Apfelwein sweetening/carbing question..

This was my post on another thread, but I didn't seem to get any responses there, so I'm starting a new thread for it here. Please help!
I have a batch of Ed's Apfelwine w/ EC-1118 that's in the primary @ about 9.5%. I've got another finished batch of it right now w/ the recipe as it stands, and it's very good. This time, however, I would like to modify it to add more flavor, sweetness, and carbonation. I really don't want to add splenda or lactose to it or fake apple extract for more flavor. This is a 1 gallon batch and my idea was to add 1 more gallon of cider w/ preservatives to add sweetness and flavor, but not ferment at all. I'd obviously give it some time before I bottled to make sure...which leads me to another question...Once the preserved cider is added, will there still be enough yeast left to carb this? Also, if I'm adding 1 gallon of preserved cider to I'm cutting the ABV in half as well, correct?...Will it then be 4.75%? Any thoughts on what I'm about to do? Will this not turn out the way I want? Anyone?

If you find an apple juice with enough preservative to not ferment, it will be because it kills the yeast and then you will not be able to carb unless you keg. The preservatives will not be selective. They will stop all of the sugar from fermenting, or none of it. And yes, you will cut your alcohol by volume in half.

It seems like you are looking for someting like an apple wine cooler. And I have an idea for that...You may want to try a 1 gallon batch and treat it like a soda kit. Take your apple juice, add JUST enough yeast to carb, and then bottle with some vodka or something for the alcohol. It may give a more pleasing result than cutting Apfelwein with juice.

When you're bottling, you obviously run into a dilemma: you can't really regulate how much of that preserved cider will be fermented out---it's not like you can whisper in the yeasts' ears and say "OK, when I add this juice, only ferment like 25% of it!". Of course, you could add the juice, then drop in some campden tablets to kill the yeast---but then you wouldn't have anything to bottle carbonate with.

In other words...if you want sweeter product AND bottle carbonation, just use lactose or splenda. If you don't care about bottle fermentation, you could add the new cider and some crushed campden tablets---but you won't be able to bottle carb. It's your choice. But the bottom line is, the yeast will want to ferment that cider---and you'll end up with bottle bombs if you don't stop them from doing so.

Just wondering about this...If he bottles it and allows it to ferment for a day or two can't he just put the bottles into a fridge to knock the yeasties out?

In theory, that would work. I do that with homemade soda and bottle that in plastic bottles. However, yeast are hardy little critters and there is a great chance of bottle bombs.

It's a decision whether you want sweetened flat cider (easy) or carbonated dry cider (easy). Any other way would involve force carbonation (easy with kegging gear), or a guestimate with a risk of bottle bombs.