Masontops Pickle Pipes - Airlock Fermentation Lids - Wide/Small Combo Sauerkraut & Pickle Kit - Fermentation Jar Not Included

I've used water-filled valves for making wine but I think these work better for canned stuff. They are just so much easier to work with, clean, and store. Plus they are low profile and don't stick way up in the air. I think it's worth the extra cost vs the water valves unless you have a whole bunch of jars then it might get too costly. It's a great product overall.

These worked great for fermenting sauerkraut.They allow air to vent out of the fermentation. They are so much easier than other methods I have tried. I can’t believe I waited so long to purchase these.You simply place on the jar and secure with a lid band. I purchased the wide mouth and it fits my mason jars perfectly.

So I am updating my review after reading some of the other customer reviews. This is important so please note:1. These 1 way silicone valve lids are completely fool-proof, unless you damage them.2. Some users have complained about mold, etc. in their ferments. This is because they did not use enough salt or they used moldy vegetables, or because they simply didn't wash things at all. The salt based ferment is so good you can do it without an valve. You can just put a lid on loosely and it all works perfectly. It is the lactobacteria that make it perfect. The only way it can fail is if you don't use enough salt, or you use water with chlorine, etc. If you use clean, chlorine and chemical free water and the proper amount of canning or kosher salt (i.e., NO IODIZATION, NO ADDITIVES) you CANNOT get a bad product. The lid has nothing whatsoever to do with this. The only thing that can happen if you have a bad lid is pressure can build up and then be release suddenly, which might make a mess but won't hurt your ferment. Also note: A small amount of moldy looking aerobic bacteria culture WILL ALWAYS GROW on the surface of your ferment. THAT is why you want to use a glass weight or other method of keeping the produce under the surface of the salt water and always aerobic. The users who complain about mold either don't know about this or used (most likely) too little or the wrong kind of salt. Period. I say "Period" because this type of fermentation is the MOST foolproof there is. It is impossible for these lids to have anything to do with a failed fermentation. Note: Most inexperienced users overfill the jar, and that will always cause leakage. Don't overfill the jar. Buy these (admittedly expensive) lids because you will use them season after season after season and save SO MUCH MONEY and eat so healthy. Keep safe out there and be sure to get your COVID-19 vaccination.

Well made handy to use

I've been fermenting quite a bit. I have had failures with water-airlocks, but never a failed ferment with these. Not to say it can't happen, but if you pick your produce well and chemical-free, no-wax, and if you sanitize your jar, weight and top, these tops clearly minimize chances for failed fermentation.Pros: Easiest to use, easiest to clean, sturdy and flexible material, consistently great quality.Cons: Really expensive for 4 slabs of silicone sold in a cheap plastic container.Tip: I spray my jars, weights and lids and airlocks with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to sanitize them. Mist them all over and let them sit in it for 15 to 20 seconds, then rinse in distilled or filtered water. Tap water can kill your ferment, folks! I've learned to make my brine in a big pyrex measuring bowl. I weigh 7 grams or one level teaspoon of kosher salt or pickling salt into each cup of filtered water. I make extra brine, usually a quart, because I'd rather have too much than too little brine. I layer my veggies, herbs & spices, leaving lots of room at the top of the jar! place my weight, then add the brine very slowly to cover it all! Pouring slowly pretty well stops air bubbles from getting trapped under the veggies. I only use plastic utensils to stir the brine, and I'm sure wood works too, but they tell us not to use metal in our ferment because metal has antibacterial qualities. It's fine to use a metal Mason jar ring outside over the Pickle Pipes to hold them down.Good luck with your ferments!

So far I've only used the kit for one fermentation experiment, but I absolutely LOVE how easy it is to use! I grabbed a Mason jar, chopped up some garlic, threw in some chopped up garlic, sliced carrots, sliced jalapeno, put the weight on top and covered it in brine. A week later I had tasty hot carrots, now I just need to keep experimenting, can't wait to try to make kimchi, sauerkraut, and... Whatever else I want!

Ordered the kit first; had good success. Ordered 8 more and doing more.

They seem to be perfect for fermenting in Mason jars. They will be used this summer after harvesting.