Sweeting wine, when and how?

[Wulfonce]

My wine is ready for clearing but I'd like to make it sweeter. How do I do this?

 

[Peppers16]

Stabilize it with 'stabilizer', or potassium metabisulphate and campden.
After a day or two sweeten to taste, then leave a bit longer to check that fermentation doesn't restart. If your gravity's not changing and you have no bubbles, you're safe to bottle.

I'm not certain but I think you'd do this 'after' clearing. Some other advice people give is under-sweeten a tiny bit, because they tend to taste sweeter after a bit of ageing.

 

[novalou]

You also need potassium sorbate. This prevents renewed fermentation.

 

[Peppers16]

You also need potassium sorbate. This prevents renewed fermentation.

I think campdem contains this. Not certain though.

 

[Wulfonce]

This may be a dumb question... but what do I use to sweeten? Corn Sugar?

 

[novalou]

I think campdem contains this. Not certain though.

No, campdem tablets are pre measured dosages of metabisulfite.

For sweetening, I take table sugar and dissolve it in some hot water. Once this cools, goes into the wine.

 

[Peppers16]

No, campdem tablets are pre measured dosages of metabisulfite

My bad, got it the wrong way around.

I should mention some people use artificial sweetener, since this can't be fermented and doesn't require stabilization.

 

[Wulfonce]

I ended up using corn sugar. 1 1/2 cups per 6gal batch seems to be sufficient. I'd actually prefer it a bit sweeter, but I wont be the only one in the house drinking this wine. I was told it was just right, so I guess I'll leave it.

I wish someone mentioned to me that it was going to explode when I added the sugar... I ended up with one hell of a mess. Being the curious person I am, could anyone explain to me why that happens? You add the sugar and after about 15 seconds you get a volcano of bubbles. I find it odd that its a delayed reaction as well.

Also what do the following chemicals actually do.

My kit came with:

Bentonite
kieselsol
Metabisolphite
sorbate
chitosan

I'm fairly new to wine making as you can tell.

 

[novalou]

I ended up using corn sugar. 1 1/2 cups per 6gal batch seems to be sufficient. I'd actually prefer it a bit sweeter, but I wont be the only one in the house drinking this wine. I was told it was just right, so I guess I'll leave it.

I wish someone mentioned to me that it was going to explode when I added the sugar... I ended up with one hell of a mess. Being the curious person I am, could anyone explain to me why that happens? You add the sugar and after about 15 seconds you get a volcano of bubbles. I find it odd that its a delayed reaction as well.

Also what do the following chemicals actually do.

My kit came with:

Bentonite
kieselsol
Metabisolphite
sorbate
chitosan

I'm fairly new to wine making as you can tell.

What happened is that there is CO2 dissolved in your wine from fermentation. When you add granual sugar, it works the bubbles loose and BOOM! Volcano city. I too learned the hard way.

 

[saramc]

...
Also what do the following chemicals actually do.

My kit came with:
Bentonite
kieselsol
Metabisolphite
sorbate
chitosan

I'm fairly new to wine making as you can tell.

Bentonite is a fining agent.
Kieselsol and chitosan are clarifying agents. Metabisulphite is used as SO2 agent to prevent oxidization and bacterial infection, a common natural preservative. Sorbate is a preservative and part of the stabilizing process and should always be used in the presence of metabisulphite, aka k-meta or Campden, it also prohibits any remaining active yeast in a dry then backsweetened ferment from refermenting, also prevents yeasts/molds from forming.