New to your newsgroup! Looking foward to it!

Long time fresh fruits & concentrate maker!

New to "Wine Kit" making, love the simplicity, but to controled and to
sweet!!

Just wondering if any of you guys tried "Splenda" as a sweetener?? Its
made from sugar without the bad stuff, carbs and cals....

I have recently, with one of the merlot dry kits. So far so good. At
the finish stage I blended a 2 lb box of "Splenda" and today is the
bottling day. Before I do I would appreciate any input.

We are doing the Low Carb with lots of success. Two of the products of
a good low carb diet that we enjoy is cheese and wine.
Dumping all that sugar (carbs) at the finish stage just kills the
diet.

Thanks

I've used Splenda to sweeten meads that finished too dry.
Steve
keny mac wrote in message
>. ..
>New to your newsgroup! Looking foward to it!
>
>Long time fresh fruits & concentrate maker!
>
>New to "Wine Kit" making, love the simplicity, but to controled and to
>sweet!!
>
>Just wondering if any of you guys tried "Splenda" as a sweetener?? Its
>made from sugar without the bad stuff, carbs and cals....
>
>I have recently, with one of the merlot dry kits. So far so good. At
>the finish stage I blended a 2 lb box of "Splenda" and today is the
>bottling day. Before I do I would appreciate any input.
>
>We are doing the Low Carb with lots of success. Two of the products of
>a good low carb diet that we enjoy is cheese and wine.
>Dumping all that sugar (carbs) at the finish stage just kills the
>diet.
>
>Thanks

Keny,

Welcome to the group! Lots of great info and even better people then any
other NG I've been a part of.

Do a Google search of the archives of the group, theres been a number of
posts on these sweetners in the last year. The jist of it is its too early
to tell. As far as immediate impact the difference in the wines seem to be
negligible. But the bigger question is long term stability. Wines are
meant to age so the real truth will come out over time. I believe Jack
Keller is testing a number of these new sweetners as I type. Results will
surely come out over time. BTW his website devoted to this hobby is
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/ its a great resource.

In the mean time I am not "dumping" this into my wines at bottling time but
rather sweeting at serving time if needed. I would hate to loose 40-50
bottles of something down the road. So I await Jacks test results!

Regards,

Tom

"keny mac" > wrote in message
om...
> New to your newsgroup! Looking foward to it!
>
> Long time fresh fruits & concentrate maker!
>
> New to "Wine Kit" making, love the simplicity, but to controled and to
> sweet!!
>
> Just wondering if any of you guys tried "Splenda" as a sweetener?? Its
> made from sugar without the bad stuff, carbs and cals....
>
> I have recently, with one of the merlot dry kits. So far so good. At
> the finish stage I blended a 2 lb box of "Splenda" and today is the
> bottling day. Before I do I would appreciate any input.
>
> We are doing the Low Carb with lots of success. Two of the products of
> a good low carb diet that we enjoy is cheese and wine.
> Dumping all that sugar (carbs) at the finish stage just kills the
> diet.
>
> Thanks

In article >, (keny mac) wrote:
>New to your newsgroup! Looking foward to it!
>
>Long time fresh fruits & concentrate maker!
>
>New to "Wine Kit" making, love the simplicity, but to controled and to
>sweet!!
>
>Just wondering if any of you guys tried "Splenda" as a sweetener?? Its
>made from sugar without the bad stuff, carbs and cals....
>
Sweetening wine with Splenda instead of sugar to cut down on carbs and
calories is just plain silly -- the vast majority of the carbs and calories in
wine come from the alcohol.

No carbs come from alcohol. Cal's, yes, but no carbs. It depends on what
you are counting.

I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using splenda in
wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too. It seems that splenda is
basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule from
being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used. Given
time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
become just that -- sugar. If you add it to unstabalized wine, it may break
down and start fermenting. Given time it will break down and then it will
become fattening.

If you want sweet, low carb wine, use splenda to sweeten it when you open
the bottle.

Ray

"Doug Miller" > wrote in message
m...
> In article >,
(keny mac) wrote:
> >New to your newsgroup! Looking foward to it!
> >
> >Long time fresh fruits & concentrate maker!
> >
> >New to "Wine Kit" making, love the simplicity, but to controled and to
> >sweet!!
> >
> >Just wondering if any of you guys tried "Splenda" as a sweetener?? Its
> >made from sugar without the bad stuff, carbs and cals....
> >
> Sweetening wine with Splenda instead of sugar to cut down on carbs and
> calories is just plain silly -- the vast majority of the carbs and
calories in
> wine come from the alcohol.

In article > , "Ray" > wrote:
>No carbs come from alcohol. Cal's, yes, but no carbs. It depends on what
>you are counting.

Not according to an article that was in my newspaper a few days ago.

Counting carbs and not calories is plain silly too, by the way.
>
>I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using splenda in
>wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too.

Not to this boy, it doesn't. Yes, it's sweet, and yes, it tastes better than
aspartame and waaaay better than saccharin, but it doesn't taste like sugar,
and doesn't have the same mouth feel either. It's a poor substitute,
tastewise.

If your wines are improved by adding Splenda... I'd say you need to start
making better wine. :-)

>It seems that splenda is
>basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule from
>being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used. Given
>time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
>become just that -- sugar. If you add it to unstabalized wine, it may break
>down and start fermenting. Given time it will break down and then it will
>become fattening.
>
>If you want sweet, low carb wine, use splenda to sweeten it when you open
>the bottle.

Yuck.

And if you want low-calorie wine -- forget it. There's no such thing.
>
>Ray
>
>"Doug Miller" > wrote in message
om...
>> In article >,
(keny mac) wrote:
>> >New to your newsgroup! Looking foward to it!
>> >
>> >Long time fresh fruits & concentrate maker!
>> >
>> >New to "Wine Kit" making, love the simplicity, but to controled and to
>> >sweet!!
>> >
>> >Just wondering if any of you guys tried "Splenda" as a sweetener?? Its
>> >made from sugar without the bad stuff, carbs and cals....
>> >
>> Sweetening wine with Splenda instead of sugar to cut down on carbs and
>> calories is just plain silly -- the vast majority of the carbs and
>calories in
>> wine come from the alcohol.
>
>

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

Doug,
There are people out there who want a low carb life style. If it makes them
happy, why throw a wet blanket over their happiness. Live and let live. It
works for a lot of people even if it does not work for you. I don't
particularly care for diet soft drinks but I am not going to tell them they
are silly for drinking them. Yes there are different dietetic sweeteners
out there but I am not going to tell people they are making bad wine if they
use a particular one. Have a glass of what ever makes you feel better and
relax.

Ray

"Doug Miller" > wrote in message
. com...
> In article > , "Ray"
> wrote:
> >No carbs come from alcohol. Cal's, yes, but no carbs. It depends on
what
> >you are counting.
>
> Not according to an article that was in my newspaper a few days ago.
>
> Counting carbs and not calories is plain silly too, by the way.
> >
> >I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using splenda
in
> >wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too.
>
> Not to this boy, it doesn't. Yes, it's sweet, and yes, it tastes better
than
> aspartame and waaaay better than saccharin, but it doesn't taste like
sugar,
> and doesn't have the same mouth feel either. It's a poor substitute,
> tastewise.
>
> If your wines are improved by adding Splenda... I'd say you need to start
> making better wine. :-)
>
> >It seems that splenda is
> >basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule
from
> >being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used. Given
> >time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
> >become just that -- sugar. If you add it to unstabalized wine, it may
break
> >down and start fermenting. Given time it will break down and then it
will
> >become fattening.
> >
> >If you want sweet, low carb wine, use splenda to sweeten it when you open
> >the bottle.
>
> Yuck.
>
> And if you want low-calorie wine -- forget it. There's no such thing.
> >
> >Ray
> >
> >"Doug Miller" > wrote in message
> om...
> >> In article >,
> (keny mac) wrote:
> >> >New to your newsgroup! Looking foward to it!
> >> >
> >> >Long time fresh fruits & concentrate maker!
> >> >
> >> >New to "Wine Kit" making, love the simplicity, but to controled and to
> >> >sweet!!
> >> >
> >> >Just wondering if any of you guys tried "Splenda" as a sweetener?? Its
> >> >made from sugar without the bad stuff, carbs and cals....
> >> >
> >> Sweetening wine with Splenda instead of sugar to cut down on carbs and
> >> calories is just plain silly -- the vast majority of the carbs and
> >calories in
> >> wine come from the alcohol.
> >
> >
>
> --
> Regards,
> Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
>
> Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
> by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
> You must use your REAL email address to get a response.
>
>

On 6/8/04 3:51 PM, in article
, "Ray"
> wrote:

> No carbs come from alcohol. Cal's, yes, but no carbs. It depends on what
> you are counting.
>
> I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using splenda in
> wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too. It seems that splenda is
> basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule from
> being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used. Given
> time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
> become just that -- sugar. If you add it to unstabalized wine, it may break
> down and start fermenting. Given time it will break down and then it will
> become fattening.
>
> If you want sweet, low carb wine, use splenda to sweeten it when you open
> the bottle.
>
> Ray

Splenda is made with Sucralose, which is a sucrose molecule that has one of
the hydroxyl (OH) groups replaced by a chlorine atom. This causes it to not
be metabolized. I'm pretty sure the yeast enzymes also cannot ferment it.
However, Splenda is not pure sucralose. It has some other starches added in
order to make the product free flowing, etc. It is these added substances
that will hydrolyze (break apart) into smaller sugars over time. So you may
risk some fermentation AND metabolizable carbs.

Stevia is similar in that sugar molecules are attached to a bigger molecule
and will break apart in wine over time. Saccharin tastes bad. Nutrasweet
degrades.

There is no good artificial sweetener for wine, although pure sucralose may
be an option if it could be obtained.

--
Greg Cook
http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/Wine
http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/aws

(remove spamblocker from my email)

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Ray wrote:
> I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using splenda in
> wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too. It seems that splenda is
> basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule from
> being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used. Given
> time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
> become just that -- sugar.
Did they say how long this would take to occur? I have added
Splenda to wine and haven't seen renewed fermentation. Maybe the yeast
are dead, maybe it takes longer than two years for the chlorine to come
off the sugar molecule and be replaced by a OH group. The research I've
seen on sucralose in food industry applications suggests it is very stable
over a wide range of pH and temperature.
Warren Place

"Warren Place" > wrote in message
. edu...
> On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Ray wrote:
> > I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using
splenda in
> > wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too. It seems that splenda is
> > basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule
from
> > being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used.
Given
> > time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
> > become just that -- sugar.
> Did they say how long this would take to occur? I have added
> Splenda to wine and haven't seen renewed fermentation. Maybe the yeast
> are dead, maybe it takes longer than two years for the chlorine to come
> off the sugar molecule and be replaced by a OH group. The research I've
> seen on sucralose in food industry applications suggests it is very stable
> over a wide range of pH and temperature.
> Warren Place

They told me "longer than it takes to pass through your system and be
expelled." That is a satisfactory answer for them considering what they are
trying to accomplish. Maybe not for you considering what you may be trying
to accomplish.

Ray

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004, Ray wrote:
> "Warren Place" > wrote in message
> . edu...
> > On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Ray wrote:
> > > I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using
> splenda in
> > > wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too. It seems that splenda is
> > > basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule
> from
> > > being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used.
> Given
> > > time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
> > > become just that -- sugar.
> > Did they say how long this would take to occur? I have added
> > Splenda to wine and haven't seen renewed fermentation. Maybe the yeast
> > are dead, maybe it takes longer than two years for the chlorine to come
> > off the sugar molecule and be replaced by a OH group. The research I've
> > seen on sucralose in food industry applications suggests it is very stable
> > over a wide range of pH and temperature.
> > Warren Place
>
> They told me "longer than it takes to pass through your system and be
> expelled." That is a satisfactory answer for them considering what they are
> trying to accomplish. Maybe not for you considering what you may be trying
> to accomplish.
>
> Ray
You were treated like an idiot or talked to an idiot. If this
sucralose broke down quickly, they wouldn't be able to use it in the
thousands of foods and beverages that contain it. Check the
Atkins/diabetic section of your local market and you'll see it in fruit
juices, which isn't much different than wine. I'm going to keep using it,
but don't blindly follow my example. You should know that I often drive
5-10 miles/hour over the speed limit. I'm reckless like that. A maniac!
;-)
Warren Place

On 6/23/04 10:54 PM, in article
, "Warren Place"
> wrote:

> On Tue, 8 Jun 2004, Ray wrote:
>> I contacted the Splenda people and they would not recommend using splenda in
>> wine. It seemed like such a good idea,too. It seems that splenda is
>> basically sugar bound to a substance that prevents the sugar molecule from
>> being broken down so it passes through the body before it is used. Given
>> time, however, it will break down in liquid form and the sugar part will
>> become just that -- sugar.
> Did they say how long this would take to occur? I have added
> Splenda to wine and haven't seen renewed fermentation. Maybe the yeast
> are dead, maybe it takes longer than two years for the chlorine to come
> off the sugar molecule and be replaced by a OH group. The research I've
> seen on sucralose in food industry applications suggests it is very stable
> over a wide range of pH and temperature.
> Warren Place

Hi Warren,

I don't think it is the sucralose that is the problem. I would expect
sucralose to be stable in wine for a long period of time (years even). The
potential problem is with the other starch additives they formulate
"Splenda" with. These will break down much sooner into simple sugars. I
suspect this is only a small amount in Splenda, so the most you might expect
would be a little spritz, but I don't know. Anyone know the weight percent
of the other ingredients in "Splenda" ? ?

Thanks.

--
Greg Cook
http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/Wine
http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/aws

(remove spamblocker from my email)

On Fri, 25 Jun 2004, Greg Cook wrote:
> Hi Warren,
>
> I don't think it is the sucralose that is the problem. I would expect
> sucralose to be stable in wine for a long period of time (years even). The
> potential problem is with the other starch additives they formulate
> "Splenda" with. These will break down much sooner into simple sugars. I
> suspect this is only a small amount in Splenda, so the most you might expect
> would be a little spritz, but I don't know. Anyone know the weight percent
> of the other ingredients in "Splenda" ? ?
> Greg Cook

All true. I have pure sucralose for fermentations so I often
forget about the potential starch problems. Many yeasts and bacterial can
metabolize starch though wine yeast typically cannot. Most of my
sweetened wines are consumed within a year and hydrolysis of starch during
that time in a healthy wine isn't a concern.
The great majority of Splenda is starch since sucralose is 600 times
sweeter than sugar. So, in 6 oz of Splenda (by volume) there is .01 oz of
sucralose. Most people would have trouble seeing that amount without
their glasses.
Warren Place

keny mac wrote:

> We are doing the Low Carb with lots of success. Two of the products of
> a good low carb diet that we enjoy is cheese and wine.
> Dumping all that sugar (carbs) at the finish stage just kills the
> diet.

Stevia or splenda added at _serving_ rather than bottling may be your
best option, as the long term stability of the sweetners is
questionable, and you can gradually reduce the amount of sweetner you
add if you'd like to move toward drinking drier wines.

--
charles
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
"I certainly do not drink all the time. I have to sleep you know."
- W.C. Fields

On 6/9/04 1:57 PM, in article , "Charles H"
> wrote:

> keny mac wrote:
>
>> We are doing the Low Carb with lots of success. Two of the products of
>> a good low carb diet that we enjoy is cheese and wine.
>> Dumping all that sugar (carbs) at the finish stage just kills the
>> diet.
>
> Stevia or splenda added at _serving_ rather than bottling may be your
> best option, as the long term stability of the sweetners is
> questionable, and you can gradually reduce the amount of sweetner you
> add if you'd like to move toward drinking drier wines.

I should add that I have successfully used aspartame to sweeten at serving
time.

--
Greg Cook
http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/Wine
http://homepage.mac.com/gregcook/aws

(remove spamblocker from my email)

[url=http://www.homersvariety.com/buysplenda.htm] [img]

Splenda- $33.95 - 2000 ct. case
http://www.homersvariety.com/buysplenda.htm