Back Sweetening

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Again I don't get why people are going to all of this trouble for back sweetening. Just use non fermentable sugars. I bottled my chai cider 2 days ago. Added 1 lb of lactose tasted amazing. If you want brown sugar use splenda they make a brown sugar and you won't have to worry about bottle bombs. WAY EASIER AND SAFER!


I make cider for my gluten free and lactose intolerant friends. So lactose…
 
Yeah, to me too. Stevia seems to be a much better substitute for me.

Unrelated: As a baker, my wife can taste the difference between beet sugar and cane sugar.
 
Splenda....

I know Splenda is pretty close to sugar, but I really don't like any kind of "artificial" or chemical taste.

I would like to try Xylitol, but I only see it in large packages.

I'm really curious to know about using stevia - how do you use it? Steep it in cold water? Hot water? How much? It is just sweet, or does it add other flavors, too?
 
I know Splenda is pretty close to sugar, but I really don't like any kind of "artificial" or chemical taste.



I would like to try Xylitol, but I only see it in large packages?


I use xylitol, in small amounts just to cut the dryness. 1/2-1 cup per 5 gal. 1-1/2 cup is too much for my taste. I buy it from Amazon. They have 1 or 2 lbs. packages. But look around. You can get Chinese or North American made and birch or corn based.
I buy Canadian birch based.
 
I have Xylitol in the Xylo-Sweet brand and they have small packages. Available in the "alternative" sweetener section in some supermarkets and in health food stores. About 3 TBSP per gallon works for me.

I've read here of folks using Stevia too - I need to get me some and try that sometime.
 
I know Splenda is pretty close to sugar, but I really don't like any kind of "artificial" or chemical taste.

I would like to try Xylitol, but I only see it in large packages.

I'm really curious to know about using stevia - how do you use it? Steep it in cold water? Hot water? How much? It is just sweet, or does it add other flavors, too?

I have found the Stevia In The Raw brand to be measurable the same as sucrose, cup for cup. It dissolves instantly in warm water and has no discernible flavor in cider.
 
well I just pasteurized my cider batch. I was a little nervous about bottle bombs.

I fermented with a cinnamon stick and 2 cloves in each gallon. Come to find out, that's wasn't a good idea for me. It was super bitter after fermentation. So I compensated with lots of sugar. And I mean lots. I lost count after I added a cup or two because I was so angry, haha. So I just added until I thought it tasted okay.

I bottled however didn't fill a Soda bottle. I filled a water bottle. One of the ones with the short top. Not a good idea. Those things can't handle pressure what so ever. So i opened one every couple days. It took almost a week and a half to fully carbonate. The carbonation helped mellow out some of the spice flavor as well. A tad sweet for my liking but at least nothing exploded.
 
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