I have found that by using the bag method, the scum is much easier to handle, and if the bag is large enough, and covers the whole surface, there will be no scum at all. Also if you keep a lot of brine on top skimming the scum is easy.
I am not sure how big my crock is but I would guess about 16 pints, it handles 5 lbs of cabbage without a problem. (it fills it about 3/4 full) I picked it up at a garage sale for like 50 cents. It was just the crock no lid or cooker.
Yes the attachments go into the port on the front of the mixer.
I also noticed I said "It will give off an order for a week or two."
I meant to say "It will give off an odor for a week or two.", the odor isn't bad, but it does smell like cabbage.
Last fall i use store bought cabbage, and it just doesn't have enough juice in it. I had to make some brine for it. I tried it this time but placing the cabbage in pint jars and letting ferment that way, I won't do that again. But I did add some apples to two jars, and caraway
seed two others.
This is my third batch, and I haven't tasted it yet.
Good Luck!!! and tell us how it turned out.