Cider: pasteurized vs. unpasteurized

I'm planning to start brewing my 1st hard apple cider tomorrow.

My friend that got me intersted in it said he used an unpasteurized apple juice from walmart.

1) I've been to 3 different walmarts in 2 days & haven't found unpasteurized apple juice anywhere. I've also been to stop & shop, & also to shaw's & nothing.

2) the recipe calls for champeagn yeast. & 2lbs of brown sugar.

Does it really matter if it's pasteurized or not?

A few people have said that no it doesn't so long as the juice has no preservatives it should be fine.

Other people have said the pasteurization will kill the yeast.

Can some one please help.

Pasteurization is about killing bacteria (and such.. wild yeasts, etc.). The sweet ciders that are not pasteurized have likely been UV treated for the 'almost as effective' as pasteurization method. Some of the farmers consider pasteurization to change the flavor/nutrients for the worse. No doubt. You ever tasted fresh milk out the udder?

Don't think the pasteurization will do anything to the yeast. The wine ferment kits (bag in the box juice) is pasteurized so it doesn't ferment in the bag. Wild yeast are present everywhere, including inside the grape. It doesn't ferment on the vine because of the oxygen barrier skin. Same for apples.

Preservatives on the other hand.....

No, in fact it would probably be better seeing as though it would eliminate all the wild yeast (would also require less campden). The thing you have to look out with is preservatives (other than ascorbic acid AKA vitamin C)

I'll be doing another batch or two of cider this year from the local orchard. One is going to be straight cider with some spices. The other batch will be a full bodied malted version just not sure how I'm going to do it exactly yet.

They will sell juice unpasteurized in bulk but if you buy their gallon jugs they are treated in some manner. I'll be adding campden to mine and using an ale yeast to do this probably an english strain.