Wasted $45 on a fancy fermentation crock that had a hairline crack

I grabbed this nice stoneware crock from a local shop in Denver, thought I was getting a deal for $45. Got it home, set up a batch of sauerkraut, and after 3 days I noticed the brine was seeping out onto my counter. Turns out there was a tiny hairline crack near the bottom I missed in the store lighting. Anyone else accidentally buy damaged crocks and have tips for checking them before you hand over cash?

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jackson.sarah5mo ago

Great tip on the flashlight. I do that with all my pottery now at thrift stores.

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ryan_carr595mo ago

Did you try using a flashlight to backlight the crock before buying? I always pull out my phone light and run it across the whole surface looking for thin spots or cracks that way, especially on the bottom rim where damage hides. Also tap it gently with a metal spoon, a solid crock rings out clean but cracked ones sound dull or thuddy in spots. Bought one at a garage sale that looked perfect until I tipped it toward a window and saw a hairline running right up the side, saved myself the trouble.

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