PSA: My first attempt at kimchi turned into a science experiment

I tried making kimchi for the first time last Tuesday and something weird happened. I followed the recipe exactly but after three days the brine turned cloudy and started smelling like old socks. Turns out I used tap water instead of filtered water and the chlorine messed with the fermentation. The bacteria couldn't get going right so other stuff took over. I had to toss the whole batch which was about 6 cups of cabbage mix. Next time I'm using bottled water and keeping it a bit cooler around 65 degrees. Has anyone else had a batch go wrong from something simple like water quality?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.troy1d ago

Old socks" is a little dramatic, don't you think? I've been making kimchi for years with straight tap water from my kitchen sink (City of Chicago, so it's pretty chlorinated) and never had a problem. If anything, I've found that a little cloudiness in the brine is normal as the ferment kicks off, especially if you're using a warmer spot like near the stove. Maybe your batch wasn't ruined, just going through an ugly phase. I'd say give it another shot with the same tap water but let it sit out for an hour to let the chlorine gas off before you mix it in.

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craig.nathan1d ago

Exactly right, @stone.troy. I used to be paranoid about tap water but you've convinced me.