Common Ferment Fails (& How to Fix Them)

Whether it’s mushy pickles or a too-salty sauerkraut, ferment fails happens to the best of us – even seasoned fermenters! Though flops are bound to happen, they serve as lessons to improve for next time. Here are the commonest ferment mishaps and how to avoid them.

Not enough brine

Lack of brine will cause your ferment to be dry and/or cause scum to grow due to air exposure. Here’s what you can do to address this:

• Use fresh ingredients. As veggies age, they lose their moisture. That isn’t to say you can’t ferment with older veg, but fresher veggies will be juicier and produce more brine.
• Smash them veggies. This only applies to “dry” ferments which are meant to be pounded (like sauerkraut), of course. Spend a good amount of time pounding the veg – a good test is to pound it until juices drip down your hands when you squeeze a fistful. 
• Press the ferment down firmly. When packing fermenting into the jar, press it down firmly with every fistful added. This will push liquid and air bubbles upwards. Once filled, place a weight on top to further push brine up. A weight could be anything from a clean rock, a water-filled sandwich bag or a glass ferment weight. If days or weeks have passed by and your ferment has lost its brine, take a clean spoon or utensil and press it down firmly to bring the brine back up.
• Allow time to produce brine. After the first 12-24 hours have passed, ferments typically produce a lot more brine. Sometimes it is just a waiting game, and this is why it’s important to keep 1-2 inches of headspace when packing your ferment into the jar. 
• Add extra brine. If all else fails – you’ve done all of the above and your ferment is still parched, you can add a bit of salt brine manually. Do so by combining  0.5 teaspoon of non-iodized salt in 250ml of non-chlorinated (e.g. boiled and cooled) water. Add enough to fully submerge the top layer.

Scum Formation

Most ferment scum is harmless and can be scooped off. Sediment at the bottom of the jar and cloudy brine completely normal (and a good sign that the ferment-y magic is happening!). You can reduce the risk of scum formation by doing the following:

• Always prep hygienically. Ferments don’t need sterilized equipment, but all gear must be clean. Wash your hands and jars with soap and be sure to wash the soap off thoroughly too (as most soap is antimicrobial). 
• Keep below the brine all the time. Ferments exposed to air are scum waiting to happen. Pack your ferment down firmly, ensure insufficient brine, and use a follower weight.
• Have sufficient brine. See above points!
• Minimize oxygen in jar. Loose or unsealed lids and too much headspace in a jar can create too much oxygen exposure. Always try to use a jar that’s the appropriate size for your ferment. If you have extra space, use a water-filled sandwich bag to fill the void. Avoid flip-top jars as the lids of these have extra air space in them.
• Store properly. If a ferment is left in a bright or overly warm place, this encourages scum and accelerates your ferment. Keep your ferments in a place that has consistent temperatures (e..g not next to a stove which can fluctuate). Once finished, ferments should be refrigerated.
• Wipe the inside of your jar. Wipe the inside of the jar before placing the follower weight and lid on. This will remove any liquid or solid pieces.

Too salty

An overly salty ferment is hard to fix but easily preventable. A finished ferment that’s too salty can be salvaged by putting into cooked soups, dips, or dehydrated and blended into a tasty seasoning. Depending on what you’re making, there are two solutions to avoid over-salting next time.

First, let’s address “dry” or shredded ferments (e.g. ferments that are massaged in salt such as sauerkraut). Add salt slowly – you can always add but you can’t take away. If you’re tossing in more salt due to lack of brine, review the “Not Enough Brine” section above before going salt crazy!

For salt-brines that taste too salty, be sure you followed the proper brine ratios. Each recipe varies – there is no single brine recipe that works for all ferments. Allow your ferment to develop for adequate time – saltiness will lessen over time so sometimes a brine that is too salty is just because it is still fermenting.

If you’ve completed a brine ferment that is crazy salty, you can always dump out some of the brine and add vinegar and/or sugar when it is finished. Take note that adding sugar means that your batch won’t last as long (and will continue feasting on the sugars even when refrigerated) – but that’s okay! 

Too mushy

Mushy ferments can’t be undone but before tossing them out, consider adding to soups, curries, or blending the mixture into a relish/chutney (works great for soft cucumber pickles!). Here’s how to stop mush from happening:

• Use fresh, unspoilt veggies. You needn’t deem “older” veggies unusable, but veg that is too soft, beginning to go “off” and/or is well past its prime can lead to a too-soft pickle.
• Don’t cut veggies too thin. Thin veggies will wilt and soften faster, slice thicker next time and check on them sooner.
• Don’t leave ferment too long. As fermenting continues, veggies continue to break down. This is why it’s important to check and taste your ferment. Remember, warm temperatures accelerate the ferment process.
• Add tannins to brine ferments. This applies to brine ferments (e.g. pickles). Tannins are a natural polyphenol found in plants like bay leaves, tea leaves, and grape leaves and preserve crunch. Adding a few tannin-containing leaves to your brine will keep that crunch.

Ferment is fizzy

Effervescence is harmless and occurs as a result of veggie’s carbohydrates being turned into carbon dioxide. This produces a bubbly effect, which some people enjoy. If fizzy pickles aren’t your thing, here’s how to dodge that bubbly bullet:

• Add sugar after fermentation. Sugars are converted into lactic acid and will not maintain their sweetness during fermentation. Too much acids and CO2 buildup with create bubbles. If you are sweetening a ferment, always do so after the ferment is complete.
• Don’t leave a ferment too long. Oftentimes, the longer a ferment is left, the bubblier it will get. Taste your ferment on its earliest completion date to assess its state. This is especially true for kimchi, which many prefer fizzy anyway!
• Check on acidic ferments more often. Acidic ferments such as pickled carrots with lemon slices can become effervescent more quickly. Taste test early on!
• Leave to ferment in a cooler place. Warmer temperatures can accelerate fermentation and contribute to fizz. Move your ferments to a cooler, darker spot to develop if your usual spot is warm.

Overflowing or exploded jar/ferment

The following are quick and easy steps to preventing messes and explosions:

• Leave enough headspace in the jar. As ferments develop, more brine is produced. Lack of headspace leaves only one place for brine to escape – outside your jar! Leave at least one inch, potentially more in summer or for juicy ferments like kimchi and sauerkraut.
• Release that CO2. The CO2 produced during fermentation must be released by manually “burping” (unscrewing the jar lid and re-screwing), or using a simple screw-top device. Do not neglect this step!

The Salty Summary

• Fermenting is prone to failures which can be prevented with knowledge and practice
• If you have insufficient brine, be sure to pound veggies, pack them in, and submerge below the brine
• Always add salt gradually
• “Failed” ferments can be salvaged by blending as a sauce, or adding to soups, curries, etc.
• Maintain crunch by tannin-containing leaves such as grape or bay leaves to salt-brine ferments
• For scum, practice good hygiene, ensure jar is tightly sealed with minimal airspace. Ensure all veggies are submerged below the brine