Back sweetening Cider with splenda

[Monkeybrew]

Well, having seen a John Bull Cider kit for a tenner I thought I'd have a go at Cider.

I made up the kit with 1kg dextrose plus 2l apple juice plus a bottle of raspberry Liecweiz (sp?), 23L.

SG was around 1048-50, I assume this should ferment out to lower than beer, ie to 1000-990?

I was going to back sweeten with Splenda and prime with 100g for a keg.

My question is how much splenda for a medium Cider?

I have made WoW where 60g sugar will bring the FG up by 0005 ie from 990 to 995, is cider similar and does splenda work at the same rate as sugar? ie 60g splenda = 60g sugar?

Thanks for any advice......

Jon

 

[Clint Eastwood]

I've just used 1 level tsp per 500ml and it is spot on for a close attempt at an olde English cider clone. Still bitter and tangy but not too dry.

 

[graysalchemy]

The best thing to do is add a little at a time and do a taste test :whistle: :whistle:

 

[LeithR]

Totally agree with GA, don't calculate your sugar/sweetner. Add on a by taste basis while noting what suits you, then you have a clear reference for next time.

 

[graysalchemy]

Sweetness is one of those things which varies from person to person, what I may think is way to sweet may not be sweet for someone else. :thumb:

 

[jarenault]

I backsweeten cider with lactose. I've heard people say this makes it taste "milky". Nonsense, IMO. I don't even see why it would. Lactose is just a sugar, and like most sugars has little flavour other than sweetness. "Milky" qualities in food and drink are due, mainly, to lipids.
If you're using lactose, though, remember it has less sweetness than sucrose so you may have to add more than you might first expect.

 

[Monkeybrew]

OK, looks like I draw off 500ml, sweeten and extrapolate.

BTW, is kit cider usually a 2 week fermentation like beer kits? :hmm:

I will check with a hydrometer, but just interested in the average ferm time experienced....

Thanks again all,

:thumb:

Jon

 

[Bribie]

I always have a keg cider on the go. I prefer mine a little sweeter, about "scrumpy" flavour. I use UHT supermarket apple juice available here for a dollar a litre - about 60p and also put in enough sugar to bring the OG to about 1055 - then I keg into a cornie when it's still a bit sweet tasting and crash down to around 6 degrees in the kegerator which drops the yeast .

Even at that temperature a genuine cider yeast will continue to work very slowly and usually I can keep the gas just turned off and it generates enough gas to serve itself. Also as there are three cornies in there branching off a common gas line it "shares" its gas out as well so I can often run a cider and two beers all week without turning on the cylinder. :clap:

Haven't had any issues with flavour carry over. Now obviously the cider becomes progressively drier so towards the end I backsweeten in the glass with a bit of apple juice.