Keeping crock temp down in summer

[dcg]

I would like to make pickles but do not have a basement or particularly cool place to store my crock in the hot months. How important is the temperature and does anyone have a creative solution?

[fermented-vegan]

Hello dcg, :)

As I understand it, you have to add more salt the higher the ambient temperature is that you are fermenting in. As the ambient temperature increases the shorter your ferment times become. And the higher your salt content, the slower your ferment times. I'm no fermentation expert by any means. But I imagine that there is a balance between salt, temperature, and fermentation time for optimum flavor. I assume figuring this out comes with practice and experience.

Until more experts post to this forum on a regular basis, we are stuck with experimenting on our own.

Peace & Love from a vegan :)

[Steve_in_Denver]

DCG I'm going to be dealing with the same thing this summer. It's already been very warm in Denver, I don't turn my air conditoning on unless the temperature in my apartment is over 80, and as a result my most recent batch of sauerkraut took only 13 days to ferment.

I'm very glad I opened my crock to check the kraut yesterday, because the texture was right on the edge of being too soft. I tasted it this morning after a night in the refrigerator, and it's fine, but I probably would've had a mushy batch of kraut if I'd waited even a few more days. The flavor is excellent, despite the short fermentation time -- very tart and delicious -- so I guess I won't worry too much about the shorter fermentation time, and just check my kraut after 10 days instead of two weeks.

I'm not sure if the softer texture is because I try to use minimal salt in my sauerkraut (I use about two tablespoons of salt for four heads of cabbage) or because of the higher temperature.

The only other time I've had a problem with my kraut getting too soft was also in the summer, so I think it's a temperature thing. I don't have a basement, but I have thought about keeping my fermenting crock in a cardboard box in the parking garage of my condo building. The crock is very heavy, though, and was expensive, and I can just imagine the results of a dropped, heavy, kraut-filled crock, so I think I'll just continue making it in my condo and plan on checking it after 10 days or so. If I come up with any better ideas, I'll post them here.

[fermented-vegan]

Good information to have Steve_in_Denver. Thank you for posting.

I'm going to be experiencing hot temperatures in my apartment this summer also, and have not fermented under those conditions before. And much like yourself, do not turn the air conditioner on unless it is hotter than 80 or 85 degrees Fahrenheit. I guess it will be interesting to see what happens.

Peace & Love from a vegan :)

[TDP]

I don't have anywhere cool in my house either. I haven't made anything yet. I am going to try my first batch next week. My house stays at about 78 degrees F or more. Even when we put on air conditioner we keep it at 78. I am thinking of keeping batch in a cooler and adding a cool pack every so often to keep temp down. What do you think? Will this work?

[Steve_in_Denver]

I've thought about the cooler idea as well. I'd have to get a pretty big one, though, because I'm using a fermenting crock. I've also thought about keeping the crock in a closed cardboard box in the underground parking garage of my building. That's impractical, and I'd risk breaking the crock, so I may try some other options first.

[MoonLtStrl]

I am new to fermenting. I have made kvass, sauerkraut, and fermented apples/zucchini. I used the zucchini to wedge the ferment under the brine. It has been rather cool, so I had good success.

Now I am reading about the temps and you people are talking 85* being when you turn on your AC. Aaaack! I live in the High Desert and we don't have AC. Yesterday was a high of 121*F, not that it gets that hot in the house, but 100*f is typical. Is this too high for successful fermenting? Am I out of luck until fall? Help!

[Mr. McD]

I use a small wine refrigerator during the summer months. It keeps it just the right temperature.

[Tim Hall]

This is probably way more hi-tech and expensive than most of you care for, but I use this system for fermenting things that are truly temperature critical. We don't have cellars in Texas...

I have a small used chest freezer (paid $60) that I plug into a Ranco ETC (digital thermostatic power supply, paid $120) along with a 40W light bulb that I set inside the freezer. I can control the temperature within 2-3 degrees of accuracy at any upper or lower range I want.

I don't bother using this for sauerkraut, but for cultures that operate within a very specific temp range this is a great system.

For keeping things at cellar temperature (about 55F) without a cellar, a used fridge set to a high temp works well too.

[Pillar]

i find that making pickles in hot temps is easy...if it is seriously hot, i'll only ferment the pickles for 3 days before transferring them to the fridge. they aren't done at 3 days, but after a week or two in the fridge, they are delicious.

as for kraut, i recommend trying larger batches. since i started making 5 gallon batches in "ale pails" with fermentation locks, i have had much better success with avoiding slimy kraut. i think the larger container acts as its own cooling system, because it simply won't heat up like a smaller container will. i have a 5 gallon batch of kraut going on my porch right now, with 80-85 degree days, and it is doing just fine. (i did have to cover it with a lid and fermentation lock to keep the flies off it.) also, if the top goes bad, the lower 4.75 gallons is always still good.

lastly, i will say this: it is very important to not only use salt, but to mix it in very well. this might go without saying for most of us, but mixing the salt in so that it is distributed throughout the kraut is important for keeping pockets of rot from developing. i like to squeeze the veggies in my fingers, too, to get a good "brine" going. this is another reason why i like larger batches for fermenting, because i find it is easier to get a good, soupy brine with a few gallons of veggies than it is for a smaller batch.

i've got to think that for many people and traditions of fermentation in history, they were often dealing with massive batches of food storage, and that they withstood some rot almost every time, but always had plenty of good stuff. from my experience, fermenting in smaller containers increases the chances of losing all your effort.