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You could try watermelon Jolly Ranchers? Wow. Just, wow. Did you dissolve the gummies before putting them in? Did you mix them with an already finished batch of skeeter pee, or was it with the ingredients to make skeeter pee? Still reeling over here. 🤣

I don't use Campden tablets. Here's a website that might be helpful in that area. Other posters are sure to share their knowledge, too, about using them. As for when the bubbling starts, it really varies. If your airlock is bubbling every 10-13 seconds, that's very active! That means your must...

He's making cider.

Without any added sugar (and not having measured how much was in there before adding yeast), the must might not be sweet enough. Some fruits need that extra sugar to get going in order to start fermentation.

If you'd like to use them to help top off this batch, you could sanitize them in a way that doesn't involve boiling them. This would include any of the commercial sterilizers for use in wine making, or a weak bleach-to-water solution. If you use the bleach method, rinse them thoroughly before...

For those of you like me, who don't know what krausen is, here's an answer courtesy of DuckDuckGo: In traditional wine making, this is usually called the cap. It's basically when all of the mashed up grapes, skins, etc. float to the top of the must during fermentation. Winemakers punch it...

As dmtaylor mentioned, it sounds like this mead needs time. As the mead ages, the yeasty smell and taste will be reduced. Either what is still in the mead will ferment, settle out, or be tamed with mellowing with age. If you hands-down needed to drink it yesterday, I guess you could...

Brown sugar is a great ingredient, and contains molasses, which sometimes can take longer to ferment out. When making this batch, be sure to keep close watch on your gravity measurements to avoid mishaps. That being said, it sounds like this recipe could be tasty. Back-sweetening will definitely...

When I first started out making wine, I used similar practices to what you're describing. The recipes were spotty at best. They were taken from poorly translated, ancient texts on Gutenberg.org, and other historical documents. Directions were vague, and included things like, "float a piece of...

Wow that's a great looking mead! Nice clarity, golden color, and sparkle. It's a little tricky without measurements to know for "sure" if it's all finished. If you have a hydrometer, you could measure how much sugar is left in there, even without knowing the starting point. Then, gauge how much...

Did you already start fermenting the apple juice? If there's already a healthy fermentation going, it might be able to overpower the preservatives. If you mixed it all together, and have not fermented yet, it's a tougher battle. Yes, you can still try to get it to ferment; it'll just be an...

For an easy, delicious wine, I use two (2) 64 oz. bottles of Ocean Spray juice - pick your favorite flavor, the end result is almost always a light-tasting wine. It still has flavors of the label's promises (peach, cherry, cranberry, etc.), but unless you're using a blend that is specifically...

You can use this recipe, and sub in honey instead of sugar: Fig Recipe Make sure you use your hydrometer to keep it from being too sweet to ferment. If you don't have a hydrometer, you can search online for a conversion rate from sugar to honey. It's a tasty mix!

Let's not make any assumptions about the OP. Some folks have strong senses of smell, and are smell-sensitive as a result. Also, this is their first recipe. They are trying it out - each batch is different. Was your first batch branded "hooch" by more experienced crafters? Did you taste this...

If you're using cheesecloth, coffee filters, or poking holes in balloons, air is going to get into your cider. Air is full of particles; like molds, wild yeasts, and bacteria. You don't want these things in your cider. An airlock can help prevent this. Ferment safely, friends. ❤

In the past, I used the "Brewer's Best" extracts, as they're designed for flavoring beer, wine, ciders, and sodas. It was also the brand that the online store I order supplies from had in stock. The wines I gave a little "boost" to turned out nicely. I added a little bit at a time, kept tasting...

I've only ever used extracts after the fact; once fermentation was all done. With extracts, the only advice I have is that "a little goes a long way." o_O

The "apple taste" might be from all the pectin added from the jam? You could consider using an extract to add other stronger flavors.

Smell like what, exactly? Fermenting usually gives off yeasty odors, and scents similar to whatever ingredients you're using. Fermenting is always going to smell like something. Generally, I'd avoid fermenting in a closet, especially if that closet has clothes in it. If a batch froths over, or...

Every single batch is a learning process. <3 That's part of the fun. Experiment. Try new flavors. Accidentally shoot wine across the room. Finally throw away that one container you've been meaning to retire. Keep learning.