Since I'm finally getting active on this forum, I'm going over some old posts that are of interest, and this is one of them.
Those are great photos and clear instructions. I made kraut this fall as well and have a few things to add, even though it might be a little late to find good cabbage. I got big heads of organic cabbage from the grower at the Ann Arbor Farmers market.
First, the correct amount of salt is important. Most recipes call for salt by volume (3-4 Tbs/5 lbs cabbage). Salt varies all over the place in density. It took a bit of digging to find it by weight - 2.25-2.5% by weight. (I love the interwebs.) I used Trader Joe's sea salt (Spanish).
I used a 2 mm slicer glade on my Cuisinart. Much faster than slicing by hand. (BTW, just use the white leaves, the outer thin green ones don't make good kraut.) Since I'm of traditional German ancestry, I didn't add anything other than cabbage and salt.
Here's a trick that I find easier than weighing down the fermenting cabbage with a plate and weight to keep it all under the liquid. I fill a clean plastic trash bag with water, put it in another clean trash bag (in case of leaks), and put it in the bucket on top of the fermenting kraut. The brine seeps up the sides around the bag and the kraut is always under the brine. Back in the old days (early 70's) when I used a plate and weight, we got some pink cabbage on top which we had to toss.
I fermented in the cellar in the lower 60s F, which made for a slower fermentation without strong smells. I now have a wonderfully flavored, fairly mild, crunchy kraut. I just keep the bag on top when I'm not getting some out to eat. Even after it's finished, air can still cause problems. I suppose at some point I'll transfer it to Ziplocs and keep it in the fridge for convenience.
Jeff