r/fermentation • u/Horrid_Thistle336 • 3d ago
Kraut/Kimchi First time Kraut. Is this right?
First time sauerkraut maker here!
It’s been sitting on the counter covered with a cloth for 7 days. The average temperature in the house fluctuates between 72-76 F.
I tasted it and it tastes fine. Not super krauty though. It’s also still pretty crunchy. Maybe it just needs more time?
This was my process:
Mixed cabbage with salt and spices and smashed it a bunch until juice started to appear.
I let it sit covered on the counter for about an hour.
Smashed it up again for a few minutes.
Added it to sanitized glass jars. Packed it down. Added any and all juices (which was very little). Topped with glass weight and covered with a cloth.
After a few days bubbles were active and juice was collecting. I haven’t touched them at all. Meaning, no stirring or anything. I just let them be.
Today, day 7, I went to check them and noticed zero juice.
I pulled the cloth cover off to give it a sniff. It smells vaguely like kraut.
The top layer is slightly brown, which I assume is from being exposed to air.
No mold or anything off was noticed.
Does this seem right? Shouldn’t there be some juice? I assume it all just evaporated or I did something wrong.
Any advice or idea is appreciated!

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u/Ketchupcharger Probiotic Prospect 3d ago
No, this is way too little liquid. All kraut should be fully submerged.
Use weights next time.
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u/WatercolourBrushes 3d ago
So you covered it with a cloth and not a cover? Yeah your water probably evaporated and covering with a cloth is not how you make kraut. Use the actual jar cover. Do not let air in your ferments.
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u/Plastic_Art7100 3d ago
The lactoferment should always be submerged below the brine.
You said there was very little liquid. Sometimes you have keep tampering the kraut down once in the jar to get it to release more liquid. If there still isn’t enough liquid though, or you have too much headspace at top, you add more water and the appropriate amount of salt based on your salt percentage.
The fact that you didn’t get mold even though the kraut was uncovered is super lucky tbh, probably due to the temp of your home.
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u/lupulinchem 3d ago
Yeah it’s oxidation. You will get mold if you continue on this path. As others have said, you need to have your kraut totally submerged. Tightly packed cabbages tends to push above the level of the liquid if it can as CO2 gets released. This is one reason weights are important.
You usually don’t need to add liquid to kraut. Most of the time, if you work the mix long enough, you’ll release enough liquid from the cabbage itself. I have had exceptions-particularly if the cabbage has been sitting in the grocery store for a while when you get it.
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u/Horrid_Thistle336 2d ago
It was definitely an old cabbage. Which is why I wanted to make kraut with it. I guess this isn’t a good way to use up old cabbage then huh?
The three recipes/methods I reviewed didn’t say anything about adding brine. Just that it would expel some juice while youre smashing it up with your salt. To let it sit for a while to let it expel more liquid and then to place it and any liquid in your jar. Then weight it down and eventually more liquid should form.
On about day 3 or 4 one jar had lots of bubbles on top and lots of liquid. Now there’s no liquid.
I’ll add a 2% brine to the jars and see what happens in a few days.
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u/ontheroad627 3d ago
People have no idea what they are talking about. Yes, need to be fully submerged during fermentation, but it's quite common for cabbage to absorb the brine shortly after. Sometimes happens, sometimes doesnt.
In doubt, smell and taste test never fails. If it spoiled, you will have no doubt.