sweetener in wine

[Truebrew]

My husband (the beer brewer) and I (the wine maker) have been having a discussion which prompted me to ask the group here what is most used as the sugar component in the primary fermentation for wine. He says that using table sugar imparts a specific "nose" and taste that is unpleasant as opposed to using invert sugars or honey.

This comes after tasting 2 raisin wines, one where no sugar was added and one where table sugar (cane) was used. As a beer brewer, he believes that any sweetener other than regular table sugar is preferred.

So, what do most of you use? And have you found any "off" flavors from using table sugar (cane or beet)? He insists that I use honey or invert sugars.

Comments??

 

[winemanden]

I can understand your husband's objection to table sugar in beer because it does tend to give a thin taste to beer.
Could he possibly be a "Supertaster"?
I have read that a couple of Professional wine critics have claimed that they could smell when a wine has been chaptalised.
Chaptalising, when sugar is added to boost the alcohol, is allowed in a lot of wines in France. Possibly this could be beet sugar rather than cane sugar they're smelling?
White table sugar is supposedly neutral in both smell and taste
I've been making country wines since the middle of last century and have always added cane sugar plus a little grape juice to get the right SG, but I've never noticed anything peculiar on the nose.
Obviously if you add sugar to the primary, you're diluting the taste and smell of the fruit, so maybe that's what hubby is detecting.
By the way, did he smell it in the right wine?
Don't be put off, keep making your wine. Winemaking and Brewing are great hobbies.

Regards, Winemanden.

 

[ellijaywinemaker]

Well I have my on opinion. I do not use cane sugar as it does have a cidery taste after ferment I use corn sugar as it has less of an after taste after fermentation. But I am sure others will disagree.

 

[Truebrew]

Well, Winemanden, I'm not sure the hubby is a "supertaster" but he certainly is a "supersmeller"! The two raisin wines were tasted on separate days so it was easy to tell the difference. The two were dramatically different in taste. One, I called "Pure Raisin" because there were no added sweeteners, just a lot of raisins! The other "Simple Raisin" had 1/3 of the raisins but had added sugar. I'm not sure whether it was cane or beet. (Personally, I preferred the "Simple" over the "Pure". The hubby preferred the "Pure". Maybe it's partly psychological.)

Ellijaywinemaker, the hubby was doing a "I told you so" dance when he saw your reply. You expressed very well what he keeps asserting, use corn, rice or honey adjuncts.

What do the rest of you use? Do you have any preference? At this point, most of what I'm using is dark honey. So I guess, technically, everything I'm making is a mead variety. Correct?

 

[cpfan]

The general consensus that I have seen over the years, is that type of sugar is important with beer yeasts. Your husband is correct for beer...use corn sugar.

But the type of sugar is NOT important with wine yeasts. So use the cheapest sugar. Most people will not tell the difference.

So tell you husband that beer yeasts are simple and can only convert one type of sugar(relate that to him if you wish) . Whereas wine yeasts are more verstaile, and can convert multiple types of sugars.

Make a couple of batches of your raisin wine. Use table sugar in one, and corn sugar in the other. Then do the taste test. Being able to tell raisin wine from raisin/sugar wine does not mean anything to this discussion.

BTW, the above discussion is wrt sugar being added to the primary fermenter for the yeast to turn into alcohol. Your title made me think that you were asking about sweetening the wine post-fermentation. I have not heard very much about sugar differences for sweetening the wine.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

I have to agree with cpfan. Wine yeast is much stronger and less prefertial to available sugars and can convert almost any type without these "cidery" off flavors and aromas that beer yeasts will pull. I use palin old sugar when making wine but only corn dextrose with beer if using any sugars at all besides what available in the grains themselves if I dodnt meet the proper sg during my boil.

 

[Truebrew]

Ah, Steve, I apologize. I wasn't sure how to phrase the subjet. But, all of you have responded with very well. And, since I haven't yet added sweetner to my wine post fermentation, I'm a bit unsure on the correct procedure.

The 2 raisin wines were my first two and they were plenty sweet enough. I did taste my apple as I bottled it and it does have some "pucker power" that I hope will be tamed with aging.

Thank you all for your great responses. We'll see how the hubby takes the news.

Now, to plan my first 5 gal. batch...