Mosti Mondiale Backsweetening????

[Elmer]

I currently have 2 - 6 gallon carboys ageing.

Cabernet Franc
Chianti.

Like always ( 8 years of wine MM kit making) I have fermented to Dry (below 1.000)
Now that I am on this forum I started to think of sweetening them just slightly!

What do I sweeten these kits with, Sugar?
Concentrate?

How many cups of Sugar to bring a 6 gallon to 1.010?

 

[GEM]

My best advice is not to backsweeten either of them. Both those varieties generally are not sweetened. On the other hand, if you really want to do that, do some bench trials, i.e. set up several glasses and do proportional additions of simple surup and see which you like the best. then do that proportion to the rest of your carboys. Cheers and enjoy.

 

[djrockinsteve]

GEM I disagree. I believe all wines need sugar to bring out the flavor when it hits your tongue. Totally dry wines taste almost like vinegar.

My reds are back sweetened to anywhere from .994-.998 it depends upon the acidity in the wine and personal preference. Unlike many on here I ferment my musts below .990 by adding Super Ferment near the end.

After aging a year I back sweeten then allow it to rest a month before bottling.

Generally speaking 4 ounces by weight not volume, of sugar inverted will raise specific gravity .010 per gallon. You can also do it this way, take .4 times the number of measures between where the wine is now to where you want it. If its .900 and you want one gallon of wine to be .995 you would invert 2 ounces of sugar.

Start by inverting a small amount of sugar 2-3 ounces if you have 5 gallons. Take 2-3 cups of wine in a pan and invert sugar completely. In a beaker blend @20% inverted wine mix with balance of dry wine. Take a reading. Ex: .994 try it. If too dry repeat with more sweet wine to maybe .996. If you like that do math for full amount after you mix in your inverted wine with dry wine and take a new reading.

Suggest you under estimate the total amount of sugar since that measure is a hair too much. If you estimate you need 8 ounces try 6 first then recheck.

Remember to add sorbate and sulfite.

 

[kcane]

Thank you for asking this question, it's something I've been wondering about myself! Djrockinsteve, I'm pretty darn new at this and don't understand what you mean by inverted? Could you please elaborate in layman's terms?

 

[djrockinsteve]

Inverting sugar is a reaction to sugar as it is warmed in a pan over a very low heat slightly allowing the sucrose (sugar) to change into glucose and fructose. This dissolves the sugar well so you can blend it with your wine to bring out the flavor.

There are many posts on here you could read more about it bit is very simple but makes a wine better tasting. I back sweeten all of my wines. Generally between .994-1.010 depending on taste.

 

[kcane]

Thank you! Do you use a specific type of sugar or will any do?

 

[wineforfun]

White table sugar is fine.

 

[djrockinsteve]

White table sugar is fine.

Exactly. Go to any store, even WalMart or Aldi's and get the cheapest bags.