(Part 2) Best brewing & fermentation fermenters according to redditors

That's just a regular Mason jar that they've put an airlock lid on, like these that I found with a quick search. You can probably find them cheaper or better quality or whatever, but I was just looking for a quick example for you since you hadn't seen them before.

Consider making your own sauerkraut. It's easy once you get into the routine, and it's way cheaper than store-bought. Plus, you can use a variety of vegetables to suit your taste. (Look up tsukemono to see all the things you can ferment.) I went whole-hog and got one of these. I liked it so much I got a second one so I can have a continuous supply.

Amazon is where mine came from.

These lids do the trick. I have never had mold or scum problems. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M73T3ZH

Drinking water that is stored in plastic that gets really hot, like in you know, the desert, is unhealthy because the chemicals leak into the water. Obviously it’s not as unhealthy as dying from dehydration, so if all you can do is cheap plastic containers, do cheap plastic containers.

Now, that said, if you can get large glass containers, this is preferable. Here is one:

Packging Options Direct 45888 3 Gallon Glass Carboy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074V2Y4C8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CkVWCb6PFNKM9

Now, at $42 each that’s pretty expensive so you probably won’t be wanting to line up 20 of them. But if you are looking for one to keep in your vehicle and you know you’ll use it often and not just as a last resort, then this could be a good solution.

As always, what’s “right” is mostly dependent upon what your intent and needs are.

just saw something new on Amazon the other day that would fit your bill , kinda pricey for 1 lid+weights but it should work.

Easy Fermenter XL

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Simplified-Fermenting-Sauerkraut/dp/B0789PYHY5

I’ve been using the plastic screw lids that have the small rubber stopper, and have not had any problems so far. It also came with a small pump to pump out the air from the sealed jars, which I feel is a help.

https://www.amazon.com/Wide-Mouth-Fermenting-Day-Sauerkraut-Probiotics/dp/B071GQJJJW/ref=sr_1_20_sspa?keywords=Fermenting+lids&qid=1568979360&s=gateway&sr=8-20-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMFNJT1NNTVBGNFhMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjMzMzYxMjdSTExGOVI5VUE1MSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTA4MjI1M0NFMklYTUFORU1RTiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I used the recipe from America's Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook. It uses a ratio of 3 Tbsp kosher salt to 5 lbs of cabbage (.6 Tbsp salt per pound of cabbage). I don't remember if I actually used 5 pounds of cabbage - I think it was more like 3.

I don't know how much you already know, so I'll operate as though you're just beginning (like I was a few weeks ago). I'll point out that it's important not to use table salt or iodized salt. You want a clean, natural mineral salt.

Cut the cabbage into wedges, cut the core out of each wedge and then thinly slice the leaves. Put half into a really big bowl, then half of the salt, then the rest of the cabbage and the rest of the salt. Now you mix and knead the cabbage for a good ten minutes. You want to use some force when you do this, squeezing it, pressing it with your fists, etc. Don't go TOO hard, but don't go lightly either.

In ten minutes, the cabbage will have released quite a lot of water (creating your brine) and reduced in volume fairly significantly. Next I added a few teaspoons of caraway seeds for some extra flavor, and the cookbook makes lots of other suggestions - juniper berries, dill seeds, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, celery seeds, or chopped herbs. At this point it gets packed into a crock. I bought the smallest Sauercrock and that made plenty for me. You pack a little in and tamp it down with your first or a giant wooden dowel if you have one - I used a french rolling pin - or you can buy a big wood tamper just for this purpose. So you continue packing and tamping until it's all in the crock, then pour any remaining brine into the crock. There should be enough to submerge all of the cabbage.

Most people, as well as my book, suggest putting some kind of weight on top to keep the cabbage below the brine or it'll tend to float, which could encourage mold growth. The Sauercrock comes with some weights, or you can buy weights just for this purpose. Alternatively, you can use a small plate with a very clean and sterilized rock on top of it. I followed the advice of others and kept a cabbage leaf intact to put on the top of the sauerkraut and then put my weights on top of that. Little bits of cabbage will tend to escape around the weights if you don't, which isn't a huge deal, but I'm a perfectionist.

Finally, you need to cover everything. Lots of fermenting crocks have a water-sealed lid. The sauerkraut will produce a lot of CO2 at for several days so air needs to be able to escape your fermenting vessel. If you use a jar or something like that, you can cover it with several layers of cheesecloth or a towel to keep dust from getting in.

I tried making a batch in a big jar before this one but I just had too much trouble keeping things submerged. Also, due to the amount of gas produced in the first few days, the contents of the jar kept rising and lots of brine leaked out of the top. I tossed that batch out.

So....after I got everything packed into the crock I left it for 18 days. For the first couple of days (and several times the first day) you should check it from time to time to make sure it's staying submerged - push down on the weights if it isn't. I think I started tasting it after a week, but continued to let it go. I live in a fairly warm climate (Houston) and things will ferment more quickly in warmer temps. At 18 days it was quite sour, but still had a great amount of crunchiness and squeaky-ness.

Have you ever made sauerkraut? Are you planning to?

Get some of these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N8OEI1S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OUe3BbMAKS0R6

Here's a "no vinegar" one that turned out well for me:

In a 1 Quart Mason Jar:

5% brine
1 tomato
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
Some peppercorns (idk 10-15?)
Just jam the rest of the space with peppers. (If it doesn't seem like enough peppers made it in for some reason I'll put less tomato)

Cut up everything as small as you feel you need to. I normally just quarter thin walled peppers, but cut thick walled peppers smaller. Fill the jar with brine up to where it covers everything.

Make sure the jar is vented. I use these which work very well. Let it sit about 1 week, it'll typically stop bubbling at that point and if you're using the previously referenced vents, they'll start to suck in from negative pressure.

At this point, I take a spoon full out and use a litmus strip to make sure the pH is around 4, which it usually is. At that pH and with the added salt in the brine it should be safe to keep at room temperature for awhile, but I typically refrigerate. If the pH is too high you can always add a little vinegar as a last resort to lower the pH further.

Boil/Blend (carefully!)

I'm going to try adding a little sugar this time to cut the sour (I'm not big on vinegar flavor), but this will probably shorten the shelf life.

Bottle it and enjoy. Alternately you can blend it prior to fermenting, but this really just speeds up the process. Plus I like the way it looks on the shelf when it's just loosely chopped up.

You might want to look into E-Jen containers or tsukemono presses. They streamline the fermentation process a lot and require less checking on and "burping" than using mason jars in my experience. The E-Jen containers are really good for storing kimchi and sauerkraut as well as fermenting and come in a much wider variety of fridge-friendly shapes than mason jars.

Here's my tried-and-true recipe that I've been developing for years:

Supplies:

• 1 head Napa cabbage
  
• Pickling salt or non-iodized salt
  
• 1 head garlic, finely grated
  
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
  
• (optional) 1 tsp Sesame oil
  
• (optional) Green onions and/or fresh ginger to taste
  
• Kimchi container or very large glass jar (1 gal)
  
• Glass or ceramic weights
  
• Kitchen scale
  
  Weigh cabbage and measure out 2% of its weight in salt. Cut cabbage into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add salt and toss to mix. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.
  
  Meanwhile, combine garlic, red pepper, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
  
  After sitting with salt, the cabbage should be somewhat wilted and wet. Mix again, squeezing and kneading with hands to squeeze out liquid and soften the cabbage. Add garlic/chili/other seasonings and mix thoroughly with cabbage. Place in container or jar and set weights on top of cabbage (I usually can fit 2-3 weights.) The weights will help keep everything under the liquid.
  
  WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP!!
  
  Store container at room temperature away from sunlight for 1-4 weeks. If using a jar, "burp" the jar once a day by loosening the lid to release gas (you will hear a hissing sound.) There will be a lot of gas for the first week, and then it will slow down and you won't need to burp it as often. When kimchi reaches desired sourness, store in refrigerator.
  
  Edit: forgot the scale

I understand! I use the 5L version of this Mortier Pilon fermenter for my cucumber pickles. I call it my pickle aquarium! They have a 2L as well.

However, if you’re doing small batches in jars, definitely grab some of those glass weights —
cheap, and perfect for the job.

Not OP, but this looks right:
https://www.amazon.com/Mortier-Pilon-Fermentation-sauerkraut-vegetables/dp/B01FBA7T0W

Anyone got a link for the container?

Nevemind I found it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WJGNXR/ref=twister_B078TZN6HC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

The equipment everyone is suggesting is a good idea. I'd also at least use wine yeast instead of bread yeast (it's not that expensive).

Honestly, though, I'd suggest buying something like this one gallon fermenter or this wide mouth fermenter. They both come with an airlock cost you less than $10 and they will make this process a lot easier.

If you want something super cheap, but not quite so disgusting, I suggest you start with Skeeter Pee. You can cut all the proportions down by 1/5. I always make mine with this champagne yeast instead of a yeast slurry. I just mix the yeast in a clean jelly jar with some apple juice, cover with foil, and wait until it starts to get bubbly. You can omit the tanin. I always blend up some frozen strawberries and throw that in there too (they probably have enough nutrition that you can also omit the yeast nutrient and yeast energizer if you start the yeast in apple juice). You can also use just the Potassium sorbate and leave out the Potassium metabisulfite and if you don't mind a cloudy drink, you can eliminate the Sparkloid as well (although I like how crystal clear it makes mine and that it takes out any of the seeds, strawberry pulp, yeast, etc.)

If you make all those alterations you can probably make a 1 gallon batch of delicious hard strawberry lemonade for less than $5 in ingredients and less than $10 in materials--it'll taste much better than the recipe you had and won't cost you much more either.

I used water and kosher salt. I did not boil the water, just added the salt and stirred; it dissolved fairly quickly. Vinegar would not work the same. It would not ferment, just get pickled. Just make sure you keep the oxygen away from the pwppers. Either keep the peppers submerged in the brine with some thing pressing them down, or use an airlock like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016FWZDO4/ref=sspa_dk_detail_7?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B016FWZDO4&pd_rd_w=qX3j1&pf_rd_p=c83c55b0-5d97-454a-a592-a891098a9709&pd_rd_wg=FlJJ1&pf_rd_r=5EHSCJT02WVYM8THGF4T&pd_rd_r=f26a80d4-b4b9-4bf6-9d40-750dab356c7c&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyOVgwRlpNSlZHQTQ0JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzc0NzM0S1FET1ozQkREVUFSJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxMDEwODAyTEJTSEo1S09GRVNOJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I highly recommend these Kimchi Containers for pickles and well, kimchi. Also check out Fermentation for beginners.. This should get you started. The channel also has many helpful other videos as well. Enjoy the ride!

Glass Weights:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079893ZT1/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_5iiWDbAYYG5WR

Jars:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGG3DD1/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_OjiWDb9764K9F

Airlocks:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M2D9BIV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_xkiWDbY723EJ4

I can't even imagine a good way to do that...I don't think I would be going over 1 quart containers for just that reason, lol.

I'm kind of thinking something like this - https://www.amazon.com/FerMonster-Three-Gallon-Fermenter-Carboy/dp/B07BN5FH95 along with a handheld mixer like those used for making smoothies.

Speidal makes 60L (15.9 Gallon) and 120L plastic fermenters.

I like the plastic replacement lids w/ silicone integrated airlock for the 1/2 gallon mason jars. Like these:

I used this kit and it's been awesome for half the price. On my third batch now!

https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Kombucha-SCOBY-Starter-Gallon/dp/B0742KSWLD/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1540400091&sr=8-7&keywords=kombucha+starter+kit

​

I've had nothing but success with these. No mold, no problem. But like /u/JoeDaddio said, they aren't necessary.

I'd go with option 1, it's much more versatile in the long run. Not a big fan of those airlocks though, I think you'll like these better (3w ferment and still haven't refilled the water, plus they produce a better airlock):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Plenty-Fermentation-Sauerkraut-Instructions/dp/B01MTK3J6U

The lids: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M73T3ZH.

I would check online and see if you can find a mason jar lid with an airlock that will work for you.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01AK8GPIW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mmC0DbTEZ9WC0

I am thinking about getting the ss brewtech bucket but I did come across this Chapman stainless bucket as a less expensive alternative. I have not used either.

I was looking at this one Chapman Brewing Equipment 7 Gallon Stainless Steel UniVessel Brew Fermenter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OK1R3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uw4iDbK2YRBNS

So this anti-burp thing that ALSO makes sure that no air makes contact with the veggies is a waste of money?
Go Ferment! Wide Mouth Mason Jar Mold Free Anaerobic Fermenting Kit w/Recipe E-book (2 Pack, Grey)
by The Mandeville Shop
Learn more: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B016FWZDO4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_YKSyDbXZNKJ7Y

I don;t know the ones you are referring to, got a link?

Everyone that I have heard from, and myself, haven't had super great luck removing all the lees.

As for speidels, I mean https://www.amazon.com/Speidel-Plastic-Fermenter-60L-15-9/dp/B000RW8URG

I cannot stress how amazing their seal and utility is, and it's a great point to start scaling up at, especially if you do fruit heavy brewing.