Smelly crock!

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Smelly crock!

Postby bingo on Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:05 pm

Hi I wonder if anyone can help
I'm so keen to make sauerkraut but I'm yet to do it successfully :cry:
I bought a beautiful German 5litre crock and left my cabbage supposedly fermenting for 2-3 weeks. When i finally looked inside it was a rotting stink pit. The water level had gotten too low, I think I must have let the rim dry out which meant liquid from inside evaporated.
I think I know what went wrong and how to avoid the same next time but my problem is that my beautiful crock now smells rotten and musty. I've cleaned it with washing up liquid and hot water and even boiling water many times and it still smells! I'm tempted to bleach it but I'm scared that will damage the enamel and future fermenting attempts.
Can anyone suggest how to clean it?
Many thanks in advance,
B
bingo
 
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Re: Smelly crock!

Postby jdinid on Wed Mar 29, 2017 11:02 am

Try spraying it down with a 10% bleach solution and let it sit for a while, then wash it with hot soapy water.
jdinid
 
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Re: Smelly crock!

Postby bingo on Wed Mar 29, 2017 2:15 pm

I will give it a go tomorrow, thank you
bingo
 
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Re: Smelly crock!

Postby red-oak on Sat Apr 01, 2017 7:57 am

I am far from an expert but I was told also to use bleach at 10% but never use soap just rinse with hot water. On the instructions that came packed in my crock the manufacture recommends the use of vinegar to sterilize the equipment with. I hope this is help full
red-oak
 
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Re: Smelly crock!

Postby bingo on Sat Apr 01, 2017 2:52 pm

Thank you :)
I tried the bleach solution and it's better but not all together gone.
I have now left an onion chopped in half in there as I heard they are meant to soak up smells!
I'll try the vinegar too, can't do any harm. thanks
bingo
 
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