High OG or back sweeten?

I started a cranberry wine today and I want it to finish semi-dry. The fruit is macerated and dosed with K-meta. I'll add pectic enzyme and pitch the yeast tomorrow.

Do people prefer to start with a high original gravity and let the yeast poop out or ferment it dry and back sweeten?

I was going to go for the high OG but now I'm thinking back sweetening will be easier.

Just curious as to what the majority of you do.


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I ferment to dry and back sweeten. You have better control of where you want the final SG., less chance of getting stuck, and less chance of stressing the yeast.


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I tried both methods and both worked. Although fermenting it dry and back sweetening later gives more control over the process and it is a method I would recommend, once I decided to deviate, just for a change, and experimented with chaptalizing to a high original S.G., though I fermented it on wild yeast. The high acidity from cranberries and alcohol content of about 10% were toxic enough to stop the yeast from metabolizing the sugar further. As a result, I was left with a nice semi-dry wine without needing to sorbate it or backsweeten (after a year in the bottles, nothing happened to it and it still tastes fresh). One thing I love about cranberry wine is the unbeatable color and aroma. Good luck with it and Happy Thanksgiving!

The issue with using a high starting gravity is that you don't know the exact point at which the yeast will give up. It could change depending on any number of factors.

Looks like made a happy mistake and will be back sweetening. First I overshot my starting gravity (1.217) and then ended up over diluting it (1.084).

Thanks for the replies everybody. One of these days I'll hit my target gravity AND volume but today is not that day.


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How about step feeding? Keeping it in the 1.025-1.075 range until the yeast poops out.

Step feeding introduces a lot of uncertainties in the abv. Plus, if you are not careful you can end up with a sugary wine.. I would ferment dry abd stabalyze if your fermentation allows it.

a high starting SG can work out nicely. However as stated there are a lot of variables that cannot be accounted for. one must be very familiar with the yeast used, it's tolerances and assets, to truly be proficient at this method takes many years of experimentation and an intimate familiarity with different yeasts, as well as how they preform with different musts. in a variety of temperatures. Even at that sometimes it is necessary to back sweeten. May as well ferment to dryness and back sweeten.

aryoung1980 said:

Looks like made a happy mistake and will be back sweetening. First I overshot my starting gravity (1.217) and then ended up over diluting it (1.084).

Thanks for the replies everybody. One of these days I'll hit my target gravity AND volume but today is not that day.


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A happy mistake for sure! Cranberry is hard to ferment at high sg levels. You are much better off backsweetening or step feeding cranberries.
Cranberry and rubarb are my best two wines. I like my wines very dry. However if you decide to backsweeten the cranberry try the welches rasberry juice blend. Its 100% fruit juice. It goes very well with cranberry wine. It sweetens, mellows and adds compexity to the cranberry wine without hidding the cranberry flavor.


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I'm glad I went back to read some of my old posts. I just dosed my cranberry wine with k-meta and sorbate with the intention of back sweetening in a day or two. I was just going to use a simple syrup but now I think I'll try the Welches!

ferment to dry, you have more control. starting with a high og and hoping that it doesn't ferment to dry is nothing but a gamble

Julie said:

ferment to dry, you have more control. starting with a high og and hoping that it doesn't ferment to dry is nothing but a gamble

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I did ferment dry. I was just updating.

aryoung1980 said:

I'm glad I went back to read some of my old posts. I just dosed my cranberry wine with k-meta and sorbate with the intention of back sweetening in a day or two. I was just going to use a simple syrup but now I think I'll try the Welches!

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Backsweetening with fruit juice concentrate is the only way to go.
You can try just sweetneing a cup at a time, instead of the whole batch all at once. Better flavor controle that way.


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jensmith said:

Backsweetening with fruit juice concentrate is the only way to go.
You can try just sweetneing a cup at a time, instead of the whole batch all at once. Better flavor controle that way.


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This is how I do it. Back-sweetening with a concentrate will give you real fruit flavors and more body in the wine.