to campden or not to campden...

If one of the ideas behind using unpasteurized juice is to start with as natural a product as possible (such that flavor and such are maintained), does using campden tablets negate these desired qualities?

More practically, I have three options open to me:
1) buy preservative-free, pasteurized juice from an orchard
2) buy fresh-pressed, unpasteurized juice from same orchard, use it as-is
3) buy fresh-pressed, unpasteurized juice from same orchard, add campden tablets

Which option would you choose? is there a reason to go with option 3 over either option 1 or 2?

I just racked a fresh-pressed unpasteurized cider with no campden and it tastes amazing. No off flavors or anything.

I just made 6 gallons of Graff with fresh pressed yesterday without campden. I was just winging it and hoping no ill batch.

I'm a really confused noob. I thought the campden was only needed if you're using non-pasteurized cider to be safe and kill whatever basically wasn't killed during pasteurization. If you were using pasteurized cider with no other additives, then it's not needed? It seems however that some use the campden to slow the yeast?
Since this is my first go round I planned on making 2 different 2 gallon batches instead of the 5 gallon so i mess up two small batches instead of one big one

heating8 said:

I'm a really confused noob. I thought the campden was only needed if you're using non-pasteurized cider to be safe and kill whatever basically wasn't killed during pasteurization. If you were using pasteurized cider with no other additives, then it's not needed? It seems however that some use the campden to slow the yeast?
Since this is my first go round I planned on making 2 different 2 gallon batches instead of the 5 gallon so i mess up two small batches instead of one big one

Click to expand...

You are correct. Cambden tablets are pointless when using pasteurized cider, unless it's from concentrate. If it's from concentrate, then Cambden tablets can neutralize any chlorine in the water that was used to "un-concentrate" it.

Also, if it's UV past*, instead of actual heat past*, then it still makes sense to use Cambdens, I recently read here that UV past* cider started fermenting on it's own... which means UV past* is not necessarily effective.

I also read somewhere (I forget where) that uv past. doesnt kill the wild yeast just bacteria like E. coli

UV isn't pasteurization as pasteurization is a label given to heat treatment. We UV treat our cider that we make in our commercial cider mill. It doesn't kill the native yeast. It does provide the necessary 5 log reduction of E.Coli. to meet the Juice HACCP requirement for a "safe" product. However if you leave a gallon on the counter for a couple days it will be rock hard and ready to burst. It will still ferment with the natural goodies.