Fermentation Support Forum

hi group

I made a beetroot brine, using 5% salt water and a re-used brine about a week old from a previous ferment.

it all started out well with the beetroot getting more edible & nicely crunchy, but then the bubbles disappeared.

I made up a fresh batch of brine and transferred the beetroot, and just a little of the old brine solution but it seems to have stopped all together now.

I can taste the difference too. is there a way to re-activate the ferment ? As I dont want to waste the beetroot

thanks
martin

Did you peel the beetroots before you put them in the brine? That would remove some of the natural fermenting bacteria that nature supplies them with. Even so, they should have enough bacteria to get going--even if you had not added the old brine. (I never do that, but might do it someday if I think I have just made an incredible ferment.)

The bubbles slowing down to an unnoticeable point doesn't mean the beetroots are no longer fermenting. They may have just switched over to being fermented by a slower acting strain of bacteria. I'd just keep being patient. How longer have you been waiting?

P.S. One of my earliest memories is being a baby in a "high chair" eating pickled beets.

Lack of bubbles doesn’t mean the brine is dead. If it starts smelling and tasting “off”, then you might have an issue.