Excessive sugar

[held79]

I've been tossing around the idea of making some cider. The way I understand yeast is that once the yeast turn so much sugar into alcohol the % gets too high they die. So I am wondering, could a person get the yeast strength and add enough sugar to increase ABV to max and sweeten the cider in one shot? That would leave a still cider that should leave you with regrets the next day.

 

[hopsalot]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/edworts-apfelwein-33986/
Ed Worts Cider,

if you want to make cider, just do it, sorry Nike... hope moderators don't come down on me for copyright infringement

you want to make some Cider, I have never made it but I trust the HBT'ers their advise along with ED Wort has led me to brew the best beer I have ever tasted

check out the wiki also https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Cider

 

[z987k]

Apple wine is really a different animal from cider. I don't know why everyone thinks they're synonymous.

Apple wine is very tart and very dry, sometimes almost lacking apple flavor. Simple sugar added to increase the abv.

Cider can be dry to sweet, is usually sparkling, sometimes tart, sometimes sweet depending on the apples used. Less alcoholic than apple wine, and that is really the key.


As to the OP's question, you can overwhelm the yeast, but it usually takes a lot and is unpredictable. Lots of yeast will go 12+% so you're going to have to add a lot of sugar.

 

[held79]

I guess I'm looking more at making wine then. Sorry for the wrong terminology, I'm still rather new to all this.

 

[lapaglia]

EC-1118 will go to 18 %ABV. It will take a OG of 1.131 to get you 18 %ABV if it goes down to 0.998, which it will if you do it right. With an average OG for apple juice of 1.050 you will need just short of 10 lbs of sugar to get it to 1.131. It is very hard to start fermentation at 1.131. You want additional sweetness so you will need an SG of 1.140 or higher. It can work but I have seen EC-1118 go to 20 %ABV under the right conditions. So you may need more sugar than that. If you start with 11 lbs of sugar and can get it to start fermenting you might make it work.

Might be easier to ferment a 12%ABV wine. then kill the yeast and back sweeten. Its a lot easier than trying to exceed the limits of alcohol for the yeast.

 

[Yooper]

As the others said, it can be done. But it's unpredictable. If you get "happy yeast", you'll get 18% sweet rocket fuel. Most winemakers like to make wine (particularly apple wine) at 12-13% ABV, then stabilize the wine when finished and sweeten to taste.

I have a decent apple wine recipe, made with juice, that tastes really good when it's finished. It's good sweetened, but it's very good dry as a table wine too.