THere are a few other recent threads referencing fermented cukes (Classen, etc.) along with many answered questions. It would be more helpful to search for the original fermented pickle threads and post your comments and questions there. Creating a new subject thread will push off older threads that may contain a LOT of valuable info. Bsides that it gets confusing if there are lot of similar posts.
As to being salty, thats the nature of a fermented pickle. I don't know your recipe, but its based on Alton Browns mixture of 5.5 ounces (by weight) to one gallon of water. You can add as much or as little garlic that you like. I don't add any hot spices either, but some do. This kind of pickle doesn't do well if canned, as its heat will cause the cukes to get more mushy once exposed to heat. The store bought Claussen are usually found in the refrigerated section as opposed to being on the reglar pickle shelves. So that indicates that they are not heat processed. Plastic pails (provided they are food grade) are OK to use for these. For making an 'add on' batch, refigerate teh first few for maybe a day, then mix up the brine and add them to it. By then, you should have a few more ready to put in brine. Be sure to cut off the end tips and wash well. You can add for up to 2-3 days after the inital brine is made. After 3 days, its not going to be able to offer you the same level of fermentation for the whole batch, and so the mixed batch will be a little different in taste and texture. Adding water to the overly salty batch will reduce safety and you should not can them as they are unsafe if the salt and lactic acid (created by the fermentation) are reduced in the finished product. Some people are more sensitive to salt, so you may be the only one who enjoys these. It might be better to make a a batch of vinegar based pickes for hubby. There, the amount of salt is usually less important due to the high acid vinegar brine. A lot of dill weed will also offer a spicy heat in an acidic brine, I notice this, but if the dill weed is fresh and not in a pickle brine, its flavor is just dill. Acid brines tend to make it a bit hot. As mentioned in other posts, I like using a Mrs. Wages dill pickle mix and find these work well with fermented brines to.

You need that much salt to get proper fermentation. You can use a large plastic jar as long as it is food grade.
Normally you strain the brine through coffee filters and use it to process the pickles in. You can also keep these in the fridge for several months.

Sounds as if you may wish to review the general instructions on fermenting too for safety sake - such as adding additional cukes (the water in them will dilute the mixture). I think you'll find it answers most all your questions.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Fermenting Guidelines, Problems, Containers, and Recipes

I had that problem last year with a recipe I tried. Too salty for our tastes. What I did was mix up a small batch of vinegar and water according to the original recipe, leaving out the salt. Then I drained the brine from the jar of pickles that I had just opened, and poured the vinegar and water mixture in. Do NOT try to re-can this, as others have mentioned, because it's not safe, but if you keep this in your refrigerator it should be OK for long enough for you to eat the pickles. If the garlic is too strong, you might want to remove the garlic from the pickles at this same time. I just hate to throw things out, and this saved the pickles for us after a couple days sitting in the refrigerator. I did the same with each jar, one by one, as soon as the previous jar was finished.

Sorry, but you should never reuse that pickle juice like that. It is diluted and contaminated from already doing it's job. You can get food poisoning from doing that.
If you are fermenting, you need that salt. Sure, they may be salty, but it is necessary.
Even refrigerator pickles, if not done correctly can make you sick. Listeria in them.
That is why perhaps a quick pack pickle may be more suitable for you. There is a low salt recipe version available online.

Linda Lou, if you are addressing me, I never said to reuse the pickle juice. I said to make up a small batch of the brine without the salt, pour out the too-salty brine and replace it with the NEW vinegar and water mixture. I did stress to do it a jar at a time, right after you have opened the jar, and keep it in your refrigerator until the contents of the jar have been completely consumed.

I entered that post yesterday after not having visited this forum for a long time. The reason? Because every time I posted something in the past, someone came along after not having read my post thoroughly, and went off on me. I thought maybe with time this forum might have become a more friendly place but I was wrong.

I am 62 years old. I have been eating my home-canned produce since I was 25. I have only been sickened by food one time in all that time, and that was from a purchased frozen pot-pie.

I think some of the new rules that have been published recently make a mushy, inferior product. That's just my opinion and what do I know.

Sorry that I bothered y'all with my stupidity. I won't do it again.

I would think Ilene's method would work, makes sense to me. I'd certainly give it a try to save the work you've already done.

Making a salt pickle less salty with only a water solution to dilue the salt, may also induce faster spoilage. The enzymes in cukes and the lactic acid produced once the salt brine 'converts', will be diluted and once that happens, the cukes are going to release some salt, dilute their lactic acid, and cause mold to form. Its always best to TASTE a brine prior to adding to cukes. I taste many times to ensure that the salt is sufficient and not overpowering. If your not a salt user, you will be much more sensitive to salt brines. Too much salt in the water causes bitterness, too little salt causes spoilage and the cukes get mushy fast. I taste the salt brine to get to a point where it is salty, almost sweet tasting, but not bitter, and it has a mouth watering effect on my tongue, almost like it was sugar added. Many people ask me if I add sugar to my vinegar based pepperoncini and I have to tell them no, as there is only salt and vinegar, and its blended in such proportions that the taste is almost sweet. A salt water brine can get to that same taste point too.

KSRogers,

A couple questions about the salt-to-water mixture where it "almost tastes sweet".

1) Even though this may vary by person's taste, do you have a rough ratio (preferably by weight) which will get me close to this point? then I can tweak from there and make my own notes for future.

2) are you always tasting the brine when it's at room temperature (which would be my guess...)?

As mentioned in may previous threads, the closest I came up with was from Alton Brown in Good Eats. Its 5.5 ounces of pickling salt to one gallon of water. The water MUST be soft, and not contain a lot of minerals, calcium, iron, or other things common to the south and west coast. Yes, the brine is always at room temp, and is never boiled at any time. Its made fresh and stays at room temp all through the fermentation, then its placed in the fridge at the proper time. I use half gallon Ball jars for my pickles. At the point of the salt and water mixture (totally dissolved salt!), its clear again, and you can taste it to experience that mouth watering flavor. If you find its a bit bitter, add a bit more water or less salt, if its bland, add a bit more salt or less water. I use the Mrs. Wages Dill pickle mixes instead of salt as the mixes conmtain a lot more dill flavor that you would need to give you a decent dill half sour or fuly fermented cuke. Dont forget the garlic too, I usually add a few cut up cloves, as well as a lot of dill weed and a few whole dill seed heads. My dill right now and all topped over and is at green seed stage. The cuke plants are still only 10 inches tall and nothing is growing here due to the 60 degree temps and rain.