noob questions

How exactly is "backsweetening" accomplished? I have 5 Gal. of Eds apfelwein going (about 2 weeks into it), and in an effort to try a few different things, I thought I would bottle about half as per the recipe and try something different with the other half. Unfortunately I have no idea what could even be done.

if i am not mistaken i thought backsweeting was done after fermentation and clearing was complete.

not sure if its done at bottling or if its done in the glass you drink it out of though...

Well, true "backsweetening" is when you keep out some of the original must, freeze it or refrigerate it, and when the fermentation is done, the wine is stabilized with sorbate and campden and then the stuff you saved is added. It gives it a fresh fruit flavor and some sweetness.

Most people use the term incorrectly, though, and use the term to mean to sweeten it when fermentation is done. You can do that several ways- stabilize the wine (sort of "kill" the yeast) and add sugar to taste in a syrup solution or add a can of apple juice concentrate. to taste. You can't carbonate if you do that, because you have to stop the yeast from re-fermenting.

You can add splenda to taste and then bottle it carbonated or still. You can just keep it the way it is and carbonate it. You can bottle it the way it is and not carbonate it or sweeten it and serve it with 7-up. If you keg, you would have even more options!

Um, I think that's all the things I can think of right now!

Post fermentation is about my only option with this batch.

I've never done it, but as I understand it, back-sweetening means sweetening with Splenda (or both), usually after fermenting to completion and then killing the yeast with a preservative. An alternative is to kill the yeast with a preservative before completion, leaving some residual sugars for a sweeter taste, but then you'd presumably have to force-carbonate.

Edit: Oops. Didn't read the other responses before posting. Yooper covered the bases.

wow thanks Yooper if i were to add concentrate to taste, how much would cause a signicant change so I could find out what my taste is?

That I don't know! That's why I suggest several small samplers. Try different amounts and just see what you like. Then take the sg of that sample and sweeten the whole batch to that, a little at a time, gently stirring it thoroughly.

That is brain power at its best. Thanks alot.