Use campden tablets before bottling?

Should you add campden tablets before bottling if you are using non-pressure bottles?

- After primary fermentation I did not add any sugars.
- I do not want sparking cider.
- This is my first time making cider or intentionally fermenting any fruit.

This process is fascinating. Currently I am fermenting beer, cider, and mead. The beer will be ready in a few weeks. The cider will be ready in a few months. The mead will be ready in about 6 months. It teaches patience.

I'm not sure how you got left hanging, but here's a boost.

Camden tablets by themselves are not sufficient for preventing refermentation, especially if backsweetening with the ABV levels as low as yours will be without additional sugar in primary. Add another stabilizer with it before backsweetening. Potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate are popular choices for wine, they work the same for still cider.

Depending on your volume and storage capabilities, you could also cold crash, meaning you store the cider below 40 F, which will cause the yeast to go dormant but not die.

If you have fully dry cider and like the taste, then don't do anything. It'll last a year or so, but if you want to keep it longer or want it to be clearer / crisper then add some campden tablets.

The nice part about this stuff is that you can play with it, right.. beer is a disposable model rocket but cider, mead and wine are a model engine that you can continue to tune up.