backsweeten but don't want to use artificial

[ThePrisoner]

My cider will be ready soon for bottling and I want to sweeten a bit but don't want to use artificial sweetner.
I'd like some still and some carbonated, what are my options for either?

 

[Maylar]

For still you stabilize with potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate, then sweeten with whatever you want. For carbonated you sweeten then bottle pasteurize (see the sticky) or refrigerate (short term fix, works with ale yeasts), or keg.

Also consider Xylitol, which is unfermentable and not artificial.

 

[derrabe]

Also consider Xylitol, which is unfermentable and not artificial.

I was considering this route until I found out this stuff is poisonous to dogs. So I decided it against it on the chance a cider could be *Gawd forbid* spilled near my pooch

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I just primed and bottled a gal batch of cherry vanilla cider 1 tbs cane sugar and 1 tbs lactose (an unfermentable sugar) so it should be low carb and a little sweet. I'm cracking open a test bottle in a few days. I'll let you know.

 

[ThePrisoner]

Can you use normal sugar dissolved in boiling water or does it have to be corn sugar/dextrose?

 

[Peruvian802]

I just primed and bottled a gal batch of cherry vanilla cider 1 tbs cane sugar and 1 tbs lactose (an unfermentable sugar) so it should be low carb and a little sweet. I'm cracking open a test bottle in a few days. I'll let you know.

I assume you mean per bottle?

 

[SanPancho]

I assume you mean per bottle?

no, that'd be crazy sweet. that's per gallon, before bottling. the sugar to prime/carb each bottle, and the lactose to add residual sweetness.

this year im going to try using lactose as i feel the same about xylitol and dogs- kinda scary. typically i'd just always backsweeten then pastuerize, but im too lazy. if lactose will get me the residual sweetness without needing to pastuerize, then i can just go straight from crashing to carbing.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

You answered the question! 1 tbs (tablespoon) per bottle would surely potentially be a bottle bomb 1 tbs of lactose per gallon might not be sweet enough for some.

 

[ThePrisoner]

Can you use normal sugar dissolved in boiling water or does it have to be corn sugar/dextrose?[

 

[Bosh]

Maybe oligosaccharide syrup? Bacteria can eat it so be careful but its too complex for yeast and it`s sweet. All over the place in Korea and you should be able to find it in an Asian food mart. Worked well in some crangrape wine I made.

 

[ThePrisoner]

Why can normal table sugar not be used?

 

[Maylar]

Why can normal table sugar not be used?

It will ferment unless you stabilize first.

 

[TheCrackpot]

You can use normal table sugar all you want for carbonation. It's the residual sweetness that you are after that will require either an unfermentable sweetner or some sort of process to stop the yeast from consuming all the sugar.

Adding a combination of fermentable corn or cane or beet sugar with unfermentable lactose is probably the easiest method. I've tried it and it seemed to work but I am not an expert on cider (or anything for that matter) so I don't know if pasteurizing would result in a better product.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Can you use normal sugar dissolved in boiling water or does it have to be corn sugar/dextrose?[

You can prime with table sugar, yes. Keep in mind that if you also want to sweeten with table sugar, you'll need to heat pasteurize before the yeast convert all the sugar. Using an unfermentable sugar like lactose or malto dextrin as part of the priming sugar leaves sweetness without over carbing.

 

[ThePrisoner]

You can prime with table sugar, yes. Keep in mind that if you also want to sweeten with table sugar, you'll need to heat pasteurize before the yeast convert all the sugar. Using an unfermentable sugar like lactose or malto dextrin as part of the priming sugar leaves sweetness without over carbing.

I was planning on stove top pasteurising after a few days but almost nowhere recommended table sugar. They ask recommend dextrose or corn sugar. Not sure why.

 

[Maylar]

I was planning on stove top pasteurising after a few days but almost nowhere recommended table sugar. They ask recommend dextrose or corn sugar. Not sure why.

I think it has to do with the bubbles - corn sugar carbonates with the "tiny bubbles" that people like.

 

[Bobby_M]

That's absurd. The type of sugar has nothing to do with bubble size.

 

[Maylar]

I'm sure I read it somewhere... honest. It must be true... it's on the innernet.

 

[alaktheman]

Maylar I read that too. That dextrose is used for tiny bubbles where table sugar is used for larger bubbles.

 

[MarkKF]

It's all CO2. Same bubbles. Now if you force carb with different gases then maybe different bubble sizes.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I was planning on stove top pasteurising after a few days but almost nowhere recommended table sugar. They ask recommend dextrose or corn sugar. Not sure why.

It is my understanding that corn sugar converts more quickly than table sugar, it is certainly not expensive, but since I have plenty of organic cane sugar already, that is what I generally use for beer and cider.