Other Simple syrup and chaptalization

[GaDawg]

I know a lot of us have added a lot (4-5 lbs.) of simple syrup to kits like Orchard Breezin, and a lot of us have added sugar to cheap-o kits just playing around but have any of you guys added a little simple syrup to more main line kits like RJS, Cellar Craft or Winexpert. I am not talking about a lot of sugar maybe 1 or 2 lbs or less?

 

[Boatboy24]

The only "good" kit I'd consider doing that to is a port kit.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Ive added sugar to get the OG up to what it should be according to the directions (I like 1.092), but I don't like "hot" wines so I don't just automatically raise OG to 1.120 just to do it.

 

[bkisel]

Yes! Turns out my wife really likes her wine "off dry" so with her RJS VdV Pinot Gregio and Pinot Noir I back sweeten with 500ML of simple syrup. First time or two used a commercial "wine conditioner" but after learning about simple syrup and inverted sugar its now basically 2 cups of sugar to 300ML of water which after boiling/heating winds up to ~500ML of home made syrup. I've not noticed much taste difference in the commercial vs. what I now make. The commercial stuff does come with sorbate already added.

 

[GaDawg]

Ive added sugar to get the OG up to what it should be according to the directions (I like 1.092), but I don't like "hot" wines so I don't just automatically raise OG to 1.120 just to do it.

This is more what I'm talking about. I've made some with a OG of 1.070-1.080 and I wished it was a little higher. About 1.090 sounds like a good starting place.

 

[Boatboy24]

This is more what I'm talking about. I've made some with a OG of 1.070-1.080 and I wished it was a little higher. About 1.090 sounds like a good starting place.

Some will add half the f-pac to the primary to achieve this. Obviously, this results in a less-sweet finished product, but some prefer it that way.

 

[BernardSmith]

Invert sugar ?

Yes! Turns out my wife really likes her wine "off dry" so with her RJS VdV Pinot Gregio and Pinot Noir I back sweeten with 500ML of simple syrup. First time or two used a commercial "wine conditioner" but after learning about simple syrup and inverted sugar its now basically 2 cups of sugar to 300ML of water which after boiling/heating winds up to ~500ML of home made syrup. I've not noticed much taste difference in the commercial vs. what I now make. The commercial stuff does come with sorbate already added.

Apologies if this hijacks this thread , I really don't want to do that but do you need to heat sucrose (table sugar) to split it into glucose and fructose (ie invert sugar)? Wouldn't the act of dissolving it in water and adding that mixture to the wine not result in the same chemical reaction? What is the benefit of boiling the sugar and adding (as some do), lemon juice?

 

[joeswine]

Simple syrup

this is just my oppion,the simple syrup when completed into a liquid format is much more readily dissoluble in to the wine then adding cane sugar straight to the mix.

to keep things simple, i use ball canning jar as a unit of measure,2 sugars to 1 water,usually making a 4 quart batch.

AMARONE IS THE FIRST WINE THAT COMES INTO MIND,THAT REQUIRES CAPITALIZATION,MOST EUROPEAN WINES CARRY A 13 TO 14% SOME HIGHER WITH THEIR ABV. AND A INCREASING AMOUNT OF AMERICAN WINERIES ARE DOING THE SAME ,IF YOU MAKE A WINE AND IT TURNED OUT HOT THAT MEANS YOUR OUT OF BALANCE AND THAT STARTED IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS,KNOWING HOW TO READ A HYDROMETER HELPS IT'S THE TOOL THAT PUTS YOU ON THE CORRECT PATH TO THE FINISH....

 

[sour_grapes]

Apologies if this hijacks this thread , I really don't want to do that but do you need to heat sucrose (table sugar) to split it into glucose and fructose (ie invert sugar)? Wouldn't the act of dissolving it in water and adding that mixture to the wine not result in the same chemical reaction? What is the benefit of boiling the sugar and adding (as some do), lemon juice?

Heat and acid both speed up the splitting reaction.

 

[byathread]

This is more what I'm talking about. I've made some with a OG of 1.070-1.080 and I wished it was a little higher. About 1.090 sounds like a good starting place.

I agree, I don't recall having a commercial wine with lower than 12-12.5% abv. I've done this a few times, adding a small amount (7 oz or less) of sugar and made a simple syrup to chaptalize a lower (than I thought suitable) gravity must. It's your kit, do as you please.

 

[user 31015]

Is there a particular reason why we want to use invert sugar? Obviously, it is easy to mix into a wine, but there are other benefits?

 

[sour_grapes]

The first step the yeast must do when metabolizing sucrose (table sugar) is to split it up into its two component sugars (glucose and fructose). It is okay, they are able to do that, but it makes it a little easier on them if we do it for them.