Backsweetening question?

When backsweetening cider I know the norm is to use unfermentables but I want to use more apple juice. Could I use sugar free apple juice? Will the preservatives mess up carving? Or add campden tablets, wait a week then add regular apple juice? I know it long winded but I'm
unsure of how this all works with bottle carbing.

Edit: Im missed the fact that I want to increase volume from 4 gal to 5 while backsweetening and bottle carbing. Any ideas? Just want it a little sweeter.

sugar free apple juice? Apple juice *is* sugar, and adding artificial apple juice to it will make a sub-par product. The only way you'll get carbonated cider AND backsweetened with apple juice is to kill the yeast with campden and sorbate, then keg and THEN bottle. using campden kills the yeast, which also is what creates carbonation.

EvilTOJ said:

sugar free apple juice? Apple juice *is* sugar, and adding artificial apple juice to it will make a sub-par product. The only way you'll get carbonated cider AND backsweetened with apple juice is to kill the yeast with campden and sorbate, then keg and THEN bottle. using campden kills the yeast, which also is what creates carbonation.

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+1 for that.

EvilTOJ, you are saying you have to use Campden AND Sorbate?

I have an interest in this specifically because I have 3 gallons of Cider that I want to carbonate, but backsweeten with real Raspberry.

How much would I add to off the yeast?

RedIrocZ-28 said:

EvilTOJ, you are saying you have to use Campden AND Sorbate?

I have an interest in this specifically because I have 3 gallons of Cider that I want to carbonate, but backsweeten with real Raspberry.

How much would I add to off the yeast?

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Should be 1 Campden tablet and 1/2 tsp sorbate per gallon. The sorbate package probably includes instructions on the label.

For best results when stabilizing use both sorbate and sulfite.

Craig

CBBaron said:

Should be 1 Campden tablet and 1/2 tsp sorbate per gallon. The sorbate package probably includes instructions on the label.

For best results when stabilizing use both sorbate and sulfite.

Craig

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I can confirm from personal experiences that sorbate alone wont be enough to keep even aged+clarified cider that has sat for months from restarting fermentation after backsweetening.

nebben said:

I can confirm from personal experiences that sorbate alone wont be enough to keep even aged+clarified cider that has sat for months from restarting fermentation after backsweetening.

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How about backsweetening with splenda?

You can certainly backsweeten with Splenda, it's a non-fermentable sugar. Lactose is another sugar you can use to backsweeten, as it's non-fermentable as well.

Ok, so campden and sorbate to euthanize the yeast then -> keg, carb, bottle?

Got it. Thanks.

Taste a sample with Splenda before adding it to the whole batch, though. Some like how it goes with cider better than others, so make sure you like the taste.

timmystank said:

How about backsweetening with splenda?

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This works just great! Finish fermenting, add splenda to taste, and then add priming sugar @ bottling. Personally, I like dry cider better than the splenda stuff, IMHO.

RedIrocZ-28 said:

Ok, so campden and sorbate to euthanize the yeast then -> keg, carb, bottle?

Got it. Thanks.

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Keep in mind that (and I should have mentioned this previously) you only need to bottle from the keg if you want it in bottles. You can certainly keep the cider in the keg and serve it that way as well.

Also, watch what type of splenda you use, I bought one large plastic package maybe two lbs, and only later did I see that it was a splenda/sugar blend.
Also, on having cider on tap, very dangerous. Can make for some long nights and some rough mornings, of course I have found something even more dangerous, mead on tap.