The old crock I found at a garage sale ferments way better than my new kit

I picked up this cracked crock from an old lady in Springfield for 5 bucks about 6 years ago. She said her grandmother used it for sauerkraut back in the 1940s. I compared it to my fancy 30 dollar plastic fermentation kit with the airlock lid and the kraut from the crock is always crunchier and tangier. The old crock has this rough glaze that I think lets the bacteria do their thing better. I have no science to back that up but after 15 batches I'm pretty convinced. Has anyone else noticed older gear giving better results than modern stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellat8727d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, that cracked crock sounds legit! Ngl I'm still using the same plastic bucket I bought for my first batch of kombucha back in 2016 and it's got more scratches than my ex's truck. Honestly I feel like those old tools have been through the wringer and know what they're doing. Maybe it's just my crap luck but every time I try something new and shiny it ends up tasting like sad feet.

the_karen27d ago

Stellat, your plastic bucket is a trooper! I'm still using a scratched up glass jar from like 2014 and its got battlescars too. New stuff just doesn't hit the same, right?