Back home in eastern Europe every household I knew (during communism when I was growing up but this continued) had a 30-50l glazed clay barrel with lid (same material) which would have a deep groove at the top where lid touched the barrel, which was filled with water to let the gasses out naturally once a bit of pressure accumulated. Usually in the cellar, and then common rooms for cellars in typical communist apartment blocks smelled accordingly (nothing bad, just matter of getting used to that).

Putting sauerkraut into barrel was a ritual for whole family - cutting cabbage heads on manual spinning cutter, then smaller person in the household would but a plastic bag on one foot/both feet and stand in the barrel, while family was adding more layers (to compress it all and get juices from cabbage out and salt in). It was mixed with some apples, spices like whole black pepper and salt. Once closed and water was put in, over time it would start regularly 'farting' out excess gasses from fermentation.

Lasted whole winter and then some, base for many nice meals but by far the best is hearty cabbage soup, tradition for not only Christmas dinner. That sauerkraut tasted/tastes much better than best bio stuff I can buy in most expensive Swiss/German shops.