# White Riesling versus white Zinfandel



## geek (Oct 4, 2012)

I am thinking about going tomorrow morning to my local shop and get a 6-gallon pail of refrigerated juice (already yeast in it).

If I buy I'd like to know if one type of wine (or grape juice) would be sweeter than the other.

Does any grape juice by nature drop the SG to a dry state below 1.000 regardless if it's white or red?

Would either of these 2 types (*White Riesling* versus *white Zinfandel*) ferment to a final SG number above or around 1.010 to stay sweet? My goal, if possible, is to have a sweet *white *wine without adding sugar after fermentation/

What's your take and preference between the 2?

..


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## Dugger (Oct 4, 2012)

Most grape juice by nature will ferment dry unless you take extraordinary measures to ,prevent it so getting a sweet wine without backsweetening is not something you should expect. Neither of the two types you list will stay at an SG to give you a sweet wine.
Also note that the white zin is actually a blush wine and not a white wine. You should get the riesling and backsweeten to achieve what you want.


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## markosz (Oct 4, 2012)

Hi Everyone
I will be interesting to here more about this backsweetening what kind of sugar you using liquid or just regular crystal 
and how much to kick a notch
What I hear this can start fermentation?


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## Deezil (Oct 5, 2012)

What i'd suggest in this case... You're getting a 6-gallon pail? Siphon off a gallon, sulfite it, add an airlock & if you can, put it in the fridge.. You could dose out 1-gallon worth of sorbate in this gallon to keep it from fermenting

Then what you do is take the remaining 5 gallons, ferment it dry... Sorbate/sulfite the 5-gallon & add the 1 gallon a week later.. 

You wont end up with as much ABV, but you'll only have naturally occuring sugars and flavors..

Could siphon off more or less, depending on how high you want the ABV & how sweet you want the final product


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## geek (Oct 5, 2012)

Deezil said:


> What i'd suggest in this case... You're getting a 6-gallon pail? Siphon off a gallon, sulfite it, add an airlock & if you can, put it in the fridge.. You could dose out 1-gallon worth of sorbate in this gallon to keep it from fermenting
> 
> Then what you do is take the remaining 5 gallons, ferment it dry... Sorbate/sulfite the 5-gallon & add the 1 gallon a week later..
> 
> ...



It sounds like a good idea. So I assume that the remainder 1 gallon won't start fermentation when added back with the 5 gallons?

..


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## JohnT (Oct 5, 2012)

geek said:


> It sounds like a good idea. So I assume that the remainder 1 gallon won't start fermentation when added back with the 5 gallons?
> 
> ..


 

I would think that you need to sorbate your 5 gallons before you add the unfermented juice. The only issue I see is that the unfermented juice might make your wine cloudy. I would think that you need to add the unfermented juice several months before you bottle to give the wine a chance to clear.


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## geek (Oct 5, 2012)

just bought my 6-gallon refrigerated juice bucket of white Riesling.
I know this wine had a slow fermentation for my friend, I'm leaving it in bucket for now and will leave it fermenting for a week or so.


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## markosz (Oct 5, 2012)

I think better idea is to ferment all juice an then sweet to jour taste. With liquid sugar


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## geek (Oct 6, 2012)

Deezil said:


> What i'd suggest in this case... You're getting a 6-gallon pail? Siphon off a gallon, sulfite it, add an airlock & if you can, put it in the fridge.. You could dose out 1-gallon worth of sorbate in this gallon to keep it from fermenting
> 
> Then what you do is take the remaining 5 gallons, ferment it dry... Sorbate/sulfite the 5-gallon & add the 1 gallon a week later..
> 
> ...



Did that yesterday, took out about a little less than a gallon of juice and added a little bit of k-meta (tiny portion from a tsp), air locked and into the refrigerator.
The remaining 5 gallons are going through 1st fermentation in original pail.

Let's see what happens....


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