Need a recipe from apple juice or cider

I'm trying to make a 5 gallon batch of hard apple cider that will be ready in spring for my fiance. We both enjoy woodchuck and I have read a bunch of recipes but haven't found one that is complete. Here is what I'm thinking and my questions will follow.

4 or 5 gallons of apple juice, no preservatives and pasteurized
.5 gallon of pear juice, no preservatives and pasteurized
2 lbs of granulated sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
1.5 tsp of grape tannin
Nottingham yeast (unsure of amount) dry
10 oz. of raisins, no preservatives added to secondary fermentor

Boil all ingredients together, accept for raisins, for approximately 30 minutes. Aerate while cooling, transfer to primary, and then pitch yeast. Let it ferment for around 2 weeks. Transfer to secondary and add raisins. Put the secondary in a fridge for about 3 weeks at around 45 degrees (F). Prime with dextrose and bottle. Let it age for 3 months and drink in the spring.

Mainly I just want this to turn out well. I've read recipes that call for cold crashing and/or stopping fermentation. How do I go about these things and are they necessary or even a good idea? Are there any steps or ingredients or general knowledge that I am missing? Any help will be soooooooo much appreciated!!

Drinking: Octoberfest
Primary: Triple Berry Wheat
Secondary: Christmas Ale (bottling this weekend)

This is the one I am going to try when all my brewing stuff gets here.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/edworts-apfelwein-33986/

I'm new to ciders, but have read a lot and have a couple going right now. I would say that looks complicated, and don't boil the apple juice.

First off is the juice cloudy or clear. If it's cloudy, get some pectic enzyme and add it to the juice a day before adding the yeast.

Don't add a lot of sugar. The more sugar there is, the longer it will take to be drinkable. Aim for an SG of about 1.060; probably a maximum of 1.5 lbs of sugar for 5 gallons. You do not need to add sugar if you don't want to.

Why the grape tannin?

Why the raisins. I think they add some mouthfeel, but not necessary.

I have only used ale yeast and it seems to work fine.

Make it simple. Apple juice (no boil), add some sugar if you want disolved in a little boiling water, and add yeast. Seal with airlock and forget about it for a couple of weeks.

First, thank you for your input. It really is appreciated. The pear juice and tannin help pull some acidity out of the cider, according to the beer brewing books I've read. I want something with a nice apple flavor like woodchuck that's not overly tart, it's for my lady. The raisins will heighten the fruit flavor and mellow the bite. I want the cider to be near or over 8%, that's the reason for the extra sugar. Also I read that adding some brown sugar will give it a fuller flavor while keeping it light. Here's where I'm mainly stuck; if the apple juice is pasteurized without preservatives do I boil it? If I use cider that is pasteurized without preservatives do I boil it? Do I add the other ingredients without boiling them first? Do I need a blow of tube and water bucket instead of an airlock? Is pectin added to the secondary fermentor? Lastly, is Dextrose suitable for a bottling primer?

If it's been pasteurized and you follow proper sanitation of your fermenting vessels and utensils, there is no need to boil it. Just pour and pitch (though I'd make sure the juice it at or near room temp first. I'm on my third batch of cider, and everything is going fine.

I would also add that it may be difficult to get a light/not overly tart cider that's at least 8%. Especially if you add sugar, which can tend towards winey flavors. I would consider adding some apple juice concentrate for extra fermentables over the sugar if you want to keep it light. Other than that, I'd say it will definitely be ready before spring so you can taste your first batch, decide if you want to change anything or just let it age.

I haven't used raisins so I can't help you there.

What are you fermenting in? I did my last batch in a 5 gallon Better Bottle, with 5 gallons of cider, and had no problems with using just an airlock. It developed a layer of foam but no explosive krausen like a beer would. Though I haven't tried Notty yet so someone else might have a more yeast specific answer.

Dextrose should be fine for a bottling primer. Or you can taste/hydrometer samples til you get to the 8% range you are aiming for, or til the flavor is right, bottle and then pasteurize according to the sticky to keep it from bombing on you. With my last batch I bottled a few test bottles 4 days before Thanksgiving, opened them on Turkey Day and they were nicely lightly carbed. But be sure to heat treat them if you plan on storing them.

Hope this helps, and if someone more experienced chimes in, feel free to disregard any/all of my advice.

Also, this has a full recipe that is very similar though a bit simpler than your proposed recipe, and it's been tested by many many HBTers. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/edworts-apfelwein-33986/

Also, on stopping fermentation in bottled cider so you have a semi-sweet, carbed cider:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/

Stickies are our friends

Sorry for the double post, I've been having serious problems with my internet lately.

Thanks all the info I need! Thanks a million