Inspiration
As someone who’s always loved crafting homemade, gut-healthy foods, I grew frustrated with scattered fermentation guides and guesswork around timing. I wanted a one-stop tool that combined clear recipes, environment tracking, and problem-solving – something fellow home fermenters in my community could actually use daily.
What it does
Fermentation Lab guides users through making 10+ fermented foods (kimchi, kombucha, miso, etc.) with step-by-step recipes. It logs temperature/humidity to adjust fermentation timelines, visualizes progress stages, and answers common troubleshooting questions – plus shares insights on probiotic benefits and food safety.
How we built it
We started with core UX design aligned with warm, natural visual guidelines, then built the front end with React for responsiveness across mobile/web. Backend logic (environment-based duration calculation) used Node.js, with Firebase for data storage and Chart.js for progress visualization.
Challenges we ran into
Calibrating the fermentation duration algorithm to adjust accurately for temperature/humidity variations took weeks of testing – balancing scientific accuracy with user-friendly simplicity. We also struggled to make the troubleshooting search intuitive, iterating on query logic multiple times.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating a fully responsive tool that feels intuitive for both beginner and intermediate fermenters. The progress visualization feature (color-coded stages) and environment-based timeline calculator are user favorites – and we nailed the warm, approachable visual design we envisioned.
What we learned
I deepened my understanding of React for responsive design and data-driven logic (like dynamic timeline adjustments). I also learned how to translate complex fermentation science into accessible, actionable guidance – and the importance of user-centric testing with real home fermenters.
What's next for this project
We plan to add sensor integration for automatic temperature/humidity logging, expand the recipe library to include regional fermented foods, and build a (non-transactional) community space for users to share tips. We also want to add multi-language support and offline access for kitchen use.
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