Riesling sweetness

[jerry]

I have six gallons of Riesling from Chilean juice. I want to back sweeten it with simple syrup. I was thinking two cups of sugar for the six gallons. My starting sg was 1.096 , finish sg is .994. I guess the alcohol by volume is about 12.7 %. I know it's up to my liking , but I just would like a rough idea . I don't know if Riesling should be more to the dry side or sweet side. Thanks

 

[Julie]

that might work, it should come out to approx.1.000. try it there and taste it.

 

[Runningwolf]

I agree with Julie. Try some and see how you like it. You can always add more.

Riesling is one of those wines that is all over the place in sweetness. Some wineries will sell three different levels of sweetness.

 

[botigol]

When I bottled my liebfraumilch (mostly riesling) I left 6 bottles as dry at 0.996, added 3.75ml of simple syrup to each of 12 bottles as my "off-dry" and added 15ml of simple syrup to each of 12 bottles as my "semi-sweet". The actual residual sugar amounts may or may not fit any guideline for these levels of dryness; they're just what I called them.

 

[salcoco]

I would do bench trials to determine the amount of sugar syrup to use. Start with 60m(1/4cup) samples. leave one as control. add 1/4 tsp in first test sample. 2x1/4 tsp in nest, keep adding a 1/4 tsp for each additional sample. taste samples. Calculate need for a half bottle. make selected blend in half bottle let sit for a week and see if results are still the same. donot forget to use sorbate in half bottle. if all good calculate value for bulk wine. add sorbate and k-meta wait two weeks to insure fermentation does not restart, then bottle.

 

[Jrouss]

What do you mean by a sugar syrup? Is there a brand I buy at the store like Karl, or do I make it by boiling water and adding regular granulated sugar to that and then mix it with the wine. Fairly new to making wine and want to make a sweet Riesling from grapes. Sweetness line a spatlese or auslese, not ice wine sweet

 

[salcoco]

sugar syrup as I use it is two cups sugar to one cup of water. I use hot water and mix in a blender to assure all is dissolved. once cooled use in bench trials I described above. Wine should be finished and clear. start with a juice or must at sg-1.092 which will give you 12% abv. ferment dry. then when ready back sweeten using bench trial as guide.

 

[Chuck E]

What do you mean by a sugar syrup? Is there a brand I buy at the store like Karl, or do I make it by boiling water and adding regular granulated sugar to that and then mix it with the wine. Fairly new to making wine and want to make a sweet Riesling from grapes. Sweetness line a spatlese or auslese, not ice wine sweet

In Germany, the later the harvest the sweeter the wine. But here, starting with an unknown harvest time juice bucket, I think you need to back sweeten as @salcoco suggests. If I am trying to get the Auslese flavor, I add a pound of white raisins to my must.