Dave -
Yeah, I know...since I've became a Type II diabetic, I've had to give up sweet wines and back-sweetening dry wines.
After a couple of batches of Apfelwein, a little light came on inside my head, and I realized that ALL bottled juices were suddenly ammunition for my fermentors!
When making wine, I no longer 'boost-the-juice' with sugar, or use Champagne yeast. I am very happy with a mildy dry, low ABV - 4 to 6 % - table wine.
But, I've got a friend who makes country wines, muscadine, etc., with his families "one" ol' handed-down recipe from many years ago...
1) Fill a 5-gallon bucket with crushed fruit (muscadines), then add 5 pounds of sugar, cover with a cloth, and wait 1 week.
2) Remove the cap (fruit solids), add another 5 pounds of sugar, top off with water, and airlock.
3) Bottle after a few months, when test samples taste righteous!
I did a SG test on a sample that he gave me the other day.
It was VERY sweet, after all, it had had 10 pounds of table sugar added to the sugar already in the vine-ripened muscadines, AND very strong.
The wild yeast (he wouldn't dare consider investing a nickel on a packet of cultured yeast!) had pulled the SG down to 1.060 before it hit the wall!
Not knowing the OG, or the FG before it was boosted, EITHER time, I have no idea what the ABV could possibly be, OR or how to figure it even if I did have the numbers!
Apparently, there are many who like his recipe!
He told me that he wished that he had a thousand gallons of this stuff, saying that he could sell every drop before the week was out...and this was on a Wednesday!!!
Pogo