How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste?

Information about fruit/vegetable type washes.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
Norwest
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:30 am

How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste?

Post by Norwest »

Hi,

I just finished processing the cherries I picked to make a Kirsch. I ended up with 75 lbs of cherries and prior to adding pectinase the sugar was 1.097 SG using a refractometer. I wanted to bulk up the wash with some sugar but do not want to impact the flavor/aroma too much. I have seen several cherry wine recipies posted and the sugar to fruit ratios are around 0.75:1 (W/W). Will a 1:1 sugar to fruit ratio result in bad flavors? What starting gravity should I shoot for if using sugar?

Thanks,

Norwest
Prairiepiss
retired
Posts: 16571
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:42 am
Location: Somewhere in the Ozarks

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by Prairiepiss »

SG of 1.097 has a potential ABV of 12.5%. Why would you want to go any higher then that. That's pretty high for no added sugar. I would pitch the yeast and go for it.
It'snotsocoldnow.

Advice For newbies by a newbie.
CM Still Mods
My Stuffs
Fu Man

Mr. Piss
That's Princess Piss to the haters.
Norwest
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:30 am

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by Norwest »

I want to increase the volume of the wash to get the most out of the cherries. Idealy I would have picked more and done an all fruit mash but it was 100 F and my back hurt. Nowest
blind drunk
retired
Posts: 4848
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:59 am

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by blind drunk »

Norwest wrote:I want to increase the volume of the wash to get the most out of the cherries. Idealy I would have picked more and done an all fruit mash but it was 100 F and my back hurt. Nowest
The more you increase the abv of your cherry wash with sugar, the more you dilute the cherry flavor of the distillate. Your choice. Do as PP says and go for it as is.
I do all my own stunts
frozenthunderbolt
Distiller
Posts: 1417
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:01 am
Location: North island of New Zealand

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by frozenthunderbolt »

do an all fruit.
Save and freeze any pulp you strain off.
distill.
add the back-set to the frozen pulp with more sugar and do a sugar-head fruit wash, distill with the feints of the fruit wash, find the hearts and blend as you see fit with the hearts of the fruit wash. best of both worlds that way
Where has all the rum gone? . . .

Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
ipee7ABV
Rumrunner
Posts: 623
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:01 pm
Location: chain o lakes

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by ipee7ABV »

the higher the abv the more stress you put on the yeast....the more stress the more off flavors.
BrooklynTech
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 459
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 2:50 pm
Location: Somewhere out West

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by BrooklynTech »

frozenthunderbolt wrote:do an all fruit.
Save and freeze any pulp you strain off.
distill.
add the back-set to the frozen pulp with more sugar and do a sugar-head fruit wash, distill with the feints of the fruit wash, find the hearts and blend as you see fit with the hearts of the fruit wash. best of both worlds that way
I like this idea. Might just try it in the fall when I harvest my Java Plums.
junkyard dawg
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3086
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 11:40 am
Location: Texas

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by junkyard dawg »

That is an interesting idea...

But, like the others, I would go with straight fruit. Thats a pretty ideal situation you have...
this is the internet
FantsGrove
Novice
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 12:48 am

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by FantsGrove »

frozenthunderbolt i like the backset on pulp idea...just wondering what kind of added sugar amounts are we talking about on the secondary fruit sugar head, i used a juicer to tear through peaches for their juice and i would love to run the juice in one bucket and the pulp sugar head in another?
Distilling is like Fly Fishing. Sometimes you get pissed and get ready to break your s**t, till you remember how much its worth.
frozenthunderbolt
Distiller
Posts: 1417
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:01 am
Location: North island of New Zealand

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by frozenthunderbolt »

FantsGrove wrote:frozenthunderbolt i like the backset on pulp idea...just wondering what kind of added sugar amounts are we talking about on the secondary fruit sugar head, i used a juicer to tear through peaches for their juice and i would love to run the juice in one bucket and the pulp sugar head in another?
Personally i would keep it fairly low, 3 kg in 20 l wash, certainly no more than 4KG at the max. The lower the sugar, the less the stress on the yeasties and the less off flavours - i now use no more than 3.5 kg on all my UJSSMW ferments and i can taste a difference.
Where has all the rum gone? . . .

Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
GuyIncognito
Bootlegger
Posts: 104
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:35 am

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by GuyIncognito »

That is quite a high SG reading for cherries! I think cherry juice is usually in the 12-15 brix range, vs the 23 brix you got. I haven't picked mine yet this year but am hoping to make it out this coming weekend.
FantsGrove
Novice
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 12:48 am

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by FantsGrove »

Thanks Ill def give it a go and see how it works out, better than tossing on the scrap heap and worse case just really pack the column and knock all the flavor down
Distilling is like Fly Fishing. Sometimes you get pissed and get ready to break your s**t, till you remember how much its worth.
MDH
Distiller
Posts: 1001
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:33 pm
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: How much sugar can I add to fruit wash without bad taste

Post by MDH »

With fruit and berries, 11% max.
The still is not a liar. Mash and ferment quality is 99.9% of your performance.
Post Reply