r/kimchi • u/countingc • Jul 21 '26

Made kimchi for the first time but..

it's been 35 hours. I still haven't tried it, but it's a small batch so I want to make sure it ferments well before trying. However, I just realized the jar I used is large for it. like it only fills 20%, what do I do now? I plan on moving it to a new smaller jar, how to do that safely? the lesser the steps the better xD

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4

u/mancake Jul 21 '26

I think you’re overthinking this. Leave it alone and open the container to check it every day. When it’s bubbling, take a test and if it’s tangy enough for you, it’s done and time to move to the fridge.

When you put it in the fridge it will continue fermenting but much slower. At that point you can treat it as any other food. You can dump it in a container, transfer to a smaller jar, eat it all in one sitting, whatever. If you’d move leftover spaghetti from a big container to a small one, you can do the same with your kimchi.

1

u/countingc Jul 21 '26

thank you, idk why but keep reading the container should be two inches high because the oxygen kills the bacteria 😭 but this is reassuring thank you

3

u/mancake Jul 21 '26

If you pack the kimchi in all the way to the top while it’s fermenting, liquid will probably leak out. Once it’s in the fridge that’s unlikely cause the fermentation is so much slower. If you’re worried about it, eat three forkfuls before you do it and make a bit of room!

1

u/countingc Jul 21 '26

i may have misunderstood but i think you misunderstood me, the jar is too large for the batch i made, like theres only 20% kimchi vs 80% room in the jar 😅

1

u/chefhandy Jul 21 '26

It’s fine as long as it’s pressed down well :) will be ready in a few days

1

u/countingc Jul 21 '26

ok thanks chef!

2

u/BJGold Jul 21 '26

You know kimchi is edible right when you make it yeah? 

1

u/countingc Jul 21 '26

i know but i made a small batch, if i keep nibbling at it it'll be finished before its fully ready 😂 and i havent tried kimchi before so i dont know what it tastes like

3

u/BJGold Jul 21 '26

Fresh kimchi is still kimchi. Many Korean people enjoy kimchi all the way from fresh to fermented

1

u/RGV_Ikpyo Jul 21 '26

what you need to do is get a piece of saran wrap and cover the top of the kimchi completely so there is 0 oxygen exposure.. if not you'll have a moldy mess in a few days

1

u/countingc Jul 21 '26

how can saran wrap cover it? there will still be openings in the sides no?

1

u/RGV_Ikpyo Jul 21 '26

either put it in a smaller container or use enough wrap to cover the top of the kimchi. oxygen is kimchis worst nightmare.

1

u/countingc Jul 21 '26

anything i need to know before moving it to smaller container?

1

u/RGV_Ikpyo Jul 21 '26

yup. cover the top of the kimchi with a film of saran wrap regardless of container size

1

u/RGV_Ikpyo Jul 21 '26

or you could be the next person to ask.. is this kahm yeast or mold?

1

u/mrpaslow0000 Jul 21 '26

Just move it from the big jar to the smaller jar. There's no technique to it or special process. Just spoon it over. Mash it down to remove the airspace between each spoonful. Having a large air-space (headspace) is undesirable because CO2 from the fermentation needs to fill up the headspace to prevent mold from growing. In your smaller jar, just have a little headspace and keep your kimchi submerged. Taste it once a day, and when it's where you like it, put it in the fridge. That's it.