This fall I pressed my own apples.
I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.

I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
with some tannin in the mouth.

It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.

What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.

I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
champagne)
And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.

Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
carbonation?

Any suggestions.

I've made sparkling apple cider twice before. I guess it's more like a
champagne/wine than a cider, because I think they turned out to be about 11%
alcohol or so. I took the pure juice and cut it with just over an equal
amount of water. Added sugar, etc and femented. After 3 to 4 weeks and an
intermediate racking somewhere along the line, I racked into a secondary
containing sugar pre-dissolved in hot water. I used 1/4 cup of sugar per
imperial gallon. (I used corn the first time, cane the second time). I
bottled in standard 341 ml beer bottles with crown caps. I think I could
have cut back a bit on the sugar, since beers call for about 3/4 cup for an
entire 5 imp gal batch (or about 3/4ths of a teaspoon per beer bottle), but
I've made beers with vastly different amounts of sugar at bottling, and have
had no ill effects aside from some beers being a little bit more bubbly.
I've yet to lose one to explosion.

I bottled them dry. Haven't tried stabalizing and sweetening. I prefer dry
anyway.

I still have a couple bottles from 1996 and 1997. I think they should get
opened soon, maybe New Years Eve.

"Pete" > wrote in message
...
> This fall I pressed my own apples.
> I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.
>
> I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
> with some tannin in the mouth.
>
> It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.
>
> What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.
>
> I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
> champagne)
> And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.
>
> Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
> carbonation?
>
> Any suggestions.
>

> What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.

Carbonate any way you like.

I sweeten in the glass. We always have apple juice in the fridge
and so it is easy for everyone to have cider exactly the way they
like it. Some like it dry, others mix varying amounts of apple
juice into it in the glass.

cheers,
-Alan
www.bodensatz.com

I'm thinking that malto-dextrin or lactose may work.
Both these not only add sweetness the way splenda does but they also add
body, without the body, you may have sweetness, but it just won't feel
right. T

Pete wrote:
> This fall I pressed my own apples.
> I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.
>
> I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
> with some tannin in the mouth.
>
> It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.
>
> What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.
>
> I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
> champagne)
> And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.
>
> Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
> carbonation?
>
> Any suggestions.
>

I am not looking for extreem sweet. Just to balance out the dryness.

Do either of these ferment?

I would have to add a non-fermentable for sweetness
and corn sugar for carbonation.

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 04:19:51 GMT, Michal Palczewski
> wrote:

>I'm thinking that malto-dextrin or lactose may work.
>Both these not only add sweetness the way splenda does but they also add
>body, without the body, you may have sweetness, but it just won't feel
>right. T
>
>Pete wrote:
>> This fall I pressed my own apples.
>> I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.
>>
>> I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
>> with some tannin in the mouth.
>>
>> It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.
>>
>> What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.
>>
>> I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
>> champagne)
>> And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.
>>
>> Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
>> carbonation?
>>
>> Any suggestions.
>>

Fruit wines must be brilliantly clear and completely stable before =
bottling. Wine bottled without sufficient

SO2 will be short lived, so the free sulfur dioxide content should be =
raised to 30 or 40 milligrams per liter a

few days before bottling time. One crushed Campden tablet for each =
gallon of wine is the correct amount.

If sugar is added to sweeten the wine, potassium sorbate should also be =
added. The added sugar will start

to ferment without the sorbate, and fermentation after bottling will =
generally produce a cloudy sediment and

spoil the wine. Directions supplied with the sorbate should always be =
followed, and sorbate additions

should always be measured carefully.

This may be the ans your looking for.

"Pete" > wrote in message =
...
This fall I pressed my own apples.
I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.=20

I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
with some tannin in the mouth.

It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.

What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.

I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
champagne)
And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.

Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
carbonation?

Any suggestions.

After mine has fermented out and clarified (I use raw cider and a varying
amount of honey), I re rack and pitch 1 campden tab per gallon. I keg it age
mine until the following autumn (typically crack it open the same day I
prepare the next years batch). I sweeten mine with the same cider that I
used in the primary ferment - freezing 1/2 gallon is more than enough for a
5 gal batch. Sometimes I also add some ascorbic acid for tartness if I feel
it needs it.

I use a mead yeast so it ferments out to around 10% before I reblend the
following autumn.

stk


"Pete" > wrote in message
...
> This fall I pressed my own apples.
> I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.
>
> I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
> with some tannin in the mouth.
>
> It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.
>
> What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.
>
> I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
> champagne)
> And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.
>
> Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
> carbonation?
>
> Any suggestions.
>

I was looking for a cider in the 5-6% range.
I didn't add sugar or water.

I did 5 gallons with ale yeast and 5 gallons with champagne yeast.
I plan on blending these.

Any suggestions on a non-fermenting sweetner?


On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 11:35:48 -0500, "Steven T King"
> wrote:

>After mine has fermented out and clarified (I use raw cider and a varying
>amount of honey), I re rack and pitch 1 campden tab per gallon. I keg it age
>mine until the following autumn (typically crack it open the same day I
>prepare the next years batch). I sweeten mine with the same cider that I
>used in the primary ferment - freezing 1/2 gallon is more than enough for a
>5 gal batch. Sometimes I also add some ascorbic acid for tartness if I feel
>it needs it.
>
>I use a mead yeast so it ferments out to around 10% before I reblend the
>following autumn.
>
>stk
>
>
>"Pete" > wrote in message
.. .
>> This fall I pressed my own apples.
>> I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.
>>
>> I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
>> with some tannin in the mouth.
>>
>> It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.
>>
>> What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.
>>
>> I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
>> champagne)
>> And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.
>>
>> Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
>> carbonation?
>>
>> Any suggestions.
>>
>

On Wed, 17 Dec 2003, Pete wrote:

> I was looking for a cider in the 5-6% range.
> I didn't add sugar or water.
>
> I did 5 gallons with ale yeast and 5 gallons with champagne yeast.
> I plan on blending these.
>
> Any suggestions on a non-fermenting sweetner?
I think it was already mentioned, but Splenda is the best I've
found thus far.
Warren Place

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 12:26:42 -0800, Warren Place wrote:

> On Wed, 17 Dec 2003, Pete wrote:
>
>> I was looking for a cider in the 5-6% range. I didn't add sugar or
>> water.
>>
>> I did 5 gallons with ale yeast and 5 gallons with champagne yeast. I
>> plan on blending these.
>>
>> Any suggestions on a non-fermenting sweetner?
> I think it was already mentioned, but Splenda is the best I've
> found thus far.
> Warren Place

I find that all the artificial sweeteners leave a nasty taste. I prefer
Xylitol. As far as I can tell, it tastes exactly like normal sugar. It
seems to be becoming cheaper, and more readily avaiable to the end-user.
I found at least one place selling it on-line for US$7.50/lb. (Here in
Australia it costs about AU$40/kg or US$13.50/lb)

I believe it is not digestible by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewing yeast)
without genetic modification*, so you should be safe to use it, but it
might be well to test this in a safe environment, e.g. a keg with a
pressure-relief valve, or PET bottles.

Rodd

*A google search for "xylitol saccharomyces" turns up a bunch of
scientific articles which back this up, in particular talking about
genetically modifying S. cervisiae to digest the xylose and xylitol found
in corn husks for more efficient industrial ethanol production.

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003, Rodd Snook wrote:

> On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 12:26:42 -0800, Warren Place wrote:
> > I think it was already mentioned, but Splenda is the best I've
> > found thus far.
> > Warren Place
>
> I find that all the artificial sweeteners leave a nasty taste.
>
> Rodd
Has Splenda made it to AU? If it has, try it. While I agree many
sugar substitutes are nasty, this one does taste like sugar (though it
doesn't contribute the same viscocity).
Warren Place

I made a cider this year and when I bottled (capped in beer bottles) it I
used splenda to sweeten it. It has been in the bottles for about a month. I
opened on 2 weeks after I bottled it. tasted green and fowl. I opened a
bottle 3 weeks later, much better flavor getting sweeter. I open another a
week later with very much improvement. Im not going to open anymore for a
few more months. Ill keep everyone updated on the splenda.

"Pete" > wrote in message
...
> This fall I pressed my own apples.
> I ended up with 10 gallons of cider aging in some stainless tanks.
>
> I took a taste the other day, it is dry and has a good apple aroma,
> with some tannin in the mouth.
>
> It seems to be what I want, but it fermented dry.
>
> What are my options to sweeten and carbonate the cider in bottles.
>
> I was thinking some with no sweetening and high carbonation (like
> champagne)
> And some that were sweet and slight carbonation like English cider.
>
> Can I use something like Splenda to sweeten, and corn sugar or LME for
> carbonation?
>
> Any suggestions.
>

How much splenda did you use?

Stephen wrote in message ...
>I made a cider this year and when I bottled (capped in beer bottles) it I
>used splenda to sweeten it. It has been in the bottles for about a month. I
>opened on 2 weeks after I bottled it. tasted green and fowl. I opened a
>

1 cup for 2 gallon
"John D. Misrahi" > wrote in message
...
> How much splenda did you use?
>
> Stephen wrote in message ...
> >I made a cider this year and when I bottled (capped in beer bottles) it I
> >used splenda to sweeten it. It has been in the bottles for about a month.
I
> >opened on 2 weeks after I bottled it. tasted green and fowl. I opened a
> >
>
>

Stephen wrote:
>
> I made a cider this year and when I bottled (capped in beer bottles) it I
> used splenda to sweeten it. It has been in the bottles for about a month. I
> opened on 2 weeks after I bottled it. tasted green and fowl. I opened a
> bottle 3 weeks later, much better flavor getting sweeter. I open another a
> week later with very much improvement. Im not going to open anymore for a
> few more months. Ill keep everyone updated on the splenda.

"tasted green and fowl"...don't put chickens in it next time...

-------->Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_dot_g_dot_conn_at_ci_dot_eugene_dot_or_dot_u s

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003, Stephen wrote:
> I made a cider this year and when I bottled (capped in beer bottles) it I
> used splenda to sweeten it. It has been in the bottles for about a month. I
> opened on 2 weeks after I bottled it. tasted green and fowl. I opened a
> bottle 3 weeks later, much better flavor getting sweeter. I open another a
> week later with very much improvement. Im not going to open anymore for a
> few more months. Ill keep everyone updated on the splenda.
I read the other post that said you used 1 cup Splenda for 2 gal
cider. Wow, that is really sweet. If anybody reads this thread and just
wants to soften a dry cider, try 1 cup Splenda per 5 gal cider. If
you're like me, you're cider will last a year or so before you drink
it all. If you haven't had a lot of it in the past, you may find
that you like cider much drier by the end of that year. I used some
of a previous year's batch to sweeten a small batch of cider for
this year.
Warren Place