Monk Fruit / Lo Han Guo for backsweetening

[HarboBrew]

Just tapped a 5 gallon keg of simple orange blossom hydromel, which I backsweetened to medium-sweet with 1lb of monk fruit (aka lo han guo). Came out amazing with no weird taste like you would get from stevia. Tastes just like sugar and can be measured the same at at 1:1 ratio. And it's apparently unfermentable to yeast!
I'm just wondering if anyone else has used this to sweeten a mead, cider etc?

Zymurge on!

 

[loveofrose]

Nope, never heard of it. It’s on order for experiments now though. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Lefou]

Monk fruit.
I had to research this.
Found it is used as a sweetener in Asia and contains natural sugars and glycosides soluble in ethanol. Related to melons, cucumbers, and squash.
Led me further to this ....
https://beersensoryscience.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/glycosides/

 

[biochemedic]

Very interesting stuff...I may have to play around with this as well...

 

[yinxinrd]

Nope, never heard of it. It’s on order for experiments now though. Thanks for the idea!

Modern medical research has confirmed that Luo Han Guo contains a sweetener which sweetness is 300 times than sucrose,

but it does not produce calories, so it is an ideal alternative drink for people who are unfit for sugar, such as diabetes and obesity.

 

[diyHardCider]

I had come across it in researching non-fermentables... but couldn't find much info on anyone that was using it... thanks for the feedback!!

 

[Jwin]

Necro
Dogfish is releasing a 95 calorie IPA that uses monk fruit extract. In an interview Sam stated something about an enzyme blend to ferment it.
May be worth a shot to hit it with some amylase and see what happens.
Or Beano.

 

[Miraculix]

Interesting stuff!

 

[dmtaylor]

I think monk fruit sweetener tastes like POISON, worst garbage I put into my mouth ever!!!!!! Yes, I am serious!!!!

 

[Smom1976]

I enjoy the monk fruit sweetener hadent thought about that for back sweetening calorie free.

 

[TuTu]

Just tapped a 5 gallon keg of simple orange blossom hydromel, which I backsweetened to medium-sweet with 1lb of monk fruit (aka lo han guo). Came out amazing with no weird taste like you would get from stevia. Tastes just like sugar and can be measured the same at at 1:1 ratio. And it's apparently unfermentable to yeast!
I'm just wondering if anyone else has used this to sweeten a mead, cider etc?

Zymurge on!

I am going to try it on my first batch that has carbonated after a long wait- 8 months in a carboy I will just do 3 of the 7 gallons with the Monk fruit. Wish me luck!

 

[DuncB]

I've used the sweetener that is just monk fruit extract in a low calorie hazy IPA. Followed the recipe of funkwerks recipe called fitbits. From memory 0.9g per litre in the keg.
I think it was in craft beer and brewer.
Some monk fruit sweetener has other non fermentable in them and I believe they are not so good to taste.