Oh Crap! My Kraut is explanding!

[Dace]

I may be in trouble! I filled a quart jar up about 2/3 - 3/4 full. Everyday I check and it is fine. This morning I check it and it has explanded to about 1 inch of head space!

What do I do? It is not supposed to go into the fridge just yet...I think it has a few more days. Will it keep explanding? I made it on the first...so today is day 4. When should I refrigerate it?

Oh the horror!

 

[ORChick]

Do you have a larger jar you could transfer it to? Shouldn't do it any harm to do that. Or maybe just half into another quart jar.
You certainly do specialize in lively fermants, don't you?

 

[Dace]

I guess I have to sterilize a jar and then let it cool before I add my explanding kraut?

Anyone know how many days it should sit before going in the fridge?

Punkin's recipe was to fill to 1 inch of head space and store in a cool dark spot for 6 weeks. Can someone smarter than me advise?

 

[freemotion]

How warm is it there? I do 3 days at room temp, then into cool storage (fridge or cool winter cellar.) I get the explanding issues when it is well above normal room temp of 72 F. Kraut is really a root cellar, late fall type of project traditionally. So if your room temp is 80-90 + like mine has been lately, you have to find a cooler spot or wait until the weather cools a bit before making it. That is why my 8 cabbages are still in the fridge....it'll cool down here pretty suddenly, then I start shredding like a mad woman!

 

[Dace]

ok thanks Free....I did move it to a cooler closet but I guess I can just pop it into the fridge.

 

[punkin]

Dace, it's OK, it's supposed to do that. You may want to try a cooler spot, though. The liquid may leak out, if it does, don't worry about it. Just put a towel or something under it. That's why you only tighten it "hand tight". It needs the room to expand.

It will stink and that's normal. Don't throw it out thinkin' it's gone bad. It will calm down in a few days.

 

[Dace]

OK punkin...I will go double check that the lid is not tight. I stuck it in a cool coat closet and set it inside a bowl just in case

So, should I go the 6 weeks before refrigerating it? I am not really clear!

 

[freemotion]

Sounds to me like you can do whatever your little heart desires, since I do three days and others do six weeks and we are all happy with our results! I do let mine continue to work in the fridge for a few months, though, before I consider it edible.

 

[punkin]

OK punkin...I will go double check that the lid is not tight. I stuck it in a cool coat closet and set it inside a bowl just in case

So, should I go the 6 weeks before refrigerating it? I am not really clear!

We don't refridgerate ours. It just sets in the closet until we are ready to open it. We do put it in the fridge after we open it (but, there's usually not any left)

 

[freemotion]

There you have it! Seems like kraut is something that is pretty hard to ruin!