How much to back sweeten a mead?

[rhoadsrage]

Is there are a chart or reference as to which F.G. are dry vs semi-sweet vs sweet flavor?

I would like to back sweeten my mead which is sitting at 1.002 so that it has a bit more sweetness but I don't want it to be cloyingly sweet.

Thanks.

 

[MedsenFey]

The following scale is often used:

Dry: 0.990 – 1.006
Medium: 1.006 – 1.012
Sweet: 1.012 – 1.020
Dessert: 1.020+

However, I find that this applies best to traditional meads (and even then only as a ballpark estimate). Depending on how much acid, tannin, alcohol, and other flavor elements are there, the numbers can be much different. This is not even taking into account the wide variation in palate. What tastes cloyingly syrupy to me, is just delicious for my Little Wifey.

I have a sour orange recipe that doesn't even begin to taste sweet until the gravity gets up to about 1.050 because it has so much acidity. So there can be a really wide range of values that may fall into what is sweet.

I would never sweeten based on a number value. I would take a glass full of the mead and gradually sweeten it until I think it tastes best. Then I'd measure the gravity at that level, and that gives you a numerical target to aim for based on taste. You can trust your taste buds.

Medsen

 

[Yooper]

I would never sweeten based on a number value. I would take a glass full of the mead and gradually sweeten it until I think it tastes best. Then I'd measure the gravity at that level, and that gives you a numerical target to aim for based on taste. You can trust your taste buds.

Medsen

I agree with this, with one caveat- it often tastes a bit sweeter after it's been in the bottle a while. So, I do what Medsen said, and find a place I like it. But then, sweeten to just slightly less than the SG indicates. What I mean is this- say you love it at 1.010. Then, I'd sweeten it to 1.008. Otherwise, it seems that after a while it gets a bit too sweet. I don't know why this is, but it always happens to me!

 

[MedsenFey]

...it seems that after a while it gets a bit too sweet. I don't know why this is, but it always happens to me!

I think this happens because the wine is not static after bottling. The chemical reactions continue to occur slowly over time. Acids bind with alcohols forming esters which reduces the acidity. Tannins bind together forming complexes that are less bitter, and astringent. I'm sure other things go on as well. Since the perception of sweetness is determined by the balance of sugar vs. acids/tannins/oak/whatnot, as these other things tone down over time, the sugar sweetness becomes a bit more prominent.

That's my best guess for why that occurs, and your advice is right on the money.

Medsen

Edit - By the way, what happened to the cute baby picture? And who is that little bundle of joy?

 

[Yooper]

I think this happens because the wine is not static after bottling. The chemical reactions continue to occur slowly over time. Acids bind with alcohols forming esters which reduces the acidity. Tannins bind together forming complexes that are less bitter, and astringent. I'm sure other things go on as well. Since the perception of sweetness is determined by the balance of sugar vs. acids/tannins/oak/whatnot, as these other things tone down over time, the sugar sweetness becomes a bit more prominent.

That's my best guess for why that occurs, and your advice is right on the money.

Medsen

Edit - By the way, what happened to the cute baby picture? And who is that little bundle of joy?

That's a good explanation of the changes over time in a bottled mead.

The baby is my new grandson- now 2 1/2 weeks old.

 

[MedsenFey]

The baby is my new grandson- now 2 1/2 weeks old.

Congratulations!

 

[patrick767]

Old thread, but it's asking about the same question I have.

I'm getting ready to do some 1 gallon experiment batches. Tell me if this makes sense. Per this site and converting their liters to gallons, 908.5 grams of sugar in a gallon of water will yield an OG of 1090 and an abv potential of 12%. At 17g of sugar per 21g serving size on my honey, that means it will take about 2.5 lbs of honey to the gallon to hit 1090.

If I use champagne yeast to ferment it out completely, then back sweeten, how much honey do I need to use for various levels of sweetness? If the numbers quoted below are generally correct, it looks like it'll be a small amount. 12.5 grams of sugar per liter yields 1.01 SG (per linked chart above) and that would be the upper end of medium sweetness. That's 47 grams of sugar per gallon. Really? That's less than I would have guessed.

On a side note, my little idea, just out of curiosity, is to fully ferment a gallon made with honey and a gallon made with apple juice and dextrose at the same or nearly the same OG, then back sweeten both with honey and compare them.

The following scale is often used:

Dry: 0.990 – 1.006
Medium: 1.006 – 1.012
Sweet: 1.012 – 1.020
Dessert: 1.020+

However, I find that this applies best to traditional meads (and even then only as a ballpark estimate).

 

[patrick767]

hmm... just calculated that I will have to use over 17 ounces of dextrose to get a gallon of apple juice up to 1.090. That's more dextrose than there is fruit sugar in the juice. Bad idea? I know the popular and easy apfelwein I've made from instructions on this site only uses about 8 oz of dextrose per gallon (yields under 9% abv).

also I made a little 6 oz yeast starter in a 12 oz beer bottle with a balloon on top as a ghetto air lock (hey, grandma use to make "balloon wine"). That was 3 hours ago. It's already inflating. If I leave it overnight it may pop. Red Star champagne yeast is fast!

edit: Decided my starter was more than ready and got things going.

The mead is at about 1.088. The apple wine is 1.092. Close enough. 1/2 tsp of nutrient in each. Hopefully that's sufficient.