Want to add Sugar...

[Ange]

Morning Chaps,

Yesterday I did 1st rack on a Rhubarb, a Peach and a Teabag wine. I added a CT before replacing into fresh Demi's. All 3 are too dry for me, I want to make sweeter. COULD I add sugar today, along with a Potassium Sorbate and another CT, or should I wait a few days? Have been looking into using Splenda, but it's Aspartame and try and avoid that at all costs...

Ange
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[goldseal]

If you have recently added your Campden tablet, you should be OK adding Sorbate at the recommended dosage.

Personally I would then wait a few days before sweetening, to ensure the sorbate and sulphite have done their jobs in stunning the yeast and stopping it reproducing respectively.

After sweetening I tend to keep the wine in the DJs and look carefully for any signs of fermentation starting up again.

[Ange]

Hello Goldseal, many thanks for replying. OK, I've added the required P.Sorbate and refitted the airlocks. If I wait a week, then add a sweetener - I bought a sweetener from Aldi today, it says it's a natural sweetener - how long after that should I wait to bottle please? I have few demi's.

Thanks,

Ange
xx

[goldseal]

Do you know what the sweetening ingredient is?

If it is a fermentable sugar, I'd give it a week in the DJ. Keep a look out for signs of continued fermentation (cloudiness, bubbles, airlock activity, sediment).

[Ange]

Morning Goldseal, thanks for replying. Yes - the label says: Maltodextin and Sucralose. I did add the P.Sorbate yesterday, less than 24 hour after the CT ...

Ange
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[SiSandrine]

Ange,

I am pretty sure that what you have bought is non-fermentable and therefore could be added without risk of re-refermentation. In this case you wouldn't have needed the Pot. Sorbate - it won't do any harm just that you didn't need it. Sorbate is only needed to reduce the likelihood of re-fermentation when you add fermentable sugar - like granulated sugar. Sweeteners are generally made out of non-fermentable products but it is always good to check.

Hope this helps

[RTPFUN]

Hi Ange. Got my Chemistry hat on today. It's not just the taste but the liver workout and the possibility of a much better hang over. Works like this: - Alcohol=toxin your liver will sort that out. Sorbate=non digestible=toxin your liver will sort that out. Metabisulphate=non digestible=toxin yep that's up to your liver too. And then we add artificial sweetener (Sucralose) =non digestible=toxin and more fun for your liver. Maltodextrin however is easily absorbed into the body and is used in weight gain products for body builders and in baby food. These two can also give you the s**** in large amounts. I would opt for a more natural ingredient sugar in wine and honey malt extract etc in other alcoholic drinks. Sucralose is just Chlorinated sugar all the taste but the body is tricked and doesn't recognise it as food and doesn't try to digest it (yeast can't ferment it). Oh dear it's a chemisrty lesson. Soooooo Sorry. Hat is now in the bin. Promise

[SiSandrine]

I would opt for a more natural ingredient sugar in wine and honey malt extract etc in other alcoholic drinks.

Natural is good but unless you have sterile filtering, then by adding sugar to the wine in order to achieve a sweet or off dry end product you will still need (as a home winemaker) to add sorbate and metabisulphite anyway.

[Cellar_Rat]

zylotol or canderel powder ('cos its cheaper)

[SiSandrine]

Now you have a shiny bright Enolmatic you could go pro and buy a 0.25micron filter. That way you could have sweet wine. See here for prices

http://www.winegrowers.info/wine_equ...matic/info.htm - Tandem = £99 + £55 for 0.25 micron filter cartridge

Just had a new boiler at home (non-wort variety) so not a lot of 'investment' allowed at my house at the moment.

[Ange]

Morning Chaps!
Many thanks for your replies and help. When I did another Hydrom test, I added the smallest amount of this sweetener from Aldi, and ... it really didn't taste bad! That's what I'll be using I think instead of Sugar, however if future creations turn out too dry I'll add sugar instead I think.

Thanks again,

Ange
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