Honestly, I get where @morganp69 is coming from, but I had the same worry before trying it myself. After seeing that demo, I made my own sauerkraut and it was super simple. Just chopping cabbage, adding salt, and waiting for the bubbles to show up. It feels more like a neat kitchen experiment than hard work. Seeing it change day by day is what makes it fun and easy to stick with.

Yeah, the reducer is part of it, but the real issue is usually the activator. That stuff gets super sluggish when it's cold. It won't mix right or kick off the chemical cure properly. You'll end up with a soft finish that never really hardens, even if the color looks okay at first. I learned that the hard way on a clear coat last winter, same deal with my shop heater dying.