Adding sweetness

[ALE]

Once wine is done, how can I add more sweetness to it?

 

[Ernest T Bass]

Ale, I'm pretty new at wine making also, everyone else is probably at work, so I'll tell you how I do it. Let wine go dry, SpGr below 1.000, check it for three days and if it doesn't go any lower - it's dry, which means that the yeast has done all it's going to do and all the sugar has been converted to alcohol. Then stabalize with Sorbate and K-Meta, let this set for at least 24 hours, a couple of days would be better, this to make sure you have no further fermentaltion due to adding more sugar. Then after you are sure it isn't going to ferment any more, you can add you sugar. Make up a sugar syrup using 2 parts sugar to 1 part water and heat this up, not to a boil but pretty hot so the sugar will disolve in the water. I used to use my must for this, but I recently read a article that said not to use the must but use water, something about lowering the alcohol content. When all the sugar is disolved the syrup will be clear, let this cool before adding. Use the "wine cal" found in the top section of the home page to get a idea of how much sugar to use to get to the desired SpGr, don't add it all at once, slip up on the desired SpGr. Add a little and take a SpGr reading, this will give you a idea on how much more you need, after adding the sugar stir good before taking the SpGr. I have a sweet tooth and backsweeten mine to 1.020 to 1.025. After backsweetening I like to de-gass again. Hope this helps until someone with more experience answers you question.
Semper Fi

 

[Turock]

We always use the wine to dissolve the sugar. The alcohol blows off due to heating in the microwave, but it's a small enough amount of wine that the loss of alcohol is meaningless in an entire carboy, or even a 1 gallon jug of wine. We never use water because we don't like to dilute. But you CAN use water if you want to.

What Bud describes is essentially how we do it,also. Taking a hydrometer reading when you get it to the sweetness you like will give you some knowledge as to how much sugar to add in the future. Don't forget to add sorbate and meta too or the wine will referment. We don't degass after sweetening---we go right ahead and bottle. If you do the same thing, let the bottles rest a couple weeks, at least, before opening them. They are "hot" from the chemical and sugar additions and need some time to integrate it all. They taste better after a waiting period, for that reason.

 

[joeswine]

simple syrup

Learn to make simple syrup,2/1 mix sugar to water,I MAKE A BATCH ENOUGH FOR 4 QUARTS AT A TIME,IT KEEPS FOR A VERY LONG TIME,ADD AFTER SECONDARY IS COMPLETED,( TAKE SG READING) TO TASTE,BACK UP WITH CHEMS,BEFORE BOTTLING ,DONE.

 

[Arne]

Take a sample of your wine, make sure it is a bit more than enough to fill your tube you take your hydrometer readings in. Slowly add sugar to the sample, stir it in good and taste. When you get it to where you think it is at the sweeteness you want, take a hydrometer reading. With that reading you can find out where you want to take the total batch to. If you go the calculations page, towards the top of the forum there are formulas that tell you how much sugar you need to add to get close to the specific gravity you want. I would go a little short as it will probably seem to sweeten a bit with time. Arne.

 

[JohnnyRico]

Take a sample of your wine, make sure it is a bit more than enough to fill your tube you take your hydrometer readings in. Slowly add sugar to the sample, stir it in good and taste. When you get it to where you think it is at the sweeteness you want, take a hydrometer reading. With that reading you can find out where you want to take the total batch to. If you go the calculations page, towards the top of the forum there are formulas that tell you how much sugar you need to add to get close to the specific gravity you want. I would go a little short as it will probably seem to sweeten a bit with time. Arne.

Using the hydrometer tube is a very smart idea. I will have to remember this one.

 

[ALE]

Thanks to all for your assistance, I think I have enought info now to get it done... Have a great day! Al

 

[jvernice]

Sugar should not be added to make a wine sweeter unless ALL of the yeast is killed off. This is next to impossible to accomplish. Leaving excess sugar in wine will cause it to ferment further in the bottle. This will result in a sparkling wine, like a Lambrusco. There is a risk of corks popping in storage due to the pressure build up from additional fermentation.
This is actually how they make Champagne; by adding some excess sugar and a small amount of yeast. The process is quite more complex than that, but the result is a sparkling wine. As you probably know, a "wire cage" is added to prevent the cork from popping.
The best way to add some sweetness without risking this side effect is to use glycerin (sometimes referred to as 'wine conditioner'). Use only natural USP glycerin. Some glycerin is "technical grade" and should never be used. USP glycerin is of the highest purity and is certified to be free from harmful impurities that are likely to be found in technical grade.
Add the glycerin right before bottling. Add a little at a time, stir, and sample. Start with 1 ounce per gallon of wine. Don't use more than 4 ounces per gallon as it will start to dilute the wine too much.

By the way, use only vegetable derived glycerin. Glycerin is the result of processing fats and oils; so it is a by product of animal or vegetable fat processing. Anyone that wants to know more about the chemistry, please feel free to contact me.