Any small sauce pan can be used to ladle from the kettle to the fermenter. Fermenter and air lock. They are made of high quality plastic and have tight fitting lids. Create an air lock for the plastic bucket by drilling a hole in the lid just big enough to squeeze the tip of a plastic tube through. Submerge the other end of the tube in a cup or bottle with a little water to complete the air lock.
Plastic tubing is inexpensive at any home center store, in a variety of sizes.
The big yellow pickle buckets can also be used. They are cheap and don t require an airlock because the lid doesn t fit tightly. However, there is a small risk of contamination with a loose lid, and fermentation activity can t be easily observed without an airlock. Warm temperatures are often a problem in southern Japan. Warm fermentation can cause poor flavor and aroma, and increases the chance of bacterial contamination.