Sweetening back with Xylitol can I still bottle carb?

[ericbw]

I've got my first batch (5 gal) of cider / apple wine just about ready to bottle. It is bone dry @ 1.000.

I read on another thread somewhere to use xylitol (a non ferment-able sweetener) to sweeten it back to where I want it to be before bottling.

I used fresh pressed cider (1.045) and added 2lb brown sugar {forgot to take my reading after adding sugar} I fermented for 2 weeks, racked it, dropped in some sparkolloid, fermented another 2 weeks, and just racked it again. I am dropping 5 cups of xylitol to the batch. I want to bottle carb this batch. Does any one know how much corn sugar I should use when I want to bottle? And will the xylitol negatively affect being able to bottle carb?

I may want to add some organic apple concentrate to it today as well; just to bring back some of the apple flavor.

Anyone got some advice, or just the outright answer?

BTW, I have a 35 gallon batch (different apples) ready to rack today too. I also forgot to take a reading on it, but added 14lbs brown sugar and 2lbs black strap molasses to that one.

It is not feasible for me to cold crash as I don't have the space to do so in the fridge.

Your first batch was 5 gallons, and you followed that with 35 gallons before the first one finished? Bold!

 

[Yooper]

I would do this or if you really want chemicals in your cider then try using the ones that stop fermentation both are available at your brew store and at amazon. Camden tablets and potassium sorbate. These two things will stop fermentation there is some confusion on this forum about them. I have not used them and have not fully researched them. As far as I can tell, you use them together to halt fermentation and one of them interferes with the yeast reproduction cycle thus halting or seriously slowing fermentation down. They do not actually kill the yeast, you pasturize for that. They are both really cheap on amazon and your cider will not taste like sugar free crap. As someone who can taste most sugar free stuff I think this is a much better alternative. You can find tons of things about it on this site or do a little research about them.

Sorbate and campden don't stop an active fermentation.

 

[MindenMan]

I have never had a Corona that tasted skunky, not that I recall. I do remember Heineken, and Beck's and Saint Pauli Girl tasting skunky way too often years ago.

 

[ericbw]

I have never had a Corona that tasted skunky, not that I recall. I do remember Heineken, and Beck's and Saint Pauli Girl tasting skunky way too often years ago.

I thought Heinekin was supposed to taste that way on purpose.

We're derailing...

 

[Fyrespinner]

Your first batch was 5 gallons, and you followed that with 35 gallons before the first one finished? Bold!

I built a cider press, grinder, ect.. the whole set up. We started by harvesting my neighbors tree and a tree from one of the properties I did some work at. That got us about 400-500 lb of unsprayed, organic apples..... Then I put out a post on Craigslist wanting unsprayed apples, that got us 5 more trees. So the first go round was trying to get the community involved in the whole thing by gifting cider, well I had about 7 gallons left (for us) Then when we picked the other trees we had about 1500 - 1700 lbs of apples, I "paid" the people who helped with cider, and kept 37 gallons for us. That is how it went from a five gallon batch to 35 gallon batch. Used the lees off the first racking of the five to pitch the 35, tasted the big batch last night.... wow, the flavors really developed well, and the cinnamon sticks I threw in the first batch really came out in the big one..

 

[Fyrespinner]

I built a cider press, grinder, ect.. the whole set up. We started by harvesting my neighbors tree and a tree from one of the properties I did some work at. That got us about 400-500 lb of unsprayed, organic apples..... Then I put out a post on Craigslist wanting unsprayed apples, that got us 5 more trees. So the first go round was trying to get the community involved in the whole thing by gifting cider, well I had about 7 gallons left (for us) Then when we picked the other trees we had about 1500 - 1700 lbs of apples, I "paid" the people who helped with cider, and kept 37 gallons for us. That is how it went from a five gallon batch to 35 gallon batch. Used the lees off the first racking of the five to pitch the 35, tasted the big batch last night.... wow, the flavors really developed well, and the cinnamon sticks I threw in the first batch really came out in the big one..

And recently spent a **** ton of money on carboys.... I guess I'm ready for just about anything now, (2 bottle buckets, 3 brew buckets, 1 55gallon drum, 4 six gallon glass carboys, 2 five gallon plastic jugs, 8 airlocks, ect... and all the carboys and jugs full of cider. I guess I'll need to buy anther come payday to start the 2nd racking.