Elderflower 'Champagne' Sweetness

[Rogermort]

Hi all, earlier this year (and with help from members) I knocked up a batch of Elderflower. I bottled it three weeks ago and opened the first two of them at the weekend. It was amazing, clear, lively and perfect for me and my best mate. However, our wives found it too dry to their taste and sweetened it by adding a dash of cordial.
For next year, is there a way of ensuring a sweeter batch while still allowing it to ferment all the way out? It finished at around 9 per cent.

 

[Oneflewover]

Use a less attenuative yeast / back-sweeten with something non-fermentable at bottling.

I used some 'half spoon' sugar (it contains some artificial sweetener) to ferment a batch this summer, and it's got a touch of sweetness. Can't tell you the recipe as I just chucked it together

 

[Rogermort]

I'll remember that next year and add some half spoon to half the batch at bottling. Thanks.

 

[Oneflewover]

I'll remember that next year and add some half spoon to half the batch at bottling. Thanks.

Sorry mate, just to be clear, I used it at start of fermentation - just can't remember how much. Left residual sweetness. To back-sweeten at bottling I suggest you're going to need pure artificial sweetener. Cheers

 

[Tanglefoot]

I bottled some of my batch at
1.010, not quite so clear.but sweeter, less dry and self carbonated.
OG was 1.084 so was still around 9.5%

 

[paintingken]

I tried it for the first time this year and mine is lovely and sweet but only 3% You will get diabetes before you get drunk. To be fair I was not looking for strength just that nice elderflower flavour. Next year I will be doubling up the volume and ABV