# How do U Sweeten/Flavor kit wine



## wineomaker (Oct 29, 2010)

How do you Sweeten or Flavor a kit wine, I have seen on here that you can add 100% juice to wine to sweeten or add flavor to wine, how is this done to kit wines, I have a 6 gallon Riesling kit clearing and would like to make a gallon 0r 2 different I was thinking a Peach Mango or Wild Cherry or Cranberry Apple, and don't know how to do this, or if I can do it to a kit.
Also i read on here adding a wine conditioner/sweetener gives the wine an off taste, i have bought 2 bottles and would rather dump them, then take a chance of ruining my wine, 
thanks for any info.
Jim


----------



## closetwine (Oct 30, 2010)

Ferment dry, K-meta and sorbate, wait awhile backsweeten and F-pack. Search for the last two and you'll find good info!


----------



## Tom (Oct 30, 2010)

If you plan on adding one of those you listed here is what I would do.

1st make sure you added the prober amt od k-meta and sorbate
Wait a week or 2
Simmer by 1/2 or more the juice you want to add. Reason isto get the water out.
For 2 gal A 96oz bottle juice is ok (then simmer)
Cool and add and mix well. 
TASTE ! It should be sweet enough so I would not back sweeten
Wait and make sure fermentation didnt restart. 
Add clairifier


----------



## Dugger (Oct 31, 2010)

Another method for sweetening is to save some of the original juice from the kit and add it back at stabilization - usually 1 or 2 cups is used, depending on how sweet you want it.


----------



## djrockinsteve (Oct 31, 2010)

I sweetened 3 gallons of Riesling (from Juice) with 64 ounces of Peach Mango 100% juice by simmering down to half (@32 oz.) then blending, adding sorbate and sulfite.

It wound up at 1.014 and was sensational.


----------



## wineomaker (Oct 31, 2010)

djrockinsteve said:


> I sweetened 3 gallons of Riesling (from Juice) with 64 ounces of Peach Mango 100% juice by simmering down to half (@32 oz.) then blending, adding sorbate and sulfite.
> 
> It wound up at 1.014 and was sensational.



Thanks for the info everyone, The sorbate and sulfite has already been added, should I add more after I add the juice, also the wine is still not clear the top 3 inches are clear then there is a haze under that, a flashlight will shine thru it ok, that haze has me worried. Should I wait to sweeten after its clear or should this be done now,


----------



## closetwine (Oct 31, 2010)

wineomaker said:


> Thanks for the info everyone, The sorbate and sulfite has already been added, should I add more after I add the juice, also the wine is still not clear the top 3 inches are clear then there is a haze under that, a flashlight will shine thru it ok, that haze has me worried. Should I wait to sweeten after its clear or should this be done now,



You shouldn't need to add more after the juice. I would sweeten, then clear. As for the haze, if you haven't used finings it could just be sediment and I wouldn't worry about it at this point.


----------



## Tom (Oct 31, 2010)

wineomaker said:


> Thanks for the info everyone, The sorbate and sulfite has already been added, should I add more after I add the juice, also the wine is still not clear the top 3 inches are clear then there is a haze under that, a flashlight will shine thru it ok, that haze has me worried. Should I wait to sweeten after its clear or should this be done now,



I would have added the meta and sorbate before f-pac and sweetener


----------



## wineomaker (Nov 1, 2010)

OK now the wife and I are having a lot of fun, on our first batch, the wine is clear and we are doing taste test on my 6 gallon Riesling kit, we did peach grape juice, peach mango grape juice, straight Riesling, sweetened with sugar, sugar and mango, sweetened with wine conditioner, wine conditioner with mango, we like the #1.Peach Mango with conditioner is awesome, #2.Then sweetened with conditioner I like it sweet, #3.Straight Riesling and hope it will mellow out after aging. 
My question is can i go ahead and filter then bottle the #3, then sweeten and bottle #1 and#2 right away, or should this sit after adding conditioner to make sure re-fermentation doesn't start up,


----------



## Tom (Nov 1, 2010)

I think you are rushing to bottle. When did you start this?

BTW I would have used simple syrup to sweeten.


----------



## wineomaker (Nov 1, 2010)

Started 09/22/10 and why the syrup instead of the conditioner Tom


----------



## Tom (Nov 1, 2010)

Wine conditioner leaves a cough medicine aftertaste compared to simple syrup. One month is way to early to bottle juice wines.


----------



## wineomaker (Nov 1, 2010)

Thanks Tom, I tried to make a syrup with sugar and water but when it cooled it crystallized on me, so i bought the conditioner and tried that instead, what is the correct way to make a syrup,


----------



## cpfan (Nov 1, 2010)

Tom said:


> One month is way to early to bottle juice wines.


Tom..it's a riesling kit. I 'm VERY unlikely to bottle at one month, but that's what the instructions recommend.

Steve


----------



## Tom (Nov 1, 2010)

wineomaker said:


> Thanks Tom, I tried to make a syrup with sugar and water but when it cooled it crystallized on me, so i bought the conditioner and tried that instead, what is the correct way to make a syrup,


2 parts of sugar to 1 part water.
Heat water so you see some bubbles form and add sugar. Using a whisk stirr over heat till clear. Do not boil.


----------



## Dugger (Nov 2, 2010)

Tom said:


> 2 parts of sugar to 1 part water.
> Heat water so you see some bubbles form and add sugar. Using a whisk stirr over heat till clear. Do not boil.



I didn't know that about not boiling - what does boiling do to it?


----------



## wineomaker (Nov 2, 2010)

I hate to keep asking questions but is it ok to sweeten and bottle my Riesling kit wine


----------



## Tom (Nov 2, 2010)

I would not as that is a swweet wine. Then again if thats what YOU like .. go for it.
Juct dont enter it in competition.


----------



## Tom (Nov 2, 2010)

Dugger said:


> I didn't know that about not boiling - what does boiling do to it?




Heating the water will dissolve the sugar


----------



## Runningwolf (Nov 2, 2010)

Dugger said:


> I didn't know that about not boiling - what does boiling do to it?



I add my sugar just before or as the water starts boiling. I stir the sugar in until clear. I do not let the water boil after I start adding sugar as that could cause it to crystalize. As soon as the sugar is melted I shut off the heat and continue to stir until clear.


----------



## je5ter (Nov 2, 2010)

djrockinsteve said:


> It wound up at 1.014 and was sensational.



Is that a decent sweetness for fruit wines? BTW first post on here, been more of a lurker and trying to learn.


----------



## Tom (Nov 2, 2010)

je5ter said:


> Is that a decent sweetness for fruit wines? BTW first post on here, been more of a lurker and trying to learn.


WELCOME !
So you can type... LOL
As far as whats a good gravity... It's up to YOUR taste and no one elses. You are making wine for yourself not judges in a competition.
Just a little of trial and error


----------



## je5ter (Nov 2, 2010)

Thanks Tom! Typing is easy it's this wine thing that's a challenge.

I followed Wade E recepit on Crabapple Wine, and sitting at the back-sweetening stage. It has a very tart/sour, as these were those little crabappples size of a grape, and want to make sure that I don't over do the simple syrup. Suggestions on how much to add at a time to a 23L batch so I don't go to far?


----------



## Tom (Nov 2, 2010)

1st make a qt of simple syrup. After you added Meta and sorbate add 1/2 of the jar and mix VERY well. taste. keep adding till you like it.
Remember you will still have the tartnes so dont add to much. swetening will not take the tartness out.. It's the way it should taste ,, Think Cranberry. You can sweeten it but still tart


----------



## djrockinsteve (Nov 2, 2010)

je5ter said:


> Is that a decent sweetness for fruit wines? BTW first post on here, been more of a lurker and trying to learn.



1.014 is where we like our rieslings. I made a blueberry and sweetened to 1.020 and it was awesome.

Sweeten to taste. I like to think of the fruit I used in the wine. Is it a sweet fruit, then sweeten a little more. If it's a drier fruit, then make it a drier wine.

Start out low and sweeten slowly. You will fine your own areas in time.


----------



## je5ter (Nov 3, 2010)

Yes Cranberry, good point! I'll take it nice and slow and see how it goes. Thanks for advise!


----------

