Thanks, Cat. Not being real salty is ok by me. For crispness, I use grape leaves. I put them on top of the pickles to keep them submerged, then have a weight on top of the leaves.

I have one jar I have not opened yet, and a small crock, I have been sampling from. Transferred two jars to fresh brine, last night. Will let them set for a few days and try them again.

Having fun experimenting with this!

On edit: I do have some alum, I will try when my next run of cucumbers are ready.