fermenting gear, temperature?

marina phillips wrote:
shameless self promotion alert.......I just started a blog all about fermentation.  Check it out, I talk about all kinds of different things.  And on a regular basis. 

http://culturedagedbrewed.com/home

Seems to have vanished? Canceled? Tech problems? Moved?

I may try the beet kvass.  I find that beet juice is great for helping control my childbride's hypertension.  The greens are good steamed or as salad, but the stems.....to tough for salads and they turn to string and foul the juicer.  Perhaps I'll cut 'em up for kvass.  Just started milking the goat and will be making cheese so will have lots of whey soon.  Usually the whey goes to the pig and beet stems gets choped in to rice, which makes the rice pink and flavorful.

Here is an aside....the buttermilk cubes I froze from last years buttermilk culture failed to ferment in milk.  Most buttermilk sold today is pasturized after the culture is complete and useless to make more culture.  I tried four different brands last year and they each failed to culture.  I reakon I will have to order the dried culture from my cheese supplier:  www.thegoatstore.com  Then will just have to keep some in stock for the off milk season, since the icecubes of culture dosent seem to work as starter.  I use the fresh buttermilk as mozzerella, feta, colby cheeses and sour cream starters.  Plus it tastes grand.

I bought a kit at the healthfood store, The Perfect Pickler http://www.perfectpickler.com/shop/
It's fool proof, perfect ferments every time. My sister and I had a disaster with kraut that put us both off pickling/fermenting for a while but this thing is idiot proof (apparently I need that ) and I love it.

Here's an amazing fermentation crock design I ran into via a FaceBook friend: counterculturepottery.com.

According to my friend:

Very well designed. The lid has a deep well for creating a positive seal, it comes with the ceramic weights that fit inside, and it's straight-sided, and heavy to maintain an even temperature. Can't wait to start a batch - had been using food-grade restaurant plastic tubs because it's easy to sanitize and control compared to random ceramic jars you find at garage sales etc., but this will be sweet.

The lid sits in a water well for the seal. VERY pricey at $200 each plus heavy shipping if you're not in the Bay area.

Though I imagine the market is growing for these and pottery folks in all areas will be adding them to their repertoire, soon.

(photo credit https://www.facebook.com/liveculturepotter)

Another good source for fermenting crocks (as well as almost any kind of food preservation tools/supplies):

http://www.sausagemaker.com/fermentationpots.aspx

(I have used the company before, and never any problem.)
They're in Buffalo, NY

Cool link, John - those look much more affordable!

They are from Poland, where they have been fermenting cabbage (and other things) long before the Pilgrims were born.  The claim is that the lid/seal design is such that gasses can escape, but oxygen cannot enter.

If you contact them, make certain to order a catalog...tons of goodies/ideas.  They are based in hunting country, where nothing is thrown away.