I recently tried to make sauerkraut in a Homer bucket in my basement. I used a food processor to shred the cabbage and pressed the cabbage to the bottom of the bucket with my hands/fists. I added a palmful of salt to the 3+ pounds of cabbage. I used a large ziplock water bag to help press down the cabbage and keep the water level up. It fit most of the bucket and I did not cover the bucket with a towel. I just left it open.
My basement's temp is around 64F in the summer and I left it for about 6 weeks. After this amount of time I got a bloom that looked like black snot. I skimmed it off, hoping for the best. It smelled pretty skunky, but not in the right way. I took a deep breath, put a pinch of kraut between my cheek and gum and immediately spit it out. I don't know what happened but the gray spongy kraut had the taste of drinking from an old soggy shoe. It was really musty and awful.
What can I do next time to ensure crisp delicious sauerkraut?
My basement's temp is around 64F in the summer and I left it for about 6 weeks. After this amount of time I got a bloom that looked like black snot. I skimmed it off, hoping for the best. It smelled pretty skunky, but not in the right way. I took a deep breath, put a pinch of kraut between my cheek and gum and immediately spit it out. I don't know what happened but the gray spongy kraut had the taste of drinking from an old soggy shoe. It was really musty and awful.
What can I do next time to ensure crisp delicious sauerkraut?