My sauerkraut batch went bad after 3 days and I know exactly why

I started a new batch of sauerkraut last Tuesday and by Friday it had this weird pink mold on top. I have been fermenting for about 2 years now and never had this happen before. Turns out I used tap water from my kitchen sink in Cincinnati instead of filtered water like I always do. The chlorine in the city water killed the good bacteria and let the bad stuff take over. I had to toss out a whole head of cabbage and a good jar. Has anyone else had water quality mess with their ferments like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jessica22d ago

Gonna push back a little on the well water thing. Well water usually has way more minerals and sometimes even bacteria in it compared to city water, so it's actually not a fair comparison to tap water from Cincinnati. Your grandma's success with well water doesn't mean city tap water is the issue here. The chlorine in city water is specifically designed to kill microbes, so it definitely can mess with your ferment if you don't let it sit out for a bit first. I'd recommend just letting your tap water sit uncovered on the counter for 24 hours before using it, that lets the chlorine evaporate out without needing to buy distilled water or anything fancy. The pink mold is almost certainly from bad bacteria taking over because the good bacteria got killed off, not from air exposure like someone else suggested.

harperg7622d ago

Oh man, I gotta respectfully disagree a bit here! (I know, I know, I'm that person.) I've used tap water from Philly for years without issues, and honestly, I think the real problem might be something else entirely - like temperature swings or maybe your cabbage wasn't fully submerged. That pink mold is more likely from air exposure than city water in my experience.

julia54922d ago

Every time I see a thread about tap water and fermenting I think about how my grandma in Allentown used well water for 40 years and never had pink mold once. It's honestly wild how much the minerals and stuff vary even between nearby towns. Maybe it's worth testing your specific tap water's pH or just using distilled for one batch to rule it out.