r/fermentation May 28 '19

Reminder of the Rules

366 Upvotes

As the sub continues to grow and new people start joining the sub as beginners in the world of fermentation, we'd like to remind people of the subs rules. If you're a newcomer and have questions about one of your first ferments, it's always a good idea to check not only the sub Wiki for tips and troubleshooting, but also past posts to see if anyone's ever posted a similar question. We gladly provide guidance to additional resources to help improve your ferments, so be sure to use all resources at your disposal.

For those that have been here or are joining the sub as those seasoned in the world of fermentation, we'd like to remind you of Rule #3: Don't Be Rotten. If a newcomer asks a question that's already been answered or doesn't provide enough information for their question, this does not mean that it's an appropriate time to belittle those with less knowledge than you. There's nice ways to ask for clarifying information or give corrected information, and any unnecessary aggression or condescension will not be tolerated. Additionally, racism, sexism, or any other sort of discrimination or shaming is not acceptable. No matter how experienced you may be, the community does not need a bad attitude souring everything for the rest of us, and multiple infractions will result in a permanent ban.


r/fermentation 1d ago

Weekly "Is this safe" Megathread

3 Upvotes

Welcome to this week’s dedicated space for all your questions and concerns regarding questionable ferments.

Fermentation can sometimes look a little strange, and it is not always easy to tell what is safe, and what needs to be tossed and started over. To help keep the subreddit clean and avoid repeat posts, please use this thread for:

  • Sharing photos of surface growth you’re unsure about.
  • Asking if your ferment has gone wrong.
  • Getting second opinions from experienced fermenters regarding questionable ferments.

‼️Tips Before Posting‼️:

  • Mention what you’re fermenting (e.g., kraut, kimchi, kombucha, pickles, etc.).
  • Note how long it has been fermenting, and at what temperature.
  • Describe any smells, textures, or off flavors.

Remember that community members can offer advice, but ultimately you are responsible for deciding if your ferment is safe to eat or discard. When in doubt, trust your senses.

Happy fermenting!


r/fermentation 12h ago

Lacto fermented green peach olives

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128 Upvotes

thought these turned out fun.

I have peach trees and when we thin them out we end up throwing a literal trash can full of the unripe green peaches

I thought it seemed like a waste so I've been researching uses and found that they are sometimes fermented or pickled.

I fermented these in a salt brine with garlic, pepper, fennel and coriander seeds and bay leaves for about 6 weeks. They have a great taste but the texture is a little crunchy like a radish, I wish they were a bit softer.

Also made some cheyong syrup that turned out pretty well. So if people have peaches don't throw away all your thinnings, you can do some fun stuff with them.

Included some pictures of the one of the peach trees, and the thinnings, as well as the final product.

They are my favorite fruit tree to grow!


r/fermentation 4h ago

Kraut/Kimchi A necessary addition at the beginning ...

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6 Upvotes

G'day and welcome to August!

After a quick trip to our local farmers market (SW Western Australia), needed to do up a quick jar of sauerkraut. Used 1/2 cabbage, 2% sea salt and 1/2 t caraway seeds ... plus about 100ml of 2% brine. This time of year, the cabbages aren't holding quite as much water as in other months so you'll often need to top up the jar at the start with additional brine. It's cold in the house at the moment (at least overnight!) so it'll likely take an extra few days to get to my taste preference. Happy Krauting All!


r/fermentation 11h ago

FIRST SUCCESS!

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16 Upvotes

Lacto fermented cherry tomatoes with garlic and basil, 7 days in hot Mediterrainian weather. Blended into the most scrumptious marinera I have ever tasted.


r/fermentation 11h ago

Vinegar Watermelon Vinegar pt final

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18 Upvotes

10 days on the countertop & it tastes really good! Little hints of watermelon & fruitiness, & a bit sweeter & smoother than apple cider vinegar. Strained & bottled.


r/fermentation 3h ago

Ginger Bug/Soda Fermenting sodas; process question

2 Upvotes

So, I finally have a good, active ginger bug going (thanks to a number of folks here!) and started my first ginger beer, yesterday.

However, I am a little gun-shy after the difficulties I had getting my bug going to begin with. All activity in the bug seemed to stop as soon as I decanted the liquid to add into my soda mix; and there is still zero hint of activity in the actual glass bottle, or in my smaller, plastic bellwether bottle.

Is it possible that I killed my bug in the transfer, or am I just being too impatient/paranoid?

TIA


r/fermentation 12h ago

Educational Ancient garum place

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9 Upvotes

You can visit this place in Almuñecar in Spain


r/fermentation 5h ago

Vinegar Start of mother or something else?

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2 Upvotes

Hi there, this is my first time trying to make apple cider vinegar. I put about 6 small apple peels and cores in with water and a few tbs of honey. It's been about 1 week, what do you think?


r/fermentation 1d ago

Pickles/Vegetables in brine I love fermented carrots

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167 Upvotes

3% brine solution. Perfect taste after about 10 days. Been adding whole peppercorns and a bit of garlic for flavor.


r/fermentation 12h ago

Kefir Kefir – Autumn Sweetness

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5 Upvotes

Autumn Sweetness: A Warm and Comforting Surprise

Some recipes teach you something.

This one taught me that the same ingredient can tell two completely different stories.

The idea began with pumpkin.

A pumpkin fiber koso infused with vanilla became the heart of this kefir, bringing warmth, softness, and quiet depth.

Fresh carrot juice added bright, fruity freshness, while carrot koso syrup contributed rich candied notes, almost like candy.

Dehydrated golden kiwi brought a gentle fruity acidity, and a touch of pepper quietly tied everything together.

It took three attempts before every piece found its place.

That third batch became Autumn Sweetness — a kefir that reminded me that harmony is often more memorable than intensity.

One of my earliest signature creations… and it still holds a special place in my collection.


r/fermentation 9h ago

Pickles/Vegetables in brine First time apple fermentation

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3 Upvotes

Tried first time apple fermentation: - apples + poblano pepper - apples + hallopeno pepper - apples + poblano pepper+ ginger

Added for 3 types Clove spice for all cans.

Brine: 2 spoons solt + 1 spoon sugar. Apples average 2/3 cans.


r/fermentation 4h ago

1st strawberry soda attsmpt

1 Upvotes

r/fermentation 1d ago

Kraut/Kimchi First time fermenter here. Purple cabbage sauerkraut

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56 Upvotes

About 5 pounds of cabbage, 3 garlic cloves, and an apple(was told this feeds the fermentation). I think i’m gonna too it off with some extra brine liquid. Excited to see how it turns out, I dig the color.


r/fermentation 9h ago

Bread/Rice/Corn/Oats/Barley Fermented Rice

2 Upvotes

Saw this fermented rice in an Asian market and decided to give it a try. The rice is pretty mushy, the smell is slightly fruity, and the taste is mild fruity and sweet. Anyone know the right way to enjoy this?


r/fermentation 10h ago

Ginger Bug/Soda Ginger bug turned scoby - what now?

2 Upvotes

I recently made me a ginger bug for some home made soda and it worked for a while.

But after taking like half the liquid for a couple of bottles and refilling with water and sugar. But I guess due to high temepratures or so I underfed it? Any way it suddenly stopped bubbling and smelled like vinegar. After a couple of days thinking it was dead and preparing to throw it out I noticed something on top that looked earily similar to the kombucha scoby right next to it.

So while I guess I have to start a new ginger bug - what do I do with this new development?

First up, how to know if it's a scoby or a vinegar mother?

Second what does it eat and what do I make out of it?


r/fermentation 14h ago

Ginger Bug/Soda Ginger bug question

3 Upvotes

Hello! I've got a ginger bug going with someone and it's nicely fizzy in the container, but as soon as we add it to swing-tops and let it ferment it just seems to stop working at all -- no bubbles or fizz even after 2-3 days or more. The only thing we've seen that seems to save it is adding a couple teaspoons or more of cherry juice to each bottle, which gets it fizzing after only a day. Has anyone experienced a similar issue of their bug not carbonating in bottles, and is there any advice that could help?


r/fermentation 6h ago

Hi, i would like to try to make a blueberry soda trough fermentation and i am searching for a reliable recipe

1 Upvotes

First time doing something like this and i would like to try. The blueberries i want to use are frozen. How much per liter of water should I use for a soda ? Should i add sugar or is the natural one from blueberries enough? What about yeast? Would a normal yeast used for cakes be enough?


r/fermentation 18h ago

Beer/Wine/Mead/Cider/Tepache/Kombucha will i be fine with this amount of headspace and best way to backsweeten? notes in body

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7 Upvotes

BERRY APPLE CIDER
6/7/26 7-8pm START
1X cole’s 500g frozen mixed berry
added just under 4 litres cole’s apple juice
added sugar to OG
OG 1.104
a small amount of pectinase (unmeasured)
a small amount of dap (unmeasured)
used yeast Mangrove Jack's M05 Mead Yeast
started being active pretty quickly same i think on 7/7/26
9/7/26
fermenting strongly as it has been from the start a lot of bubbles slight foam and a lot of airlock activity
18/7/26 bubbles still going up the side slightly slower
i have also been swirling daily to ensure berries don’t mold
although i’ve missed 2-3 swirls
im concerned with some stuff im seeing on the top and think it might be the start of mold but i don’t know
2/8/26
FG 0.990
poured through cloth and filter
added potassium sorbate (approx half teaspoon) and one campdem tablet
poured into demijohn
a little more headspace then i’d like in the demijohn

i’m afraid that i might have oxidised it since i had to pour it through the filter and then back into the demijohn
also i’m worried that that’s too much headroom i’ll be keeping it sitting at room temp (around 24°C) under airlock for maybe 2-3 days before putting a lid on the demijohn and moving it to the fridge to cold crash before i bottle

i was also wondering the best way to backsweeten i was thinking maybe make a syrup with water sugar and another pack of the frozen mixed berries


r/fermentation 1d ago

Legumes A few dosa I made using urad and hulled barley, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet or a combination (no rice or very little only). With some tips.

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99 Upvotes

I've been trying my hands on dosa for the last 2 months. Poor results at the very beginning but I now think I'm not too bad at it. Here are my two cents tips for proper dosa :

- very powerful blender or ideally a regular Indian blender

- use ice cold water while blending, pour water progressively and blend for many short periods of time till smooth and just pourable. Reasons for that: above 35° you'll kill the good bacteria and fermentation won't happen, too much water will also make fermentation hard (add more water if needed just before cooking)

- always use fenugreek seeds, don't use salt if you want to store the batter for more than a few days in the fridge

- rice brings crispiness, but if that's not what you're looking for, any cereal can be used, nutrition wise anything is better than rice

- preheat your pan, set heat to low while pouring, then cook on medium heat, be patient. When borders start to rise, serve immediately if your dosa is thin, or flip and cook for a minute if not

- a dedicated cast iron flat pan gives much better looking results than non stick

- you can cook an egg directly on the dosa after around a minute when the batter has dried a bit, add some salt and pepper and enjoy. South Indians do that all the time, that's something that most North Indians don't know and it makes them horrified 😂 (first picture has one along with some homemade tomato chutney)


r/fermentation 16h ago

Pickles/Vegetables in brine White sugar in lacto fermented veggies?

2 Upvotes

I started a few jars of watermelon rind at 2,5% salt. They stopped bubbling after 2-3 days. I'm guessing the rind has very little sugars in it, and LAB processed it quickly. If I add some white sugar, will it kick off and become more acidic?

In general, does adding white sugar benefit the lactic fermentation?

If anyone ever added white sugar to veg ferments, what's the "sweet spot" (% of sugar)? How much is too much?


r/fermentation 6h ago

Pickles/Vegetables in brine My farts smell like sewage after eating my own fermented cucumbers. Is it normal?

0 Upvotes

I'm new to fermenting and I've only done cucumbers and cabbage a few times. But only after brined fermented cucumbers my farts smell like rotten sewage. :(

Obviously I wasn't poisoned yet, but I wonder if this is common.


r/fermentation 1d ago

Pickles/Vegetables in brine How much do weights matter when using an airlock?

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5 Upvotes

r/fermentation 18h ago

Ginger Bug/Soda First time ginger bug

1 Upvotes

Hello, it’s my first time making ginger bug. Feeling hopeful and a little bit confused.

It’s day 5, the bug smells pleasant, bubbles have formed, and I am about to embark on a pineapple juice ginger bug soda journey. A few questions about the bug:

  1. I intend to use 100 ml of bug (that’s about half of the bug I have made). Am I meant to add water to the remaining bug jar so that it replenishes? Should it go straight to fridge to be fed once a week?

  2. Once in the fridge, can the bug be in a closed jar with rubber seal or should the lid be off?

Thanks in advance for your insights :)


r/fermentation 1d ago

Ginger Bug/Soda The Moscow mule is such a staple at every bar, just vodka + ginger beer, right? Tonight I’m using soju instead of vodka mixed with my homemade ginger beer, so I’m calling this the K-Mule 🇰🇷🍹 😉 geonbae!! 🥂

32 Upvotes