Glass Fermentation Weights Review — Country Trading Co. Set of 4
Glass Fermentation Weights for Wide Mouth Mason Jars — Set of 4, Easy Lift Handles — for Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles & Kombucha
Country Trading Co.
- EASY TO STERILIZE - these glass fermentation weights are smooth and easy to clean before use on lactic ferments like sauerkraut kimchi and vegetable pickles
- WIDE HANDLES FOR LIFTING - insert and extract the fermenting weights with ease from wide mouth mason jars - no more fishing discs out with your fingers
- HEAVY ENOUGH TO KEEP FERMENTS DOWN - unlike lighter discs these weights are heavy enough to keep active ferments under the brine
- PART OF YOUR FERMENTING KIT - these weights are important to keep your ferments under the level of the protective brine
Quick Verdict
Pros
- Smooth glass surface cleans easily and sterilizes without fuss in boiling water or the dishwasher
- Wide lift handles make insertion and removal from jars simple — no fishing around with fingers
- Sufficient weight keeps vegetables fully submerged under brine, reducing risk of mold
- Set of 4 covers multiple jars for batch fermenting without buying more weights
- No porous material to trap odors or stains, unlike ceramic or stone weights
- Solid build quality feels durable enough for years of regular fermenting
Cons
- Glass construction means they can chip or crack if dropped on a hard surface during handling
- Heavier than plastic alternatives, which slightly increases shipping costs and breakage risk in transit
- Only compatible with wide mouth jars — not suitable for regular mouth or narrow neck containers
- No included storage solution; loose glass discs need careful storage between batches
Quick Verdict
The glass fermentation weights from Country Trading Co. did exactly what I needed during my late-season sauerkraut runs. After six weeks of near-daily fermenting, the four-disc set has held up without chips, the handles genuinely make lifting easier, and — most importantly — my cabbage stayed under brine every single time. I'd recommend them to anyone running wide mouth jars for home fermentation. I'd rate this set 4.3 out of 5 stars.
What Is the Country Trading Co. Glass Fermentation Weights Set?
These are four solid glass discs designed to sit inside wide mouth mason jars and weigh down fermented vegetables. They are not fancy gear — they are simple, functional tools that solve one specific problem: keeping your cabbage, cucumbers, or peppers submerged in brine while lactic acid fermentation does its work. The set comes in a gift box, which honestly just means the weights arrive without clinking against each other in the box.
Country Trading Co. targets home fermenters who want a step up from improvised solutions (rocks, ziplock bags filled with brine, cheap plastic discs). The glass construction is the main differentiator — it's non-porous, doesn't leach anything into your food, and cleans up like any drinking glass.
Key Features
- Smooth glass surface cleans easily and sterilizes in boiling water or dishwasher
- Wide integrated handles allow easy lifting without submerging hands in brine
- Heavy enough weight keeps active ferments submerged during CO2 release
- Set of 4 covers multiple simultaneous fermentation batches
- Compatible exclusively with wide mouth mason jars (3-inch/86mm opening)
- Non-porous glass resists staining and odor absorption between batches
- Gift box packaging for safe shipping and easy gifting
Hands-On Review
I opened the box on a Tuesday evening, just before starting a batch of red cabbage sauerkraut I'd been planning for a few days. The weights came wrapped individually in paper, which felt unnecessary but kept them pristine. The first thing I noticed was the weight — they have a satisfying heft, not glass-bead-light like I feared. The handles are molded into the disc shape, slightly raised, and easy to hook a fingernail under.
Filling the first jar, I dropped a weight in and watched the cabbage compress under it. Within 24 hours, the fermentation was visibly active — bubbles rising, the disc pushed up slightly by CO2. Here's what I watched for over the next two weeks: the weights did not float, did not shift significantly, and when I needed to check progress, lifting them out with one finger via the handle was genuinely painless. No brine on my knuckles, no struggling with a slotted spoon.
After the first batch, I ran the weights through the dishwasher on a sanitize cycle. They came out spotless. I repeated this four more times over six weeks with different ferments — standard green cabbage sauerkraut, a spicy cucumber pickle, and a garlic-heavy ferment that usually makes plastic things smell for days. The glass held no residual odor. By the fifth clean, I stopped worrying about them entirely — which is exactly what you want from a tool.
What surprised me was the small things: a few of my previous rock-and-bag-weight setups had produced surface mold because the weight wasn't heavy enough to account for the volume loss as vegetables released water. These glass discs solved that problem immediately. The only moment I hesitated was when I dropped one on my tile floor while washing it. It bounced. I nearly had a heart attack, but the glass held.
Who Should Buy It?
These weights are worth your money if you ferment vegetables regularly and are tired of jury-rigging solutions. They suit:
- Home fermenters who run multiple jars at once and need consistent, reusable weights
- People who want a clean, non-reactive material over ceramic or plastic for long-term use
- Those who appreciate kitchen tools that are easy to sterilize between batches
- Beginner fermenters who want reliable results without worrying about weights failing mid-ferment
Skip this set if you primarily use regular mouth mason jars — these are wide mouth only. Also skip if you do mostly short ferments (24-48 hour quick pickles) where the cost-per-use doesn't justify the investment. And if you already have a set of ceramic weights that work fine for you, there's no compelling reason to swap.
Alternatives Worth Considering
If these are out of stock or you want to compare options:
- KBrox Glass Fermentation Weights — similar glass disc design with slightly different handle geometry; priced comparably and also wide mouth only
- Masontops Glass Weights — well-known fermentation brand with a similar product; often available in single or multi-pack; slightly higher price point but strong community reviews
- Plastic Fermentation Weights (e.g., Freshware or Sellemer) — budget alternative; lightweight means less effective for high-volume ferments, but cheaper and won't break if dropped
FAQ
Yes. They are specifically designed for wide mouth mason jars (the standard 3-inch/86mm opening). They will not fit regular mouth jars or narrower containers.
Final Verdict
The Country Trading Co. glass fermentation weights delivered on their core promise: they keep ferments submerged, they clean easily, and they last. The wide handles are a genuine usability improvement over smooth discs, and the glass material earns trust compared to porous ceramic or flimsy plastic. They're not cheap, and the wide-mouth-only limitation is real — but if you're already committed to mason jar fermentation, this set is a worthwhile upgrade from improvised weights. I'd keep using them without hesitation.