Fermentation Timeline Calculator
Pick a ferment and the temperature where the jar sits. The timeline lays out each stage as a bar on a day scale, so you can see at a glance when to start tasting and when to move the jar to the fridge.
Timeline
days
Heuristic windows for well-salted kimchi in a sealed jar. Taste from the early side - garlic and ginger strength shift the window.
How to read the timeline
Each bar is a stage window estimated from published fermentation references: kimchi ripens fast at room temperature and slowly in the fridge, and kombucha's second fermentation follows the same kind of curve for carbonation. Days count from when the jar was packed - set the jar date and the bars carry calendar dates instead.
The stage windows come from the same heuristics as the kimchi fermentation time calculator and the kombucha second fermentation calculator. For recipe times that are not on the chart, the fermentation time and temperature calculator adjusts any reference time with the doubling rule.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start tasting kimchi?
From the early side of the fresh-tangy bar. Garlic and ginger strength, salt level and the actual jar temperature all shift the window, so the bars are a planning aid - your tongue is the instrument.
Why do the kombucha bars start at day 2 or later?
Second-fermentation carbonation needs a few days at room temperature even in a warm kitchen. Below about 16 C the window stops shrinking on the chart - cold carbonation works but takes noticeably longer than any room-temperature estimate.
What happens after the last bar ends?
Nothing bad, at first. Kimchi keeps souring - great if you love it sour, or move it to the fridge to pause. Kombucha past its carbonation window just gets drier and more acidic; refrigerate it once the fizz is where you like it.