Cider Sweetening Help

All,

I started this cider - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=7271214 - a few weeks back. I just moved this to secondary - went from 1.060 to 1.000 - 8% ABV or thereabouts. It has a slightly bitter flavor. Would y'all recommend leaving it in secondary, adding stevia and bottling now, adding some sugar, some stevia, and bottling now or..?

I like both still and carbed ciders, but I would like to carve away some of the bitterness, if possible. Is that just a matter of backsweetening, or additives or...?

Thank you!

Quick Update - I tried a cup of the cider still, with a small amount of stevia / erythritol added. BLARGH. Is Stevia in the Raw any better?

Good thing you tried it with sweetener first

Cider can be pretty harsh until it has aged some. I'd carbonate it without any sweetener added and let it sit for a few months. You can always mix it with something when you drink it to add sweetness back.

I'd also let it sit in the fermenter another week to make sure it's done. It will probably go down below 1.00 a little.

Many thanks. I think that's a good idea. I will give it another week in secondary, then carb it.

Do you use apple juice, honey, maple syrup, corn sugar, brown sugar, white sugar, sugar in the raw, or...?

Subdivisions said:

Good thing you tried it with sweetener first

Cider can be pretty harsh until it has aged some. I'd carbonate it without any sweetener added and let it sit for a few months. You can always mix it with something when you drink it to add sweetness back.

I'd also let it sit in the fermenter another week to make sure it's done. It will probably go down below 1.00 a little.

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I drink it unsweetened but apple juice is the most obvious choice. Using a liquid is the easiest way to do it. People who bottle it still will use something fizzy like sprite.

Oops! Clarification: I meant for carbing it, not for sweetening.

Subdivisions said:

I drink it unsweetened but apple juice is the most obvious choice. Using a liquid is the easiest way to do it. People who bottle it still will use something fizzy like sprite.

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jawats said:

Oops! Clarification: I meant for carbing it, not for sweetening.

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Oh, you can use anything you want just use a carb calculator to figure out the right amount for the CO2 volumes you're trying to achieve.

I keg so I'm using gas.