Back sweetening

[wineview]

Even before I post this question, I know the answer. And that is; bench trials. Well I don’t have the luxury of time and thought I would take a short cut. This is for a five gallon batch of liebfraumilch which at this point is pretty dry. Is it reasonable to start with one cup of simple syrup with a ratio of 1:1 and move forward from there tasting along the way or is one cup a minuscule amount?

 

[Ohio Bob]

It’s been a long time since I’ve tasted that varietal, not even sure if I can remember. I would rack off a gallon before adding any sugar. If you accidentally add too much syrup, you can add that gallon back in to alleviate the over sugaring. Kind of like back sweetening insurance.

To answer your question, I’m guessing 1 cup of syrup is a good place to start. It all depends on the flavor you desire.

 

[winemaker81]

What is your liking for sweet wine? If you prefer things on the dry side, then start with half a cup -- as I often say, it's a lot easier to add more than it is to take some out.

If you like sweeter wine, start with a cup.

Use small increments and stir very well in between. Have bread or plain crackers on hand to cleanse the palate between tastes.

Bench testing with a smaller amount is a good idea. However, when backsweetening the entire batch, if you think the wine needs X sugar, add 1/2 * X OR 3/4 * X, stir very well, and taste it. It's easy to make mathematical errors OR the entire batch may not need as much sugar (due to Mother Nature and Dionysus messing with ya!), and as I said: It's easier to add more than to take some out.

 

[wineview]

What is your liking for sweet wine? If you prefer things on the dry side, then start with half a cup -- as I often say, it's a lot easier to add more than it is to take some out.

If you like sweeter wine, start with a cup.

Use small increments and stir very well in between. Have bread or plain crackers on hand to cleanse the palate between tastes.

Bench testing with a smaller amount is a good idea. However, when backsweetening the entire batch, if you think the wine needs X sugar, add 1/2 * X OR 3/4 * X, stir very well, and taste it. It's easy to make mathematical errors OR the entire batch may not need as much sugar (due to Mother Nature and Dionysus messing with ya!), and as I said: It's easier to add more than to take some out.

I'm in total agreement. Since I don't back sweeten I was curious if 1 cup was over the top or not. I will start with 1/2 cup, taste and proceed. Not looking for a particularly ultra sweet wine, just something a bit different from my other whites.

 

[Jovimaple]

If your syrup is 2:1 sugar to water, you are adding less flavorless water volume to your wine than your 1:1 ratio example.