Extra sugar? Fairly urgent

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Vinoish

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Hello all!

I read somewhere that all regular kit wines can handle around a kilo (2.2lbs) of extra sugar added a couple of days into fermentation. Would you say that's accurate, or would I risk anything if I added say half of that, to be on the safe side?

Thanks!
 
I would say most kits can NOT handle the extra sugar - at least not the higher end reds and whites. The exception would be "Mist" style kits. They tend to be quite low, IMHO. But everyone's taste and style is different.
 
I would say most kits can NOT handle the extra sugar - at least not the higher end reds and whites. The exception would be "Mist" style kits. They tend to be quite low, IMHO. But everyone's taste and style is different.

Thank you. Phew, almost made a mistake there.
 
Thank you. Phew, almost made a mistake there.

I don't know that it would be a mistake, but many kits - particularly the high end kits - already clock in at 14+%. If what you're looking for is a higher ABV than that, its fine. Just not my taste.
 
I don't know that it would be a mistake, but many kits - particularly the high end kits - already clock in at 14+%. If what you're looking for is a higher ABV than that, its fine. Just not my taste.

According to a formula I found, the recommended amount of sugar would generate 9.5% ABV, so I was thinking if I could add some without risking that the fermentation stops prematurely, or something... So I COULD do that? Confused. Please elaborate!

Anyone, feel free to jump in, please!
 
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I think you must have misinterpreted a formula somewhere. What kit are you doing? What sugar number did you find? As Jim says, most kits have sugar levels that would result in ~14% ABV.
 
I think you must have misinterpreted a formula somewhere. What kit are you doing? What sugar number did you find? As Jim says, most kits have sugar levels that would result in ~14% ABV.

Don't have the SG. It's a Swedish kit, says to add 3.6 kg sugar. The formula was 3700 g sugar (that I've added) / 23 litres / 17.

I've tried this kit before, and it came out quite weak, so I read on a site that sells wine kits here that a regular kit should be able to handle up to 1 kg extra sugar with no problems. I was thinking of adding half of that (0.5 kg or 1.1lbs) and am trying to figure out if that would work, or if there would be problems. Would it be a mistake or not?

I intended to add it in a few hours time, so any input is much appreciated. Thanks.

Oh, and it's a white wine kit.
 
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There could well be a big difference in the kind of kits we are talking about.

What is in the kit? Is there any sugar in it?

If you add 3700 g of sugar to 23 liters water, you would only get a specific gravity (SG) of 1.056. This would indeed result in only about 9% ABV. I have to think there is a significant amount of sugar in the kit, whatever that is, to bring this number up to reasonable levels.

Do you have link for the kit? (I understand it would be in Swedish.)
 
There could well be a big difference in the kind of kits we are talking about.

What is in the kit? Is there any sugar in it?

If you add 3700 g of sugar to 23 liters water, you would only get a specific gravity (SG) of 1.056. This would indeed result in only about 9% ABV. I have to think there is a significant amount of sugar in the kit, whatever that is, to bring this number up to reasonable levels.

Do you have link for the kit? (I understand it would be in Swedish.)
Sure: https://www.vinshoppen.se/vinjett-vitt-slottskallarvin.html

It came with three liters of juice - well, it says wine must. Maybe enough sugar in it to bring up the SG? I assume you meant 3700 g of sugar, 23 litres water and no juice = 9% ABV?
 
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What was your specific gravity after the 3.7kg sugar, prior to fermentation?
 
Sure: https://www.vinshoppen.se/vinjett-vitt-slottskallarvin.html

It came with three liters of juice - well, it says wine must. Maybe enough sugar in it to bring up the SG? I assume you meant 3700 g of sugar, 23 litres water and no grape juice = 9% ABV?

Yes, that is exactly what I meant.

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with that kind of kit, where you have to add sugar. I feel confident there was SOME sugar in the "juice/must" -- unfortunately, neither you nor I know how much!

I think, given what you have written and what some of the other reviewers wrote (and Google Translate!), I think I would try your approach of adding some sugar, but not a lot. Your 500 g suggestion sounds like a good compromise. It would raise the ABV by ~1%.
 
Yes, that is exactly what I meant.

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with that kind of kit, where you have to add sugar. I feel confident there was SOME sugar in the "juice/must" -- unfortunately, neither you nor I know how much!

I think, given what you have written and what some of the other reviewers wrote (and Google Translate!), I think I would try your approach of adding some sugar, but not a lot. Your 500 g suggestion sounds like a good compromise. It would raise the ABV by ~1%.

I decided on that. Nothing ventured, nothing gained... and the experimenting is part of the fun. I'll let it sit an extra week or two, and hope it turns out good!

Thank you all for your advice!

SB: it's been bubbling for almost two days.
 
Oh, btw - any need to shake the carboy when adding extra sugar in the first stage of fermentation? I dissolved the sugar in water before I added it.

I'm guessing no, but I'm new to this, so why not ask.

I decided on that. Nothing ventured, nothing gained... and the experimenting is part of the fun. I'll let it sit an extra week or two, and hope it turns out good!

Thank you all for your advice!

SB: it's been bubbling for almost two days.
 
You said a previous kit wine was "Weak" - In what way? flavor, body, or it seem low on alcohol content?

For the future I would ALWAYS check the SG of any wine must before starting the fermentation. Regardless of what the kit directions or stated SG or stated ending ABV, check for yourself. At least that way you know where you started, and should it ferment all the way dry as it should, you will know the expected ABV before you start. Without that info you are sort of shooting in the dark.

Wine musts can ferment lightning fast or slow as a turtle. ( 3 days to finish or 3 weeks) In the case of the first checking a day or two into the fermentation could be very misleading. If it fermented down from say 1.100 to 1.040 by the time you check it, the yeast could be working towards it's limit and adding more sugar might give you an overly sweet wine in the end.

Keep in mind also that some kits are meant to have water added and some come ready to go with yeast and all necessary additives in the bucket. So juice in kits can vary quite a bit as to strength of flavor and sugar.
 
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I am very new at this wine making stuff, but I am finding that taking the Specific Gravity every time I do something to the must/ wine tells me a lot. Specific gravity at the very first gives you a reference point. The hydrometer is the most used tool in my equipment. There is a site (Brewers Friend- Alcohol by volume Calculator) that helps with calculating the alcohol or potential alcohol.
Good luck and good brewing.
 
I am very new at this wine making stuff, but I am finding that taking the Specific Gravity every time I do something to the must/ wine tells me a lot. Specific gravity at the very first gives you a reference point. The hydrometer is the most used tool in my equipment. There is a site (Brewers Friend- Alcohol by volume Calculator) that helps with calculating the alcohol or potential alcohol.
Good luck and good brewing.

Noted. I think it'll turn out all right. Like sour_grapes wrote, if the kit said to add 3600 g of sugar, and the grape juice contained no sugar, there is no way one could reach more than 9% ABV. It seems unlikely that a kit like that would exist - most likely the grape juice contains sugar. With the added sugar, I'll up the ABV just a little, and I'll let it sit until I'm certain fermentation has stopped.

It's bubbling just like it should, so it should be fine!

Still curious if I should shake the carboy (that's the plastic container with the airlock, right?) after adding the extra sugar that was dissolved in water? Am I correct in thinking it's not necessary?
 
I would say that is not necessary. What would you be trying to accomplish with shaking? Are you trying to get more CO2 out, or just mix things up?

Just for mixing purposes. But it was already dissolved before I added it, so it makes sense I wouldn't have to.

Again, thank you all for all the advice, really appreciate it! I think it'll turn out fine. The kit said 2-3 weeks, I'm thinking 4-5 weeks seeing as I added extra sugar. But we'll let the hydrometer decide that. I'm not gonna rush this batch.
 

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