Light exposure can contribute to more scum development and cloudy brine but I usually find that soft pickles is due to using too old cukes or trying to ferment slicing cukes rather than pickling ones.

We use clear food grade plastic crocks for fermenting and sit them in a dark corner of the kitchen. You can also just drape a dark towel lightly over the jug to block some of the light without blocking the air.

Dave

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Like a newborn baby it just happens ev'ryday

I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door and it has been painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black

No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
I could not forsee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the setting sun
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

Hmm, hmm, hmm...

I wanna see it painted black, painted black
Black as night, black as coal
I wanna see the sun, blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black
Yeah

Thanks digdirt you are probably right about the old cukes. I couldn't pick enough at one time to fill the crock, so I saved some for a few days.

Mick,are you suggesting that I paint it black? Brilliant! Thanks, I was amused.

john

It may be that the brine was not salty enough. Many times scum will form, but if the cukes are going mushy, the are not fermenting properly. I use the Mrs. Wages dill pickle mixes for the actual salt. Because it has spices added and a bit of preservatives, I never see scum, mold, or any other negative issues. Unless they were exposed to dirct sunlight, where it cna raise the brine temperature, its usually not a factor compared to a crock. My grandmother used big gallon glass jars and had a couple of them for many years. The lids eventually rusted, so she just put a few layers of plastic wrap on the tops, and held it in place with a rubber band.