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We use dextrose (corn sugar) to adjust the brix or sugar percentage for fermentation. It is in a powder form, which dissolves quickly and since it is a simple sugar it is ready for use by the
yeast. We recommend sweetening after fermentation for taste with cane sugar. Measure for measure cane sugar imparts more sweet taste than corn sugar. A lot of our winemakers use cane sugar for
fermentation. That is your choice. If you use cane sugar it is recommended to heat it in some of the juice. The heat and acid will convert it to a simple sugar. There may be some conversion
differences in the calculation of how much to use of each (corn or cane) to obtain a desired brix, but I do not know what they are. We use the same calculations for both.
Once you have calculated the sugar to add for the fermentation, add it and let the yeast ferment dry. If you desire a residual sugar and have a dry wine, preserve the wine by killing the yeast with
sorbate-meta addition and then adjust the sugar with dissolved cane sugar to taste. The old timers would get almost to the end of the fermentation and add another 5 pounds of sugar. They kept this up
until the wine had such a high alcohol that the wine was toxic to the yeast and the finish was definitely sweet! I call this a sit-down wine. Once you have a glass you won't be able to walk until the
next day.
Fact: .125 pounds of sugar will raise 1 gallon 1 brix or degree.
One ounce is .0625 pounds.
One pound of corn (dextrose) sugar is 3 cups and
approximately 1 pound of table (sucrose) sugar is 2 1/4 cups.
Honey: 5 pounds of honey is equivalent to 4 pounds of cane sugar.
To calculate sugar using straight math to adjust the sugar to 21 brix use the following. Take the initial Brix reading of the fresh juice or a sample of juice from the grape must with a hydrometer.
Compute the increase in brix desired (i.e. 150 to 210=60). Estimate your gallonage after fermentation based on 12-13 pounds of fruit per gallon. Approximate yield from 65 pounds of grapes (fermented
on the skins) will be ~5 gallons. Multiply the increase of brix desired (6) by the number of gallons to be adjusted (5x6 gal=30). As .125 pounds of sugar raises 1 gallon 10 brix, multiply this
(30) by .125. That number will equal the pounds of sugar to add to the entire batch of juice or must (crushed grapes). The amount of sugar to add for this batch (30 X .125) is 3.75 pounds. Three (3)
cups of corn sugar is approximately 1 pound and 2 1/4 cups of cane sugar is about 1 pound. Add the required sugar.
Tom created this chart as a short cut to math.
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