I'm looking to make a thicker cider

[302w]

When I first got into making ciders I experimented with Apfelwein and some varieties of that. Decided it wasn't my thing.

Last year I tried to emulate store bought sweet non-alcoholic cider. It was fantastic. I fermented the store bought stuff with Nottingham and I think an extra pound per gallon of brown sugar. Backsweetening with brown and white sugar after fermentation and yeast killing was a success.

Tried again this year and I botched my yeast. My nottingham didn't take off so I threw in a small pack of EC-118 and it took off right away. I would up spicing this batch because it came out very hoochy.

Any advice on emulating a store bought sweet cider? If I keep the ABV down, use the right yeast, and use a high quality cider to ferment I think I will have more success. I would like to keep it a tad thicker with more mouthfeel if possible.

 

[Newsman]

Add apple juice concentrate (several cans -- taste as you add until you get the flavor/sweetness you want) for flavor / back-sweetening. Also, if you want a still, sweet-ish cider, put some campden and potassium sorbate in the brew before you bottle. Or if you want sparkling, you can backsweeten, put some in a soda bottle and let it carb naturally, then pasteurize, or use campden and potassium sorbate and keg to carbonate.

 

[bottlebomber]

Thicker or sweeter? If you want a heavier tasting cider that is also sweeter than you may try using maltodextrine. If you only want sweeter you can experiment with pasturizing it though it can be chancey. You may also consider using a non-fermentable sweetener such as Xylitol, stevia, splenda or lactose.

 

[dallas996]

Take a gravity on store bought alcoholic cider some time. You will likely find out the gravity is somewhere between 1.020 and 1.030- too sweet and syrupy for me personally. My experience with 1118 is that it does produce a hoochy taste especially with high initial sugar content (which is part of the reason I use it for making AJ specifically) I have found that using honey as an "abv fortifier" tends to lend in part to creating a richer mouthfeel. You may also find that different yeasts impart a portion of this as well. When I first started I experimented with notty and S05. I went with Notty from there because under the exact same conditions, the S05 was a thinner mouthfeel to me. Now of course, all of this is relative, so experiment! I still need to try the S04 from what I have read from others experiences.

*Edit- I re-read your initial post and realized I misread it. Disregard in reference to your post.

 

[WVMJ]

Another way to add body to make it thicker is to use extra light dried malt extract. It has very little taste but loads of body. It seems you want a low alcohol sweet cider with lots of body. I have yet to taste a store bought sweet cider that had lots of body, usually they seem watery, only when going to a cidermill or pressing my own have I found great sweet cider with lots of body. You could also try adding honey, lots of body in honey also. WVMJ

 

[aellis]

agreed, DME adds soem body. if you've ever made graff, you'll see what i mean. i have 3 gallons of ginger cider that i added some DME to, haven't tried it yet but i expect it to have quite a bit of body to it.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

+ 1 on adding DME/LME, great flavour & added body. Adding chopped raisins will also add some body to a cider. Oats and/or rye will add some body & mouthfeel; I've used them in graff, both mashed & steeped. Either way works, though steeped (not mashed) oats & rye seem to throw more trub.
Regards, GF.