Brewing led to business selling fermentation crocks
While in college, Cody Connors started brewing beer with his buddies. It was the Virginia native’s first foray into the world of fermentation, and he was hooked.
He continued brewing, and after he met his wife, MacKenzie, he got her in on the process.
Soon, the couple started making other fermented foods and beverages, like kombucha, kimchi and sauerkraut. They went looking for equipment, and when they didn’t find what they wanted — prettier crocks that use less counter space — they decided to create their own.
Starting with a single color and size, they created Humble House, worked with a company in China, and began selling fermentation crocks in 2016.
Prices start at $39.95 for the smallest crock, known as the SauerKrock, while a 10-liter sells for $69.95.
Last year, the couple moved to be closer to MacKenzie’s family in Wisconsin. They bought a home in Wauwatosa, where Cody runs the business full-time while MacKenzie holds a day job. Their products are sold through Amazon, and they’re working on getting into local farmers markets and retailers.
Brewed awakening
I used to brew beer with my roommates in college, just as a hobby. We ended up having better-tasting beer for less money. … I continued brewing.
Mackenzie and I started getting more into it, we’d brew beer every month. From there, we got into other fermented beverages like cider, mead and kombucha. Then we got into making different cuisines every month. Then we started looking into fermenting different foods with it, like sauerkraut with German, kimchi with Korean and Asian.
Starting small
We were using Mason jars to make these fermented foods. We found it to be really exhausting. Mason jars, depending on how big a batch you make of a vegetable, the jars are so small you need a lot of them.
They’re also clear. Glass lets in sunlight. If you leave it on the kitchen counter, the warm sunlight can mess with temperature and potentially spoil your batch.
Jars also don’t allow for a water seal of escape. If you’ve got a jar, pressure builds during fermentation and it can potentially explode. We started looking online about how to deal with those issues and learned about traditional fermentation crocks.
Hobby to Humble House
The fermentation crocks we found online were limited in options and tended to be expensive. They also weren’t great-looking styles. The reviews were very inconsistent in terms of quality.
We thought, we could do this better and worked to design our own …
After talking to dozens of manufacturing partners throughout the world, we chose a group in China to work with. They had a good proven track record of making these ceramic goods at an affordable price. China also has a long history with traditions rich in fermenting food.
Finding a niche
As far as I know, we were the first player with the two-liter on the market. Starting with a 10-liter on your kitchen counter takes a lot of real estate. We saw a need for people to make smaller batches and take up less space.
Sauerkrock style
The Sauerkrock is our flagship product, a watersealed fermentation crock for making fermented vegetables. Right now we have three different sizes, four different colors and it includes two stone weights to keep the fermented foods submerged in their own brine, which during the fermentation process is critical for success.
We also have a variation, the Sauerkrock Tap, for making fermented beverages. … We also have a Sauerstomper, an extralong vegetable pounder you use to pack foods into the crock.
Fermented favorite
Now that we live in Wisconsin, I definitely have to say sauerkraut. It just goes really well on bratwurst. It is also quite easy and the thing I’d recommend for beginners.
Lesson learned
People might want to just scrub their crocks with hot water and soap, but using too much soap can mess up a batch, if it’s not properly rinsed and dried out. We tend to recommend a hot water vinegar blend and some scrubbing. We’ve got all sorts of tricks and tips on our site. Proper cleaning and storage matters.
By the book
I recommend anything by Sandor Katz. He’s very popular in the fermentation and homesteading community.
What’s in a name
We wanted our company name to represent why we got into home fermenting in the first place. We’re trying to pick up more skills to help us become self-sufficient and appreciative of the work that goes into making these foods. Humble House represents the simple life.
His Milwaukee meal
The Vanguard for sauerkraut and bratwurst. That’s my go-to quick and quality meal.
Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.