what kind of sugar to add?

**JLem** · 01-20-2011, 04:09 PM

I'm going to experiment with a small batch of cherry-apple cider. I'm going to use 60% apple cider, 40% pure cherry juice and some jarred Moreno cherries. I'll be using a wine yeast (Lalvin 71B-1122). I want to get the OG up to at least 1.060, so I anticipate that I will need to add some sugar. But what kind of sugar should I use?

Obviously the simplest would be to just use plain white sugar, but I have several other options in my pantry that I am curious about:

Fructose
Brown sugar
Turbinado sugar
Molasses
Dried malt extract

What are the qualities each of these would bring to the cider? Are there any reasons not to try any of these?

Thanks!

**CidahMastah** · 01-20-2011, 04:28 PM

You have fructose? You sure you didn't mean sucrose (table sugar)?

You could use any of them, but if you truly have fructose I would use that. Fructose is the sugar from fruit. Since you are making in essence a fruit wine, DME would just be weird (IMO).

**JLem** · 01-20-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CidahMastah

You have fructose? You sure you didn't mean sucrose (table sugar)?

You could use any of them, but if you truly have fructose I would use that. Fructose is the sugar from fruit. Since you are making in essence a fruit wine, DME would just be weird (IMO).

Yup, I have crystalized fructose - picked it up at Whole Foods at one point and it's just sitting there in the pantry. I was thinking this might be a good use for it.

**CidahMastah** · 01-20-2011, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLem

Yup, I have crystalized fructose - picked it up at Whole Foods at one point and it's just sitting there in the pantry. I was thinking this might be a good use for it.

Very cool - I would say that would be the closest thing to fermenting with all natural fruit sugars. That said, I think that sugar choice is far less miportant than yeast choice. I think the only way you would taste a significant difference would be if you used something in a secondary to backsweeten.

**JLem** · 01-20-2011, 06:14 PM

Well, it turns out that the juices and cherries together gave me an OG of 1.063, so I decided not to bother with any additional sugars. I'll have to just wait to use the fructose for something else. Thanks!

**CidahMastah** · 01-20-2011, 07:06 PM

Haha - cool - let us know how the cider cherry hooch turns out!

I plan to make cherry wine when my cherry trees start fruiting, unfortunately, that is probably 2-3 years away!

Bush_84 · 01-21-2011, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CidahMastah

Very cool - I would say that would be the closest thing to fermenting with all natural fruit sugars. That said, I think that sugar choice is far less miportant than yeast choice. I think the only way you would taste a significant difference would be if you used something in a secondary to backsweeten.

I can almost guarantee you that you would taste a difference if you used brown sugar vs molasses vs cane sugar vs DME. Having tasted apple wine with the use of brown sugar and apple wine with cane sugar, there's a difference. I am currently making one with maple syrup and I'd imagine that'd also be different.

Now I am not arguing that yeast also doesn't taste the flavor profile of a wine. I am mainly arguing that his different options will greatly change the flavor profile.

GinKings · 01-21-2011, 05:32 PM

+1 Bush_84

Plain white sugar adds very little flavor. I assume fructose would similarly add little flavor. Turbinado and brown sugar still have some molasses in them, so they will add some flavor. Molasses is very bold and I would suggest adding it in small amounts or not at all.

**CidahMastah** · 01-21-2011, 05:44 PM

I would agree with sugar choice being important for backsweetening, but in the primary, I don't think it is really a worthwile investment - again, speaking about cider only, IMO. It is such a limited nuance, in my experience, that I would save my money and use a special sugar to back sweeten. I have never tried molasses, so I can't speak to that.

I have made/had graff, DME didn't do anything special for me in cider, won't likely repeat that receipe. Not to mention the fact that DME is expensive. When you had graff could you taste dme on any real level? Nope.... it tasted like cider....

So you are saying if they use bread yeast, that will have less impact on cider quality that choosing brown over white sugar? I totally disagree.

By the way all this is moot - he doesn't need to add sugar

**Old_E** · 01-21-2011, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CidahMastah

I would agree with sugar choice being important for backsweetening, but in the primary, I don't think it is really a worthwile investment - again, speaking about cider only, IMO. It is such a limited nuance, in my experience, that I would save my money and use a special sugar to back sweeten. I have never tried molasses, so I can't speak to that.

Just as an FYI - I used some moscovado sugar to back sweeten some cider.... I do NOT recommend this. way too molassesy for my taste, and I like molasses. I think I ruined 5 gallons. It mellowed some, but I'm ready to deep 6 it. Not very good. Stick with sugar in the raw or regular light brown.