Backsweetening

Calculate the sugar needed to sweeten a finished dry wine or cider to a target residual sweetness before bottling. Always stabilise with potassium sorbate and sulphite first to prevent re-fermentation in the bottle.

Calculate sugar to add to a dry wine to reach a target sweetness level before bottling. Always stabilise first with sorbate + sulphite to prevent re-fermentation in the bottle.

Your finished wine gravity before sweetening

Off-dry: 1–2°Bx, medium: 2–4°Bx, sweet: 4–8°Bx

Sugar to add

470 g

Rate

20.2 g/L

⚠Stabilise BEFORE backsweetening or the yeast will simply ferment the sugar in the bottle: potassium sorbate plus sulphite (40–50 mg/L free SO₂ — sorbate does not work without it, and cannot stop an active ferment). Typical sorbate is0.2 g/L (≈150 mg/L sorbic acid). No commercial limit applies to home winemaking, but Above ~135 mg/L sorbic acid some tasters detect it. Wait 24–48 h before bottling.

Track this in your batch log

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Frequently asked questions

How do I backsweeten wine without it re-fermenting?

Stabilise first: add potassium sorbate (~0.5 g/L) plus sulphite (40–50 ppm free SO₂), wait 24–48 hours, then add the sugar amount from the calculator and bottle.

Related calculators

Sugar / Chaptalization Campden Tablets SO₂ Addition

Calculations are estimates based on standard winemaking formulas (Henderson–Hasselbalch for SO₂, Duncan & Acton for wine ABV, standard addition rates). Always verify critical additions with a reference or lab analysis. The decision and responsibility for any addition rest with you.