Third attempt in a year.
It’s the right texture, but I’m still missing something. It’s not as good as store bought, but good enough. And I’m working on improving that zest.
Kimchi sans fish sauce. Via https://www.liveeatlearn.com/how-to-make-kimchi/
Just use bottled spring water at that point. You can also boil the hell out of it, or use dechlorinator, but you may still have a funky taste.