Sweetening with Spenda

smoke76 · 09-05-2007, 02:24 PM

I just finished Ed Worts Apfelwein and it needed (IMHO) to be sweeter. I was told to use Splenda since it won't ferment out and become dry again. I used 2 cups of Splenda per 5 gallons. As I added it it foamed up like a beer with great head! I tasted grest that night. As I put the Airlock back on it it started bubleing away again. The next night the wine was as dry as before I added the Splenda.

My question is, should I use something to kill the yeast? My FG was .990. I would have figured it was done by now.

george

ColoradoXJ13 · 09-05-2007, 02:44 PM

splenda won't ferment out, you probably should have boiled it in some water then added it...I'm not sure the stuff you added got dissolved well, you may want to try racking to a bottling bucket, which should mix it up, then taste, add more if you want it sweeter. I added way too much to my batch...I don't really like it as evidenced by how slow I am drinking the sweetened half of the batch compared to the unsweetened half.

knarfks · 09-06-2007, 03:37 AM

I was the same way as colorado on my first batch also. I have only drank a 12 pack of sweetened and have plowed through 3 cases of unsweetened. Also I only added 1 cup per 5 gallons and it made a huge difference. I would suggest not adding more splenda. Another thing is use different yeast. I used Cote de blanc and it came out naturally a little sweeter and much clearer. Just be sure to use nutrients.

**Jester** · 09-06-2007, 03:33 PM

I add the splenda to my glass as I drink it...

mgayer · 09-06-2007, 04:40 PM

It is not mixed well. 2 cups should have got it to the semi-sweet range. The splenda won't ferment. What is happening is as the splenda is dissolving it is throwing bubbles off. I keep the Apfelwein dry and just to the glass. put it in a bottle once, and only once as it foamed everywhere.

Sounds like it settled. Just rack it again and that should do your mixing. You can always use Potassium Sorbate and Campden to stablize then use regular sugars after 24 hours to sweeten. My wife like the Splenda as no added carbs or calories but wants it a bit sweeter.

**Yuri_Rage** · 10-09-2007, 04:41 AM

My pumpkin ale fermented out a little more than I expected, leaving it slightly dry. So I went out and bought some Splenda, did a little math to see how much sugar it would take to increase the SG by about 5 points, converted that amount to Splenda using the chart on the package, and now my beer is too damn sweet. I used 4 cups of Splenda to 15 gallons of beer.

I'd recommend about 1/2 cup per 5 gallons as a starting point. That stuff is sickeningly SWEET!

**Adolphus79** · 10-09-2007, 04:50 AM

I use Splenda for my Apfelwein also. I bottle mine still in 750ml wine bottles, and add 1 packet of Splenda to each empty bottle before filling them. No foam up, and it seems to get mixed well.

Movinfr8 · 10-10-2007, 04:39 PM

[QUOTE That stuff is sickeningly SWEET![/QUOTE]
+1 on that.
Added a cup and a half(not diluted with water) to a keg of apfelwien and it was disgusting, but I think it settled to the bottom, cause after slugging through the first couple of glasses, it got a lot better!!. I still like the original the best, though...
Norm

Fish · 10-10-2007, 05:34 PM

Yeah I added some to a cider I was making and it just tasted like fake sugar.

smoke76 · 10-11-2007, 01:44 PM

After I racked it to my bottleing bucket I could see what looked to me like the splenda mixed in with the yeast cake. The wine was stil;l really dry. SWMBO likes dessert wines so she likes it sweet. So I added 1 cup mixes with 1/2 gallon of water (so I was sure it was mixed up) and poured it in with the wine.

That was over a month ago and it is fantastic! Not too overpowering but def. not dry. I'm bottleing another 5 this weekend and starting 2 more!!