Backsweetening cider in demijohn or in bottle

[Leeq]

Alright guys

I'm almost done with my gallon of hard cider.

She's been maturing in the demijohn for about 1 and a half weeks/just over, and am going to give it another 1.5 weeks, bottle and condition in bottle for a week.

Thing is, I want to backsweeten.

She's planning on being a flat cider.

I'm just wondering, would I go about backsweetening with xylitol in the current demijohn or when she is in bottles? (Using wine bottles)

Like I said, no carbonation.

I'm wanting a slightly sweet cider with apple-y tones (Am slightly cheating and using a natural apple extract without sugar.

How do I go about backsweetening?

When it is in the demijohn, or when it is in the bottle?

also how and how much xylitol do you think I should use to get something that's not too sweet but does have a noticeably (Just not massively) sweet apple-y taste?

If wrong forum please move

thanks guys

 

[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

Do you have a bottling bucket? Rack to that and sweeten there then bottle. Can't really speak to the xyletol because I've never used it, but since you want it still and not carbed if you hit it with sulfites and kmeta you can sweeten with anything including apple concentrate.

 

[DaMonkey]

Do you have a bottling bucket? Rack to that and sweeten there then bottle. Can't really speak to the xyletol because I've never used it, but since you want it still and not carbed if you hit it with sulfites and kmeta you can sweeten with anything including apple concentrate.

+1

Use corn sugar.

 

[Leeq]

Do you have a bottling bucket? Rack to that and sweeten there then bottle. Can't really speak to the xyletol because I've never used it, but since you want it still and not carbed if you hit it with sulfites and kmeta you can sweeten with anything including apple concentrate.

Bottling bucket?

And fair enough, how much sulfites should I add to 1 gallon of cider?

Also, do the sulfites combat oxidisation? This is possibly a problem for me, mainly from when I was racking in to a secondary, I am afraid there may be oxidastion as all I did was take out the bung and slide a tube in to the demijohn and such on the other end, putting in to other demijohn, and the syphoning process to a while.

Should I be worried?

Thanks

And why is corn sugar better? I hve already bought 250g xylitol

 

[Maylar]

You don't need any chemicals if you want flat cider, but you'll have to wait long enough for fermentation to be totally finished if you intend to use wine bottles. Corks go "pop" ya know.

My bottling bucket is a stainless soup pot, properly cleaned and sanitized. Siphon from your gallon jug into a clean pot to get the cider off of any sediment, and sweeten to taste before bottling.

I find that 3 TBSP of Xylitol per gallon is the right level for my tastes.

 

[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

You don't need any chemicals if you want flat cider, but you'll have to wait long enough for fermentation to be totally finished if you intend to use wine bottles. Corks go "pop" ya know.

My bottling bucket is a stainless soup pot, properly cleaned and sanitized. Siphon from your gallon jug into a clean pot to get the cider off of any sediment, and sweeten to taste before bottling.

I find that 3 TBSP of Xylitol per gallon is the right level for my tastes.

Depends what you decide to use for sweetening. Any fermentable sugars yes, xylitol no.

 

[MarkKF]

I find that 3 TBSP of Xylitol per gallon is the right level for my tastes.

I used 1/2 cup per five gal. and it tastes great!

 

[kgressler]

Never used Xylitol before wanted to try it. What are my options?
I tried adding it to a pint over the weekend to test the taste. It was very difficult to get it to dissolve. Do I just add it to the bottling bucket and stir for a while? Can I add it to the secondary and let it sit a few days? Or should I draw a small portion of cider and heat it with the xylitol till it dissolves?

 

[Maylar]

I've never had a problem dissolving it. I just stir it into my bottling pot at room temp. But I'd guess that like sugar it'd mix better in warm cider.

Try it in your morning coffee.

 

[kgressler]

I've never had a problem dissolving it. I just stir it into my bottling pot at room temp. But I'd guess that like sugar it'd mix better in warm cider.

Try it in your morning coffee.

Thanks for the response Maylar. So i am guessing I can just rack right on top of the xylitol then gently stir? Or should I rack the cider and then add the xylitol on top? I suppose it doesnt really matter as long as I dont splash the cider around and just gently stir.

I added it to a chilled dry cider over the weekend and it was hella hard to dissolve hopefully a room temperature cider will help with this.

 

[Yeldarbs]

You might do as I do and dissolve your xylitol in a little boiling water first, and then to bottling bucket where I rack on top. I find that it's much easier than trying to get it all to dissolve by stirring with my fermented cider.

 

[Maylar]

Sweetening "to taste" means adding it incrementally and tasting it as you go. I rack to a stainless pot and stir the Xylitol in with a plastic spoon. At room temp it dissolves in a minute or so.