bottling time.

Apfelwein is crystal clear not and I am ready to bottle 4 gallons. I drew off one for a party so I am down to 4. From searching the forum I gathered that it's about 1oz dextrose per gallon for carbing. If I wanted to make it a touch sweeter, does one cup of splenda make sense?

ej

Don't go throw in a cup of splenda without first drawing off a sample to taste-testing the proportion first. I personally found that I disliked any amount of splenda in my ciders, and prefer homemade stuff to be dry instead now. YMMV. 1oz dextrose per gallon does sound right on though for carbonation.fir

Why is dextrose used instead of sucrose?

Dakob said:

Why is dextrose used instead of sucrose?

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Dakob, it's flavor neutral and disolves quickly. I can't get dextrose in Hawaii without shipping it in, so I use confectioners sugar for bottle carbing my wines, and applejuice concentrate for my ciders. I only do extract beers, and usually the kits come with a dextrose carbing charge.


to the OP - I've found 3/4 cup of splenda to a 5 gallon batch takes it to slightly sweet - almost "off dry"
best way to determine how to use splenda is to draw off a pint, and sweeten with tiny known amounts untill you hit the right taste. then simply multiply this amount of splenda x8 per gallon of cider you want to sweeten.
don't return your test sample to the bottling bucket - drink it... makes bottling day far more amusing.

I think its fine to use sucrose for priming, the quantities are small and it won't effect the flavour. Many say sucrose is better for priming, though I'm not sure why, perhaps its easier for the yeast. Dextrose is much better for boosting the OG because as snuffy said, its much more flavour neutral, sucrose gives undesirable flavours.

Snuffalupagus- Do you backsweeten with the apple juice concentrate or use it to carb?

I have 5 gallons of cider I'd like to backsweeten with some apple juice from the pressing. Should this be ok if I add campden and sorbate. I never added campden or sorbate to the juice, so am a little worried that fermentation will kick in.

What I'm thinking of doing is adding the juice to taste, adding the campden and sorbate, and then wait a few days to bottle. Is that the procedure most people would use? Would boiling the juice be a good idea?