I have a white zin kit I fermented to dryness (0.998), and want to sweeten
it to a semi-sweet. Is there an SG chart showing approx readings for dry,
semi-dry, semi-sweet, and sweet? I know adding sugar will change the SG,
but besides just tasting it I don't know how much sugar to add to get it to
the semi-sweet neighborhood.

So, is there a chart?

Forget about SG. Sweeten to taste. Add enough sugar to make it taste about
the way you want it to. Make some trials on a measured volume of the wine.
Determine how much sugar to add to make it as sweet as you want. Then
calculate how much sugar you will need to add to the entire batch. Then add
about 90% of what you calculated. Be sure to treat with sorbate and sulfite
to prevent refermentation. Put it back and let it age with the sweetener
for a month. Then try it again. The sweetness will change a little with
age. That is why I suggest you add a little less than you think you should.
This will give you some adjustment room. When you taste it the second time,
if you want to adjust it further, you should not need to adjust it much.
Then you can go ahead and bottle.

Ray

"Matthew Givens" wrote in message
...
I have a white zin kit I fermented to dryness (0.998), and want to sweeten
it to a semi-sweet. Is there an SG chart showing approx readings for dry,
semi-dry, semi-sweet, and sweet? I know adding sugar will change the SG,
but besides just tasting it I don't know how much sugar to add to get it to
the semi-sweet neighborhood.

So, is there a chart?

Forget about SG. Sweeten to taste. Add enough sugar to make it taste about
the way you want it to. Make some trials on a measured volume of the wine.
Determine how much sugar to add to make it as sweet as you want. Then
calculate how much sugar you will need to add to the entire batch. Then add
about 90% of what you calculated. Be sure to treat with sorbate and sulfite
to prevent refermentation. Put it back and let it age with the sweetener
for a month. Then try it again. The sweetness will change a little with
age. That is why I suggest you add a little less than you think you should.
This will give you some adjustment room. When you taste it the second time,
if you want to adjust it further, you should not need to adjust it much.
Then you can go ahead and bottle.

Ray

"Matthew Givens" wrote in message
...
I have a white zin kit I fermented to dryness (0.998), and want to sweeten
it to a semi-sweet. Is there an SG chart showing approx readings for dry,
semi-dry, semi-sweet, and sweet? I know adding sugar will change the SG,
but besides just tasting it I don't know how much sugar to add to get it to
the semi-sweet neighborhood.

So, is there a chart?

You can give this chart a try.

http://www.ebrew.com/primarynews/mis...ing_charts.htm


Sweetening Wine

2 ounces of sugar will raise 1 gallon of wine by .005 in specific
gravity;
therefore,
2 ounces will raise 5 gallons by .001

Dry Wine .990 - 1.000
Medium Sweet 1.000 - 1.008
Sweet Wine over 1.008

You can give this chart a try.

http://www.ebrew.com/primarynews/mis...ing_charts.htm


Sweetening Wine

2 ounces of sugar will raise 1 gallon of wine by .005 in specific
gravity;
therefore,
2 ounces will raise 5 gallons by .001

Dry Wine .990 - 1.000
Medium Sweet 1.000 - 1.008
Sweet Wine over 1.008

You can give this chart a try.

http://www.ebrew.com/primarynews/mis...ing_charts.htm


Sweetening Wine

2 ounces of sugar will raise 1 gallon of wine by .005 in specific
gravity;
therefore,
2 ounces will raise 5 gallons by .001

Dry Wine .990 - 1.000
Medium Sweet 1.000 - 1.008
Sweet Wine over 1.008

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 09:59:19 -0600, "Matthew Givens"
wrote:

I have a white zin kit I fermented to dryness (0.998), and want to sweeten
it to a semi-sweet. Is there an SG chart showing approx readings for dry,
semi-dry, semi-sweet, and sweet? I know adding sugar will change the SG,
but besides just tasting it I don't know how much sugar to add to get it to
the semi-sweet neighborhood.

So, is there a chart?



G47. SWEETENING WINE

There are many ways of sweetening your wine.

A) When your wine has reached about 1.000, put in your sulphite,
sorbate and clearing agent. This will usually give you only a slightly
sweet wine.
B) Ferment your wine dry, then stabilize it with your sulphite and
sorbate, and add your clearing agent. Filter the wine. Then add a 2:1
sugar/water (or wine) syrup that contains sulphite and sorbate.
C) Add some glycerine. This technically won't sweeten the wine but it
will add to your perception of sweetness.
D) Blend the stabilized wine with a stable over sweet wine.
E) Add sugar to the wine just before serving. Two teaspoons per bottle
will increase the sugar content by 1%, and 4% will approximate port.

As far as what degree of sweetness you want, add a little bit at a
time,
and stop when it tastes like it could use just a bit more.

Sweetness:

0.5%; 1.000 SG; 1 = dry
3%; 1.010 SG; 2 = medium dry
5.5%; 1.020 SG; 3 = medium sweet
8%; 1.030 SG; 4 = sweet
10.5%; 1.040 SG; 5 = dessert

1.23oz of sugar/gallon raises your brix One point.

http://www.malak.ca/rcw.faq