Jasonf17 calling it a "total science project" like we're building rockets. Bro it's salt and cabbage, not a moon landing. My weekend pickles turned out fine without a lab coat. Guess some people just like to make easy stuff sound hard. Your friend's pink slime jar is proof that skipping basic steps gets nasty results fast.
Nah, you just got lucky. Fermenting is a total science project and one wrong move ruins everything. It's not just throwing stuff in a jar, you gotta manage temperatures and sterilize everything perfectly. That weekend success story is gonna turn into a moldy disaster next time you try.
Yeah my friend tried to make sauerkraut after one good batch... got overconfident and didn't weigh the salt. Just did a few pinches. Whole jar turned into a slimy mess with this weird pink film on top. Smelled like feet and rotten eggs. He learned the hard way that eyeballing it doesn't work.