Other Kit flavor pack - sugar content?

[Bmd2k1]

Other than trial and error -- any suggestions for determining the sugar content of a kit's flavor pack - meant for addition - post fermentation?

Simply tossing in beaker and using a hydrometer tends to be off the chart.

Trying to see if there's an "easy" way to determine how much to add to achieve a particular SG -- in conjunction with FermCalc.

Maybe trial and error is my best route...

Thoughts?

Cheers!

 

[winemaker81]

I assume this is for the purpose of adding all or part of the F-pack, pre-fermentation to reduce overall sweetness?

Grape concentrates are in the ~68 brix range, and nothing in the typical home winemaker's bag of tricks will read that. I have no idea if F-packs are in that range, but you might look into medical test equipment.

One problem with using the F-pack pre-fermentation is the acid balance is off. Kits with F-packs are designed for a specific backsweetening and in good quality kits, the acid is correspondingly high. I noted this especially with the FWK Frutta, which took 2 full conditioner packs without being overly sweet.

Although I've made them in the past, I'm leaning away from kits with F-packs, as most are too sweet for my taste. The "port" I created in December came out good, using dry wine, Everclear, and sugar. It takes more research and effort, but I achieved the result I wanted.

An alternative for you is to make the kit as intended, then if it's too sweet, add a bit of acid to reduce the perceived sweetness.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I assume this is for the purpose of adding all or part of the F-pack, pre-fermentation to reduce overall sweetness?

Grape concentrates are in the ~68 brix range, and nothing in the typical home winemaker's bag of tricks will read that. I have no idea if F-packs are in that range, but you might look into medical test equipment.

One problem with using the F-pack pre-fermentation is the acid balance is off. Kits with F-packs are designed for a specific backsweetening and in good quality kits, the acid is correspondingly high. I noted this especially with the FWK Frutta, which took 2 full conditioner packs without being overly sweet.

Although I've made them in the past, I'm leaning away from kits with F-packs, as most are too sweet for my taste. The "port" I created in December came out good, using dry wine, Everclear, and sugar. It takes more research and effort, but I achieved the result I wanted.

An alternative for you is to make the kit as intended, then if it's too sweet, add a bit of acid to reduce the perceived sweetness.

Talking about post fermentation....pre-bottling to hit a specific sweetness target

 

[winemaker81]

Gotcha.

You're targeting a specific final SG? Doesn't it make more sense to add-stir-taste repeatedly until it tastes right?

 

[Bmd2k1]

Gotcha.

You're targeting a specific final SG? Doesn't it make more sense to add-stir-taste repeatedly until it tastes right?

The project is to mimic a Beringer White Zin for my mom...from a dry Zin Rose I'm making. Grabbed a sample of of the Beringer....and its SG is 1.010.

Half's gonna be left dry....which I & others enjoy and the other half "jacked up" for mom

 

[winemaker81]

I understand what you're trying to do, but hitting the same SG is not necessarily going to result in the same effect. As previously mentioned, acid is a key factor, as is pretty much everything else.

Although I use plain 'ole table sugar for backsweetening, your target is very specific, so I suggest making invert sugar. Add-stir-taste; repeat as needed -- this is the way.

 

[sour_grapes]

But to answer your original question: Take a sample of the F-pack and dilute it about 4 times. I.e., take 50 ml of F-pack, and add 200 ml of water. Then measure the SG of that solution. You can easily work out the "OG OG."

 

[Sailor323]

Take a small measured amount of the flavor pack, dilute it with a measured amount of distilled water, take the SG of the resulting solution. Refer to a chart that shows sugar content of a quantity of liquid at certain specific gravities. Use arithmetic to extrapolate this data to the flavor pack.