Is a Weeping Crock OK?

[Kerkls]

I used a very old 6 gal 'Panama Pottery' crock to ferment 2 batches of saurkraut at room temp (65 to 75 deg.F). Both batches look and taste fine. During fermentation (4 weeks) of the first batch (about 10 lbs) a light coating of damp dark brown effloresence salts collected on the outside of the crock. I added a couple cups of brine to keep the pressure plate covered. The second batch (20 lbs) resulted in a thick bloom of dark brown moist to runny efflorescense salts that puddled at the base of the crock. The natural brine level in the crock remained above the pressure plate during the entire second ferment(3 weeks) when I found the kraut to be sour enough for my tastes. Is this weeping crock OK to continue using?

[Tim Hall]

My feeling is it's probably fine. Is it glazed at all? Stoneware, earthenware/terra cotta?

[Kerkls]

Sorry for the delayed response Tim. The crock is a very light tan under a clear glaze that is finely crazed both inside and out. The salt weeping pattern starts along the craze lines as one would expect. There are a couple of spots where the interior surface has a shallow spall (say the size of a nickle) as though the crock may have been struck from the outside. At each of those spots the weeping salts are wet and somewhat runny. To me, those observations imply a deep defect in the wall of a crock made of low fired pottery rather than stoneware.

The crock belonged to my great grandmother and my grandmother (born in 1896) remembered it from her childhood. So if it is OK to keep in service it represents a link to my heritage. If not I'll retire it to a decorative use.

[Tim Hall]

Well, here's my personal feeling about it: if you're doing modestly well-salted ferments it's probably fine. I wouldn't ferment anything than uses little or no salt because it might harbor spoilage bacteria. But I have a feeling that once you get the crock well seasoned with salt, acidity and Lactobacillus, it may actually get subsequent ferments started faster.

But you'll probably never be able to use that crock for anything else afterward.

[Kerkls]

Thanks Tim. I will continue using it for saurkraut which I prepare per Sandorkraut's recipe. So that is plenty salty and worked well the last two batches. No need to respond further to this post.