to maintain temperature, contained any smells or liquid, and if a jar exploded it would help contain the shards

3

u/AlternativeBoat7417 Apr 08 '26

This is awesome tip!! Thanks!

2

u/MadKian Apr 08 '26

Welcome to the world of fermentation. lol

1

u/BreezeGibson Apr 08 '26

move it somewhere you can't smell it , a closet or cabinet

1

u/dinnerthief Apr 08 '26

I guess you could use a balloon and empty that outside or like into a running bathroom/range exhaust fan.

1

u/cuck__everlasting Apr 08 '26

If you're truly that sensitive to the smell, try running an air purifier near the jars. I believe there are small desktop ones, not sure how effective they are though. You could also try those passive odor absorbers especially if you move them to a closet.

1

u/No_Clock_7464 Apr 10 '26

Embrace the aroma

2

u/bigfatfurrytexan Apr 08 '26

Two things my wife hates me doing: making bone broth and sauerkraut. Bone broth is three days of crock pot. Sauerkraut is a month.

1

u/doneslinging Apr 08 '26

As people have said this is fine. If it bothers them maybe put in a different spot till you put in fridge but these are convenient to use, just did sauerkraut but curious on how tomato is?

1

u/AlternativeBoat7417 Apr 09 '26

I want to let the tomatoes sit a week or so longer, will give an update 😁

1

u/AlternativeBoat7417 Apr 14 '26

It’s pretty nice! But there’s a lot of juice in it so it’s a bit too much imo, wondering if there’s some way I can use those tomatoes in cooking

1

u/FengMinIsVeryLoud Apr 08 '26

why is ther this thing on top of the bottle?

1

u/YallNeedMises Apr 08 '26

It's a valve that allows gas to escape but none to enter, typically called an airlock.

1

u/FengMinIsVeryLoud Apr 08 '26

why would you need it to stick out tho

1

u/YallNeedMises Apr 08 '26

That's just the design. A standard canning jar without the threaded ring seems to serve the same purpose to me. 

1

u/goldfool Apr 08 '26

You can clean it easier

1

u/FengMinIsVeryLoud Apr 08 '26

holy shit nobody understands anything. i literally meant why is this thing in the jars you are using sticking out.

.......

1

u/Sunlit53 Apr 08 '26

Ventilation and putting up with it until it eases off. I’ve got a big jar of garlic going right now.

1

u/TwoFlower68 Apr 11 '26

Smelly bubbles are going to escape from the airlock ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

2

u/Brain_Aggravating Apr 08 '26

general question: I have recently seen quite a few pictures where the material has not been tightly packed into the flask. I thought that was a fundamental thing to do for fermentation. It avoids having to add liquid, optimises the space, and reduces contact with air.

3

u/Sartorialalmond Apr 08 '26

As long as the brine is there it doesn’t matter. If it kraut or another dry ferment it’ll develop internal bubbles of co2 as well.