Hi,
Brand new to the world of fermenting. Currently in the midst of Katz's "The Art of Fermentation". Excited about starting, but...
My upstairs neighbor is a potter, so I asked if he would make me a crock. He said he had one lying around that I could have if I waited a few days for him to clean it.
I received it a few days ago; it's a beautiful crock, about two gallons, in the moat (Harsch) style. Very thoughtful and kind, but....it STINKS. Really bad. Like putrid seaweed.
Turns out that he had something fermenting in it, which he forgot about for the past year. I'm assuming it was putrid when he opened it and cleaned it the best he could.
I tried soaking it in hot soapy water and vinegar for 24 hours. No effect. I made a baking soda paste and scoured the inside with it. No effect. I'm thinking about a mild bleach solution next, but then I'm out of ideas.
The crock is glazed on the inside, and so far as I can tell, no cracks where mold could be growing.
Does anyone have any suggestions for deodorizing it? Will it be safe to ferment in?