Graff Recipe and Potassium Sorbate Question

Went to local orchard/winery to buy fresh unfiltered apple cider to use in this recipe. I have all the other ingredients. I noticed on the label that the cider was UV treated and it said "not more than 1/10 of 1% of potassium sorbate added as preservative". I assume this will not allow me to use it as I remember the potassium sorbate will not allow the yeast to replicate. Am I correct in thinking that it won't ferment even though it said only 1/10th of 1%added? As a side note the cider was $6.50 a gallon. Tasted a sample.... It was damn good and would love to use it as the base for my first Graff batch.

Cheers,

1 gallon of water = 3780gms * .1 *.01 = 3.78 gms sorbate per gallon. The normal dose for wine for backsweetening purposes is 1 gm/gallon. Apple cider would have a greater specific gravity than water but I'm not sure of the math on that. Looks like the cider has a hefty dose of sorbate. However, sorbate does not stop yeast from fermenting sugar-it prevents the yeast from budding or reproducing. I think if you overpitched the yeast it would ferment fine. I would be more concerned of potential flavor problems with the high amount of sorbate.

Then again, I could be completely wrong.

I've been able to get cider with potasium sorbate to ferment out but it didnt taste very good - especially near the end of the ferment. Probably because the yeast were not reproducing and were getting old by the end of the ferment. It might be worthwhile doing a 2nd pitch halfway through.

Next time, see if you can talk the folks in the press into selling you some juice before it hits the UV and they dose it. It will clear better and taste better. Most likely, there is someone at the press who makes hard cider or has friends who do. If you talk to the right person at the press, they can hook you up when it is time to press the good cider apples.

Thanks....I'll start calling around to see if I can get some fresh pressed. Wish me luck
Cheers