Should I use a campden tablet?

So I made as all batch of hard cider out of some store bought apple juice, sugar, and us04.

I went to secondary two days ago...and will Kegging this batch to drink as sparkling cider for the new year.

A friend suggested I Use a campden tablet a few days before I keg to kill off all remaining yeast. Is this normal with ciders?

campden tablets and potassium sorbate are used to put the yeast in suspension, then kill it, so it doesn't eat ALL the sugar. if you don't use these, the yeast eats all of it, leaving it sour and bitter, kinda like an apple vinegar. use that combo, let it sit for a few days, and taste it. if it's too sour, add some simple sugar to backsweeten.

I wouldn't use camden since the fermentation should be compete and your kegging.

I think it all depends on how you like your ciders. If you like it dry, then it should be good to go. If you like them sweet, you could always add a splash of Apple Juice to your glass when serving instead of trying to stop fermentation with chems.

I've had good luck cold crashing US04. It doesn't stop completely, but it slows down a lot.

So, what you're sayings is if I'm happy with the current sweetness a campden tablet could've used to kill off all yeast which would effectively not allow the cider to ferment any longer or get any dryer?

Camden does not kill yeast. It retards reproduction. Add all the Camden you want if there is sugar left eventually the yeast will restart fermenting and reproduction.

Actually, campden neither kills yeast NOR retards reproduction! Wine, mead and cider makers use it all the time as an antioxidant. In order to kill or inhibit yeast with campden, you'd have to use such a large dose that would make the cider undrinkable!

I would use it in this case, only because there is a HUGE amount of headspace there, and it would help as an antioxidant.

To inhibit yeast reproduction, sorbate is the substance that is used. It works better in the presence of campden (sulfite), so they are typically used together.

So the Camden doesn't stall the wild yeast in my cider and give the yeast I pitch a head start?

MarkKF said:

So the Camden doesn't stall the wild yeast in my cider and give the yeast I pitch a head start?

Click to expand...

Not much. It does kill bacteria, and some wild yeast strains, but wine and brewer's yeast is amazingly tolerant of sulfites and that's why winemakers use them.