One of the most common questions we receive is "How long should I let my ___________ ferment? How will I know when it is done?". There are are many things to consider when determining the answers to these questions. Never fear! We have the answers.
1) Always follow a recipe. Good recipes will give an ideal fermentation period in days specific to the vegetables and salinity of the brine it contains.
2) Allow your ferment to go for 7 days untouched. After a day or two, you will start to see bubbles, and the brine will become cloudy. This is the beneficial bacteria doing their job!
3) Taste your ferment on day 7 with a clean fork.Within 1 week it should start to taste sour.If youlike it, it is done. If not let it continue to ferment. Pack the vegetables back down until the liquid rises above them.Let your ferment longer if you like amore sourtaste and a softer texture.
For maximum digestive and nutritive benefits, allow your veggies to ferment for 21 days and eat them raw.
4) Finished ferments should have a pH reading of 4.5 or lower. Use pH test strips or a digital pH meter to test your ferments, if desired.
Once the kraut is fermented to your desired taste and texture, you can put it in the refrigerator to arrest its progress.
Over to You
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FAQs
If it has the desired flavor, texture, and level of sourness, it's ready. For example, in vegetable ferments like sauerkraut, the cabbage should taste tangy and slightly crunchy. Texture: Some ferments, like pickles, should maintain a certain crunch. Over-fermented pickles might become mushy.
How to tell if fermentation is complete? ›
The surest way to establish whether or not a fermentation is complete is by measuring the specific gravity. You can do this using either a hydrometer or a refractometer.
How did you know when the fermentation was finished? ›
The Basic Process
After mashing, boiling, etc, but before pitching yeast, take a hydrometer reading to determine specific gravity. Ferment, as normal. When you think fermentation has finished, i.e. when the airlock stops bubbling for a day or two, taken another reading. Wait 24 hours and take one more reading.
How to tell when a ferment is ready? ›
Within 1 week it should start to taste sour. If you like it, it is done. If not let it continue to ferment. Pack the vegetables back down until the liquid rises above them.
How long does it take for fermentation to finish? ›
Here's a chart with all of the guidelines we've covered here:
| Ale | Lager |
|---|
| Dark | 1 week primary | 2-3 months primary |
| 3-4 weeks secondary | 9 months secondary |
| High Alcohol | 2 weeks primary | 2-3 months primary |
| 9-12+ months secondary | 9-12+ months secondary |
4 more rowsOct 25, 2019
When is the Fermentation Over? The fermentation is considered done when you either reach your desired sugar level or go "dry" at 0° Brix. A wine with 0.2% residual sugar contains two grams of sugar in a liter of wine.
How do I know if my fermentation is going well? ›
As long as your veggies are submerged in a brine and mold hasn't grown, you're on track. These signs may include bubbles from carbon dioxide, a cloudiness in the brine or the color fading from the vegetables. If you REALLY don't think something is fermenting, taste it after a couple days (not hours).
How do I know if my fermentation failed? ›
If your lacto-fermentation fails, the signs are unmistakable: repulsive smells, hairy mould on the surface, flashy colours, etc.
How do I know if I am ready for second fermentation? ›
The best way to tell if it's done is to taste it. But if you're curious about kombucha and pH, you can read my post about it here. So whenever your brew tastes right to you, you're ready to move on to the next step: bottling a.k.a. 2nd fermentation.
How do you know when fermentation has stopped? ›
If there are still bubbles in the airlock after 14 days let it sit for another few days, or at least until there is no bubbling for at least a minute or two. Once there is no activity in the airlock, fermentation is complete.
You can go longer but the longer your beer sits the more chance you have to get an infection and get off-flavors in your beer. The 24-day mark has always worked well for us. We have gone over in some cases but mostly by a few days.
Should you ferment in the dark or light? ›
Lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB) (the bacteria that do the work of fermentation) flourish in the dark, and light kills them. UV Light in the amounts that penetrate the Jar seem to be beneficial to yeasts, and is to be avoided.
How to tell when primary fermentation is done? ›
A lot of beginning winemakers will use the airlock to make a determination. They see that the airlock is not longer bubbling and figure this is when the fermentation is done.
Does longer fermentation mean more alcohol? ›
In the second, longer fermentation stage, lasting several days to many weeks, the alcohol levels rise and the yeast and microbes die off. In this stage, alcohol can reach between 12 to 15% before the yeast dies and prevents further fermentation.
What to do after fermentation is done? ›
Once you're happy with the taste of your ferment, it's time to move it to the fridge. The cold temperature will stop the fermentation process so you can enjoy the taste you like consistently. Learn more about storing your ferments and how long they can last in the fridge.
How do you know if fermentation is stuck? ›
The only real way to determine if you have a true stuck fermentation is to do a forced fermentation by taking a sample, pitching with an excess of yeast and fermenting warm, then measuring the final gravity and checking it against the gravity of the wort in the fermenter.
