Cider too tart

[Ciderman62]

I have a batch of cider which is coming to the end of fermenting tested today & have the same SG reading as two days ago, plan to test again Saturday and if there is no change in SG will commence bottling

I have tasted the brew is on the tart side so need to sweeten before bottling however I understand that if I use sugar to achieve the required sweetness prior to bottling that this sugar will start the fermentation again in the bottle and carbonate the cider

As I want a sweeter cider than it currently is AND I want it carbonated I need to use a sweetener that will not be consumed by fermentation and add sufficient sugar for carbonation in the bottle

I know that a lot of artificial sweeteners used in cooking or as a sugar substitute in hot drinks can leave a bitter after taste which I want to avoid

Can someone recommend a sweetener that does not ferment or leave a bitter after taste.

 

[CKuhns]

Im not sure i would add any artificial sweeteners. I have tried a number of them with Stevia as the one i would use if i felt it was absolutely needed. But like many of the others too much doesnt taste well to me. ( Maybe im just sensative to them) A small amount of Stevia seems to be ok.

I would consider letting it age for a number of months. It does tend to take the edge off of a lot of flavors including the tsttness.

Finally, by adding additional fruit (like blackberries) does bring some additional flavor and kind of tricks your tongue into thinking its sweeter and less tart than it is.

 

[bushpilot]

I use erythritol.

 

[DaveC73]

I agree with CKuhns, ageing can make a big difference in the final cider, including taking the tart/acid edge away.

If you don't want to wait, the best non-fermentable sweetener I have found is BochaSweet. Its xylose (not xylitol) extracted from kabocha squash. To me it is indistinguishable from table sugar and I'm very, very sensitive to the "bitterness effect" of alternative sweeteners. It's only drawback is that its quite expensive, but you can order it from amazon and have it in your hands tomorrow.

 

[ilikerolls]

I use erythritol.

Hey bushpolit I'm thinking about using erythritol for my cider too. It's been years, since I homebrewed so I'm a little rusty. I have a dog that I love so much, so I don't want to risk using Xylitol. I've fermented dry, dry hopped with 1 oz Citra for 5 days, & I've let it age for about a month now. It tastes pretty good as is. But I feel like it could use something more to bring out the Appleness. I prefer a cider that's not super sweet, but still says I'm an Apple Cider! Also I plan on naturally carbonating with some dextrose before bottling.

How much erythritol would you recommend using? Thanks for any help u can offer!

 

[bushpilot]

Hey bushpolit I'm thinking about using erythritol for my cider too. It's been years, since I homebrewed so I'm a little rusty. I have a dog that I love so much, so I don't want to risk using Xylitol. I've fermented dry, dry hopped with 1 oz Citra for 5 days, & I've let it age for about a month now. It tastes pretty good as is. But I feel like it could use something more to bring out the Appleness. I prefer a cider that's not super sweet, but still says I'm an Apple Cider! Also I plan on naturally carbonating with some dextrose before bottling.

How much erythritol would you recommend using? Thanks for any help u can offer!

Sorry for my slow response. You will have to work it out by taste, but in looking at my notes for a batch a few months ago, I added 6 tsp to 32 oz swingtop bottles (I add directly in the bottle.)

I haven't opened any of those yet, so I cannot comment on the result.