Do i need to add more sugar??

[KyleRitchie]

If someone could give me some input i would really appreciate it... I started a island mist green apple riesling kit, i read that you could put half the f-pack in before adding the yeast to increase your alcohol content so i did that, now i'm wondering if my finish product isn't going to be sweet enough because i only have half the f pack to add at the end. I was thinking maybe mixing sugar/water on the stove to make the syrup, maybe a pound or so of sugar, and adding that with the rest of the f-pack. Any advice?

 

[Julie]

a pound would be way to much, add the remaining f-pac when it is time to do so, and taste it, if it is not sweet enough, take a hydrometer reading, I'm thinking it will probably be below 1.010, add a couple cups of sugar to bring sg to 1.010 and then taste that. I think you will like that level.

And 1 cup of sugar will approx. raise sg .018 per gallon

 

[Runningwolf]

I do exactly as you did. I find using half the fpack still leaves the wine fairly sweet without it. With the entire f pack in this wine, I fill is too sweet.

Add your partial f-pack and wait a week then taste it and make your determination before adding any more sugar. Of course this is just my personal opinion.

 

[KyleRitchie]

Ok i will do that then, Thanks a lot

 

[hvac36]

Agree with Dan on this one..

 

[Impiryo]

Don't know this particular kit, but I did an island mist pomegranate zin recently. At the store, they recommended adding 5 pounds of sugar. I added 3, and about half the F pack in the primary. At 1 month, it was very hot (alcohol taste) and not very good, but at 2 months it's delicious (and I don't even like sweet wines).

To me, adding the whole F pack after stabilizing would taste terrible. But I think most sweet wines are way too sweet, so YMMV. Go by what you like - you can always add a bit more sugar at the end. Just don't do it before 2 months - give it some time.

 

[KyleRitchie]

So if i add more sugar, like 3 or more pounds, do i need to add more yeast too? there is only a small package in the kit.

 

[Impiryo]

Nope. The first thing the yeast does when you put it in the wine is to use up all the oxygen, and reproduce. You'll quickly have many more times as much yeast as you put in, and they'll have no trouble handling that amount of yeast.