Solutions found: Various
Best Solution: Airlock device used with Pickle Packing Probiotic Jar System

Fermentation causes buildup of pressure. Adapting the wine industrys's "air-lock" system a help. This works by restricting the entrance of air and contaminants into the fermenting vessel in much the same manner as the elbow under your sink. Until this upgrade, most people simply covered their container with cheesecloth or tightened the lid litely to protect their ferment from airborne contamination. Frequent "burping" of the container was reguired to avoid possible explosion of jar. This is really not sufficient by todays standard.

Problem Identified: Mold caused by contents rising out of brine.
Solutions Found: Various
Best Solution: Use The Pickle Packing Probiotic Jar System

Solution found: weights and plates:


• All weights work and accomplish the objective of pushing the contents of the fermentation vessel beneath the surface of the brine to some degree. BUT====> They can chip or break!


• They can sink causing a time consuming mess retreiving them


• They are hard to work around when you need to work on your ferment.
• Plates are best for larger containers like a crock or bucket and may still require additional weight.


• Plates prevent the efficient flow of CO2 exiting thru the airlock.


• Plates can be hard to work around in the event of skim removal and require extra space on your table


Solution found: ZIPLOCK BAGGIES:


• Baggies are best suited for larger batchs and containers.


• Like the plate, you will need plenty of work space to remove the bag for removing skim


• In the event of blowout or zipper failure, you run the risk of diluting your brine to an unsafe level and weakening the flavor of your spices by the same dilution. Then adding additional spices and then removing enough brine to prevent overflo when adding fresh baggies full of brine. Grrrrrrrrr

Solution found: USING SCREEN:

Probably the best idea so far!
BUT==>

• To be effective the screen must totally cover the surface of the container. This also would be hard to accomplish in a jar type container but would work great in a bucket or crock with straight sides.


BEST OVERALL SOLUTION FOUND: USING THEPICKLE PACKING PROBIOTIC JAR SYSTEM:


• You get total isolation of contents from the elements. The commonly used airlock is included.


• You control the level of your container's contents with the Pickle Pushing No-Float Jar Packer. There will be no vegetables at the surface of your brine to attract molds


• In the unlikely event you do develop skim, cleanup is a breeze with nothing to remove or work around to remove the offending skim!


• You can replace airlock cap with a conventional canning lid and go directly into your icebox! This will also keep your contents under the brine level and further increase shelf life and quality of flavor!!!!

It doesn't seem in print that our system is "all that great" until you have experienced a few of the standard mishaps that you will run into while fermenting. Like a chipped glass, a sunken weight bowl, a busted baggie or a little visit from "Aunt Mold". Then the minutes add up and the fun slackens. Try our "much better" system early in the year and you will really thank us when the season is over.:)