HoneyJar Kerazo 5 L (1.3 Gal) K&K Keramik German Made Fermenting Crock Pot Form_1 Kerazo 5 L (1.3 Gal) K&K Keramik German Made Fermenting

Excellent quality fermenter. Great Sauerkraut and other ferments have been delicious.

Love everything about this crock. Made my first batch of sauerkraut and it exceeded my expectations. Really like the deep well to put salt water in, I don't have to fill it as often in case I forget about it. Came very well packed and arrived in perfect shape. I just ordered the same thing in the 10 liter size. A little pricey but like my Dad used to say, "you get what you pay for."

I just received this fermenting crock pot yesterday, so there isn't a great deal I can honestly say about its performance. What I can say is that the company does an outstanding job in packing to insure it arrives fully intact. All I have done so far is carefully inspect it, wash it and fill it with water for a couple hours to make sure there is no leakage. It passed on all accounts. One note: Prior to purchasing this item I read a comment or two about the lid not fitting properly. I checked for this and will confirm that the lid does not sit square in every 360 degree position. However, if you're willing to accept having to twist the lid in either direction 10-15 degrees, you will find that the fit is quite acceptable. If you want to spend $100 more to get a lid that fits perfectly, go ahead; That's your choice. But, IMHO, if you actually make this piece of cooking equipment part of your meal experience, after a few uses you will not even remember this comment.

The Kerazo is beautiful.Arrives well packaged, however, the lid was cracked,but the excellent customer service got one out to me right away.It's a cold February here in Los Angeles, not ideal for fermentation; so bought a heated seed mat toput under. That wasn't enough so now have a heat pad on a timerunderneath that. My favorite part is when the occasional bubble makesit through the water-seal, lets me know there's life in there. First batch wasa bit salty, but that's on me not the Kerazo

I cannot add to that which has already been written with regard to quality of product and of its performance. (Arrived in a foam-lined corrugated carton which was packed, in another layer of foam, inside of another double-walled corrugated box. If this has always been the packing method, I wonder how the damaged arrival was accomplished -- I can't see it having been damaged had the delivery guy thrown it out the truck window at speed (if he was big enough to do such a thing).) A few comments upon the "form 1" vs "form 2." The form 1 is a nearly brutish design of Teutonic efficiency. Requiring a smaller crock, I purchased a form 2 crock from another vendor and discovered the the nearly feminine curves come at the price of three disadvantages: Form 1 is cylindrical inside; the rounded waist of the form 2 corresponds to an increasing internal diameter, which means that the weights don't fit as tightly in a less than full batch. The handles on the form 2 (at least in the version that I obtained) caused corresponding internal cavities, in which care must be taken to prevent accumulation of product above the brine. And you can actually pick up a form 1 crock by the handles. Truly the Cadillac of fermenters.

After fermenting in this crock and fermenting in jars, there is simply no comparison. With the crock you can do larger quantities and it is set and forget. There are no worries of over-expansion of the kraut with the generous diameter and height of the inner well. The ceramic weights are heavy and very effective holding down the cabbage. The water ring around the top does not allow any outside air into the batch and is easy to add water to if evaporating fast in your area. My only recommendation is only add enough water to cover the lid vent apertures by ≈1/4". Adding too much water seems to cause a lot of pressure to build internally causing the eventual Co2 release to splash some water over the retention ring. Just check the water level every couple of days to ensure it's adequate. Be forewarned that this is a heavy item and care should be taken when moving from one spot to another. Its larger mass is a bonus however, keeping temperature change minimal through the day. I am very proud of this purchase and recommend this crock to anyone that enjoys larger batches with minimal maintenance during the fermentation process.

I have a cabbage waiting on its first date with this Kerazo. The size is just right for my husband and I for a years worth of Kraut. I want to try other ferments and this is just the right size. A lot less mess. A little pricy but without your health you have nothing.

I like everything about this crock. As others have commented it is an excellent product. Solid, easy to use, easy to clean. One tip, which is pointed out in the accompanying recipe book, but maybe not obvious, is related to the water level in the channel. Please note that after the fermentation activity settles down you can get a vacuum effect that sucks in the water from the channel making it appear the water has evaporated. Just tilt the lid up on one side to equalize the pressure. I've made batches of sauerkraut and Sriracha in mine with excellent results. The only thing I might have done differently is to get a bigger crock. Friends and family like the stuff so much I can't keep any of it in stock.