Why are my beets not fermenting? My first attempt (RAW BEETS) - large mason jars, 2 tbsp sea salt, water up to 1" below lid.  After a week I opened the lid to "burp" the gas out, but there was nothing, no fizz, just dead beets in room temperature water.  I got sketched out and threw them out.

2nd try (COOKED BEETS)- I tried using 2 tbsp whey which I rendered from yogurt plus a tbsp of sea salt, after 3 days, same thing, no gas or fizz just warm salty dead beets.

My house is always at 70 degrees.

I am very disappointed. I have had great success with carrots in the past.

any insight would be appreciated.
You do not give the ratio of salt to liquid or salt to weight of your veggies so with that missing info I may (but do not think so) be wrong.  The only way they would not be fermenting is that you used too much salt and they are salt preserved instead of fermented preserved.  Still edible but entirely different tast plus they will be soft if this is the case.

Your ratio of salt to vegtables ought to be in the neighborhood of 1 to 3 tablespoons salt per quart of water. Or if you are doing shredded vegtables do not add water, add 1 1/3 tablespoon salt per lb of vegetable.