A good way to tell if your sauerkraut is working well is to check for small bubbles in the sauerkraut (when using a glass jar, obviously). These should start to appear 24 to 48 hours after you have prepared your sauerkraut and stored it. If using a jar with a clamp seal, you will likely also notice bubbling around the seal - this is a good sign, it means that the bacteria are producing CO2 and the conditions in the container are becoming ideal for fermentation to occur.
You should also notice that the brine will become clearer over the same period, and if you have used red cabbage as part of a recipe, the colour will change to a more vibrant pink, as can be seen in the pictures below.
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| Before fermentation |
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| After fermentation |
