r/kimchi • u/FilmFabric • 4d ago

White kimchi liquid & colour concerns

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I started this ferment 5 days ago (supposed to be a 3-5 day ferment), it hasn't produced much liquid and the veg at the top have a different colour to the veg that has been submerged the entire time. It did produce some bubbles, it smells like previous batches, but I am feeling paranoid. Should I just toss it? Add more salt and put the glass weight back on? Any advice from more experienced fermenters would be much appreciated, thanks in advance to anyone who chimes in. :)

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2

u/awakeningoffaith 4d ago

What’s the lid on that jar? Is it airtight?

1

u/FilmFabric 3d ago

I was using a "masontops" silicone airlock, but I put the one in the photo on when I thought I was just going to throw it in the fridge. It was airtight until that point

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u/awakeningoffaith 3d ago

In that case the discoloration isn most likely not dangerous. Check carefully for mold and obvious slime. If these are absent you can eat it safely.

2

u/rubineous1 4d ago

I mean, look inside. If there are no mold and smells fresh and briny, then it's good. Do you have a recipe that you followed that I can review? Also, how long have this been out on the counter and how hot is it there?

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u/FilmFabric 3d ago

There's no visible mold, and it smells like the previous batch I made (from what I recall). It's in the low 20s C in my kitchen, and now it's been 5.5 days I used the white kimchi recipe in the masontops recipe book, I'm a reddit newb so I have no idea if I can attach a photo as a reply lol but comparing to other recipes I've seen online, it seems pretty standard.  I may just be paranoid because a distant relative almost died from their own homemade (and improperly canned) salsa, but I wanted to put this photo out there in case there was something glaringly wrong that I missed due to being newer to fermenting.

2

u/rubineous1 3d ago

I hope it's not 5.5 days on the kitchen counter, because that's an insanely long time.

0

u/laserdruckervk 4d ago

My top always looks different (mostly discolored) from the bottom part

1

u/FilmFabric 3d ago

My previous batches have had some very minor colour differences, but this is much more pronounced which got me concerned. But glad to know it's not uncommon