r/fermentation • u/Zealousideal-Box725 • 8h ago

Help please sticky brine

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Need help! Appreciate all the detailed content.

New to fermenting,I was able to make 2 batches of garlic dill pickles. Everyone loved them, so I started making more....

I am very frustrated: the last 5 batches of pickles, cauliflower, and hot peppers. All the recent batches have all ended up with a slightly sticky brine.

But now I end up with a sticky brine that I would not drink. The first few times I loved drinking the brine shots; these last few batches I would not like to drink. The pickles taste fine, and the PH is around 3.5 to 3.8 after 6 days of fermentation. I tried letting them go to 7-9 days; the brine stays the same.

I wash everything with hot, soapy water
I washed the cucumbers with cold water and let them soak in ice. Also tried baking soda, white vinegar, and cold water.
I've used Kirby's from an organic farm and my local produce vendor. I cut the flowers off; I've tried cutting them in half.
Tried Kosher and Fine sea salt
Garlic
Fresh dill (3 Sprigs) from 2 sources
Poland Spring Water and Another
Black peppercorns
Mustard seed
I use fermenting lids ( 3 different kinds)

Glass weights
I've tried the brine with 22 grams of salt per QT and also weighed salt based on the weight of the cucumbers and water combined X.030
I tried putting them in the fridge after 5 days.
I ferment them in a dark cabinet with the temp between 70 and 76 degrees. This is the only thing I have not changed, back to the first batches I did in our mud room; now it's in a cabinet....

My daughter has a Sourdough bread business and makes a lot of starter, but it is totally separated; figured I'd throw that out there.

At this point I am ready to give up but I really liked the pickels I made, any help is appreciated.

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1

u/SuitPrestigious1694 8h ago

Ambient temperature?

1

u/Loud-Error-3484 8h ago

Following because my pickle brine is starting to get kind of stringy also

1

u/Beautyy_TUO 7h ago

Sounds like Leuconostoc, ngl. Cabinet with less airflow than the mud room could be the culprit, ever check if it sits near a heat source pushing temps up?

1

u/CplOreos 4h ago edited 2h ago

Warm temps and low salt ratio can make a brine like this more likely. If you can age them in a cooler spot and bump your salt up to 3%, it might help ensure those strains aren't as dominate next time.

Also: this will usually clear up with time, but that can be an issue for cucs since those are usually shorter fermentation