Best winemaking additives according to redditors

I had no idea how many to use. I googled around but couldn’t find anything. So I just filled my mason jar with as many as I could fit after the peppers. Ended up being 1/3 of this package—


North Mountain Supply French Oak Cubes (Medium Toast, 4 Ounce) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PL2MLTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G2x1Db2JC6N9M

Just an example, as you could probably get it at the grocer or cheaper elsewhere but all you'll need is some citric acid and a sweetener of your choice(optional).

They also sell it for canning but I'm not sure if it tastes the same. Don't really see why not.

Citric acid is what gives that tang in sour patch kids and pretty much everything else that is sour in the candy world. Just a warning that it may slowly dissolve the gelatin, so I wouldn't put it on until you are ready to eat it.

Mead is VERY forgiving, far more so than beer or wine. As has been suggested, JAOM is a great "toss it in and walk away" recipe, but almost any recipe will work for a beginner, even if it's done a bit off.

Things to remember:

Don't use bleach to sanitize, it's fucking hard to get completely out, and can render a batch unusable. I prefer IO Star to Star San as it doesn't foam up when you scrub the shit out of stuff with it, and it's easier to completely rinse.

Mead needs separate nutrient, it is quite cheap on Amazon you should also add Energizer perodically (once every other day for the first week and once a week for the next month) to prevent things from getting stuck along the way. A good guide on how/when to add fruit and how to perform step feeding, which produces the tastiest results, can be found HERE.

Wine Tannin can help to make your flavors "pop" and come out more brightly, add around 3 grams to a 5 gallon batch in primary.

Also, don't let things ferment in too warm a space, the place I ferment in is a steady 69 degrees, if you let it go too warm, you might end up with weird alcohols getting created, and your brew providing a headache along with a buzz.


Lastly, if you've decide you're going to get into brewing, don't go the carboy/bucket route. For a little bit more money (like $40 more than everything else combined), you can get a MUCH better/easier and compact solution. A conical eliminates the need to rack from one container into another (has a bottom drain to suck out yeast cake) it has a side drain to bottle from (I plug this into my filter pump and bottle right from there) is MUCH more compact then separate bucket/carboy & racking canes, and is a lot easier to clean because the hole in the top is like 6 inches across, plenty big enough for a hand and a scrubby sponge as opposed to the tiny 2" opening in a carboy (which are a bitch to clean).

Also, the supplier in this link (highgravitybrew.com) doesn't charge for shipping for these conicals, it seems like everyone else who sells them does even though they're all drop shipped from the factory regardless from whom you get it.

Here is the product I was looking at:

http://www.amazon.com/Brewmaster-Malic-Acid-2-oz/dp/B006O1Z2IE

Edit:
Out of curiosity, how does this test work? I would never have guessed that the L/D variants would have different melting points and the wikipedia page just states 130°C.

Warming: Deep frying experience is required in this recipe, this is a terrible recipe for first timers due to the inherent danger of frying something as moist as fresh salmon skins.

Step 1. Acquire salmon skins, dry very very well, then dry some more. Paper towels might not be enough, hair dryer recommended, or some time in the freezer on a cooling rack. I sliced them into squares about 2in x 2in.

Step 2. Fill a tall pot with your choice of frying oil, I used lard. I used about 4 cups, but it is dependent on your setup. 4 Cups gave me about oil about 2-3 inches deep to use.

Step 3. Heat to about 350-375 degrees on medium high. plop in dry salmon skin 2 at a time (to maintain temp). Use a spider or chopsticks to flip them after about 1 minute, then fry that side 1 minute more. Extract to a sheets on paper towels on a plate.

Step 4. Repeat process, a lid may be needed to contain the oil if it gets too crazy, but the steam produce will feed back into the oil and cause more sputtering, so keep it off centered.

After you are done with the process, you can filter the still warm oil through some coffee filters or made for oil filters if you want.

I used the lard to make Sesame salad dressing without filtering.

Chop up hella garlic, like 10 pieces, into warm lard, optional, you can fry the garlic till it's light brown.
For every cup of garlic infused lard I used about 4 tablespoons of ground up toasted sesame seeds (toasted in the pan, but seasame seed 'butter' is available in asian markets, it's like natural peanut butter but is made from seasame seeds, alternatively, tahini is the same idea.), a tablespoon of mayo, 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon mirin, 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 1-2 tablespoons of seasame seed oil. To make salad dressing that 'tastes' right but is full of fat, I use citiric acid (http://www.amazon.com/Barry-Farm-Citric-Acid-oz/dp/B0001FUGTE) in place of extra vinegar. Add water, splenda, and salt to taste.

The citric acid also makes for a tangy salmon skins or pork rinds with a light spray of vinegar and a sprinkling of citiric acid.

Yup as they've said below - Super Kleer is awesome. Though it wont hurt your mead to sit on the lees after you clear, it will eventually add off-flavors. Once you hit it with SC it'll be crystal and you can decanter/siphon/transfer off the lees and age.

https://www.amazon.com/Liquor-Quik-Super-Kleer-KC-Finings/dp/B01KW2H1ZC

I will sometimes filter, or give it time. But I swear by this stuff

https://www.amazon.com/Liquor-Quik-Super-Kleer-KC-Finings/dp/B01KW2H1ZC

It's like magic

Also, as mentioned, pectic enzyme at pitching makes a lot of difference. But only if you care about cider being cloudy. I don't notice any discernible quality difference except one's shinier

I bought some of these
North Mountain Supply American Oak Cubes (Medium Toast, 4 Ounce) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PDNG5X4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MekADbMFQXNX6

I put two in but personally didn't taste much of a difference

https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-French-Cubes/dp/B07PDNH5ZS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=french+oak+cubes&qid=1563105488&s=gateway&sprefix=french+oak+c&sr=8-2