Ceramic Fermenting Crock Pot with Stones: 5Litre

White Fermenting Crock Pot: 5 Litre

“Sauerkraut is a wonderful healing remedy for the digestive tract, full of digestive enzymes, probiotic bacteria, vitamins and minerals”. Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride

Dimensions: 24 x 24 x 33cm / 5L

Inclusions: Two Weighting stones and a lid

Storage: After fermentation is complete Sauerkraut should be stored in glass containers in the fridge and the crock should be cleaned and sterilised.

Crock composition: Ceramic lead free glaze

Tips and Handling

The primary requirement in preparation for fermentation is to ensure that all parts of the pot are clean and sterilised, including the lid. (Avoid detergents and allow to drip dry). The weighted stones come in two pieces for easy handling and are used to provide necessary pressure on the vegetables for fermentation. The stones should be covered by one to two inches of vegetable juice. Where little juice is produced, add cool filtered salt water (15g salt to 1 litre of water). Sealing the pot air tight is vital to successful lactic acid fermentation.  This is achieved by pouring water into the water grove (mote) which enables its gasses to be released whilst preventing contamination from the ambient air.  The water level in the moat should be carefully monitored during the fermentation process and topped up before it is completely evaporated to keep the lid air tight.  It is crucial that oxygen be excluded during the fermentation process so do not be tempted to open the pot during the fermentation stage to avoid spoilage.

Testing for spoilage

The best pH for sauerkraut is 4.1.  You can test with a pH test kit.  Make sure your sauerkraut is not slimy or present with any mould – if it does then you should throw it away and try again.  This is why it is important to monitor the water mote and to ensure that you have not interrupted the process by opening the lid.  The aroma and taste will tell you whether you have been successful with your fermentation.

Our Range: Size and Dimensions

Our Fermenting Crock Pots are available in the following sizes.

3 Litre Capacity

5 Litre Capacity

Lactic-acid Fermentation requirements

Lactic – acid fermentation has 4 basic requirements.

1. a certain concentration of salt or starter culture

2. specific temperature

3. an oxygen free environment and

4. pressure applied to the vegetables.

How Many cabbages will fit in a crock?

Suggestion: The 5L Crock will hold 2 large drum head cabbages

The Process of Lactic – Acid occurs in two different stages

First the salt begins by protecting the vegetables from decay until enough lactic acid has formed to cease the growth of bacteria that cause decay.  The process must not be interrupted and temperature is important.  The ideal temperature in the first stage of making sauerkraut is 20-22 degrees Celsius (68-72 F).  In Australia, the best time to make your sauerkraut is during autumn, winter and spring, however it can be made during the summer months if kept in a cool place.  The warmer the temperature the faster the fermentation process.  Whilst these are the preferred temperatures for making sauerkraut, temperature requirements for other vegetables vary when using different vegetables.

After two days the second fermenting stage commences when the lactic acid bacteria overpopulates and eliminates all other bacteria.  The preferred temperature for sauerkraut at this stage is 15-18 degrees Celsius (59-64 F).  These temperatures are easily gauged if you have access to air-conditioning.  Some people have been known to ferment in their place of work to maintain a constant temperature in the air conditioning during the summer months.  After time the sauerkraut will reach a pH of 4.1, where decay bacteria can no longer form.  This is where the formation of enzymes and vitamins are developed.  The sauerkraut process will cease in 3 weeks but you may continue to ferment for longer in the cooler months up to 6-8 weeks.

Click here for our sauerkraut recipe

Additional notes:

Sauerkraut is a condiment suggested to be eaten as a side dish whenever meat is consumed and especially at the end of the day when the body’s enzyme storage is depleted having already been expended on previous meals earlier in the day.  The evening meal is the most difficult for people who suffer from digestive disorders or associated disease.  Sauerkraut is a natural aid for digestion.

According to Nutritional data, sauerkraut provides a mere 27 calories per cup, 4 grams of fiber, 35 percent of your daily vitamin C needs, 21 percent of your daily vitamin K needs and 12 percent of your daily iron needs.

Commercially canned sauerkraut can be pasturised or processed in some way.  Homemade raw unpasteurised sauerkraut is a power food and once you have tasted homemade sauerkraut, you will never want to buy commercial again, it doesn’t taste or act the same way.

Testimonial Feedback

A pleasant surprise today to find the kraut I put down some 3 weeks ago is perfect. I've had so much trouble with clear glass jars and fungi. Nearly gave it away, but the crock is super!

It will taste better in a month or so but was such a relief to find a perfect batch under the lid. My daughter is hard to feed at times but for reason unclear loves a good kraut. She will love this one!

Thanks very much!  Regards Grahame 

PS: One fault I noticed was it's possible that if the mote is overfilled it can leak into the pot. Not sure how since the inner ring is higher but pretty sure that did happen. No drama. Just will keep water level lower.

Troubleshooting

Home fermentation is often like conducting a science experiment.  We are dealing with live microbes and we want to encourage the good ones to get the upper hand during the fermentation process. A number of conditions need to occur in order to establish a good result.  It needs to have the right temperature, salt ratio, good brine levels covering the stones, weights to hold the cabbage in place and it needs to make sure that all parts and other equipment used are clean or sterilized.

• The right ratio of salt is required to ensure that the conversion of lactic acid gets the upper hand with in the first few days. The general ratio is 15grams of salt to one kg of cabbage.
• Don’t wrap the stones with cabbage leaves  because if the leaves stick out at the top they can encourage other microbial growth on the surface and we need to make sure everything is completely submerged under the juice and stones. This includes the stones which are then best to store on the bench to air out rather than stored inside the pot when not in use. 
  
  
• Make sure that all parts belonging to the crock pot and other equipment used are clean or sterilized. Cleaning the pot thoroughly and sterilizing it is very important, especially for the first time.  I always boil some water and pour it into a clean sink and then roll the pot to ensure each side inside the pot is exposed to the boiling water for 15 seconds.  Do not use soap to clean the pot.  I let my pot dry out on the clean stainless steel bench.  If I am not going to use the pot strait away, I clean it all again in the same manner just before I use it.  If the stones need a thorough clean from time to time, you may clean them with hydrogen peroxide.
• Select good quality fresh organic cabbage. Vegetables that have grown to rapidly for fast produce sales or those that have been over fertilized or sprayed with pesticides can spoil during the fermentation process.  A fresh cabbage will produce more brine.
• Make sure that the water moat is always filled with water to create an anaerobic environment.  Don’t panic if the water suddenly disappears from the mote because the gasses often cause a tight vacuum inside which sucks some water up onto the inside of the lid.  It won’t pour over and into the inside at this point unless you top it up again thinking it needed a top up (when in fact it did not).  If the water disappears quickly, you can assume that the gasses have formed a tight vacuum and all you need to do is gently turn the lid slightly and the water will rush back into the mote where it should be. DO NOT LIFT UP THE LID.
• Make sure that the cabbage is completely submerged under its own juices. The juice brine should cover the stones and sit at 3-4cm above the stones. You can add a salt water brine to the cabbage if you were unable to produce enough brine to cover the stones adequately.
• Massage the cabbage well for about 15 – 20 minutes to produce sufficient brine. Ensure your hands are clean before you massage the cabbage.
• Collect the stray bits of cabbage that are found floating on the top of the brine and those bits that may be stuck on the inside wall. This is helped by making sure you pack your cabbage into the pot first.  I usually massage my cabbage in a big stock pot and then squeeze the juice from it, then place handfuls into the pot.  I continue to wring the juice with hand-full’s of cabbage until it is all packed in the crock nice and tight.  I then use a potato masher to help push it down firmer so that there are no bits stuck to the inside wall of the pot.  I then put the stones on top and gently pour in the brine.  Finally, scoop any floating bits, fill the moat and close the lid.  All equipment used must be very clean, including the pot I massage the cabbage in.
• Temperature  is important during fermentation. The ideal temperature is 20 – 22 degrees Celsius for the first 2 days followed by 15 - 18 degrees Celsius.  Although this is ideal, it is not a matter of fact and I have produced sauerkraut all year round whilst making an attempt to ferment on the cooler days and in the coolest part of the house.  A fully controlled temperature will produce the best result.  The warmer the temperature, the faster the fermentation time and the cooler the temperature the longer time needed for fermentation.  This will also affect the taste so every batch may taste a little different.
  The longer the fermentation time the more sour it will become.
• The sauerkraut will reach a pH of 4.1 where decay bacteria can no longer form. You can use pH test strips to test the pH to ensure that the fermentation has been successful.

Mould and residue can have the capacity to form on the inside of the pot, however everything else submerged underneath should be well protected and preserved. 

Please see common questions below for more troubleshooting:

A: Have you used enough salt for the lactic acid conversion?

B: Did you clean and sterilize all the equipment, stones, lid and other items used to produce it?

C: Did you use pure organic vegetables in your ferment?

D: Did you remember to top up the mote with water so that oxygen does not enter the pot during fermentation?

E:  Make sure that the cabbage is completely submerged under its own juices and avoid floating bits of cabbage on the surface or on the sides of the inside of the pot wall.

F: Was the temperature too hot?

If you find that a small amount of surface mould or yeast has developed on the surface of your ferment.

Although the crock is designed to reduce aerobic surface growth, an acceptable amount of yeast can form on the top of the ferment surface when fermentation is complete but it will not discredit your efforts or contaminate your batch. The  crock is designed to keep the lid on at all times so that it creates a locked seal which allows gases to escape whilst preventing the presence of oxygen, however if the lid has been opened or the water in the mote gully has evaporated, a small amount of oxygen may be present and this will allow some surface growth.  The yeast layer forming on the surface is known as kahm yeast and is distinct from moulds, although overtime the yeast can convert to mould.  Yeast normally forms in the second stage of fermentation when the lactic acid has consumed all the sugar and the pH has dropped. 

Yeast is beige in colour and may form in swirling waves and mould develops a white film.  It is not imperative to identify the difference between them because both can be removed and other surface discolouration such as oxidation can form as well.  All surface films regardless of their colour should be removed.   If mould has developed and it is white in colour it will not be harmful to consume the vegetables underneath, however if the mould has developed into the reproductive stage and bright colours have emerged indicating sporulation do not eat them.  Sandor Katz explains how he effectively removes these mould spores carefully from his sauerkraut batch in his new book "the art of fermentation" but it is important to ensure that you have not allowed mould to penetrate the surface for too long. The sauerkraut underneath has been protected from oxygen and yeasts and moulds do not form so anything submerged under the brine can be consumed but it is important to remove the scum before you bottle your vegetables or sauerkraut. In removing surface growth, you can use a small strainer to carefully scoop the kahm yeast out from floating on top and the inside of the pot walls can be wiped clean with a clean cloth.  Next pour the juice through a strainer layered with a fine cheese cloth or clean tea towel over a large bowl whilst holding the stones firmly in place to keep the cabbage in the pot.  The cheese cloth will catch any floating parts produced from the scum and the juice captured underneath can be consumed and stored in the fridge. It is not always possible to remove all the surface films effectively without some residue collection sinking on the top surface of your stones and top layer of your vegetables.  If this is the case, after you have scooped as much of the mould out as you can, strain the juice as indicated above and then discard the very top layer and everything underneath can be bottled.

You can test the cabbage using the below test instruction options because if the cabbage remained underneath the brine which had been submerged throughout the entire fermentation process and enough salt was used to ferment the batch, the sauerkraut underneath the stones should be good.  Next time make sure all equipment is completely clean, hands and all because you are working with live microbes which need to be encouraged to produce good bacteria.  If you make yoghurt or kefir, you can drip some whey and add this to help inoculate your batch as well.  Just make sure that you drip it well and overlay your cheese cloth several times to get nice clear whey.

Testing the sauerkraut to ensure the fermentation has been successful.

Generally, smelling and tasting the end product will tell you whether your batch has fermented properly.  The aroma is pleasing and the taste should be pleasant and slightly sour.  If it appears to be slimy with a bad smell, you are best to throw it away.  The kraut should have a slight crunch when you chew it.  You can alternatively test the sauerkraut with litmus paper from the chemist.  For Lactic Acid fermentation, the critical pH is 4.1 because decay cannot occur below this value.

How long can sauerkraut last?

Sauerkraut fermentation is the most natural form of preservation and has been safely stored in the fridge for up to 5 years.  We will assume your sauerkraut will be gone well before then.

Happy Fermenting