But that's a huge mess waiting to happen. A clogged airlock isn't a fluke, it's a design flaw. What if that cabbage piece didn't pop out and the whole jar exploded? Seen it happen with peppers. @christophers27 calls it power, I call it a risk. That gas needs a clear path out, always. Relying on luck with a vegetable plug is how you end up cleaning kraut off the ceiling. A simple burp each day is safer than trusting a tiny hole.

Honestly, @diana238 nailed it with the book comparison. Those early episodes build the heart of the story you can't just skip.

Totally agree with elizabethwhite, that's a scary amount of trust.