Hi Firelion. Have you read
www.makinghardcider.com? I think its an outstanding resource for new cider makers.
Yeah I read this when the site building posted it up a while back on another post.
The only thing I didn't like about this was, there was an overemphasis (IMO) on the relative safety of unpasteurized cider. I think it is perfectly safe with an extremely low risk.
I would wager that just about any blend of unpasteurized fresh cider would produce a better hard cider than any pasteurized cider.
I have made hundreds of gallons of unpasteurized hard ciders with no ill effect. I personally have only made two ciders with pasteurized juices, one store bought concentrate and one in jug store bought - I thought they tasted really bland and lack luster compared to any of my ciders.
I know ckville has that ginormous sticky, and he came to a similar conclusion.
There is good info on that how to site, just take some of that concern over unpasteurized cider as the voodoo that it is. If you use general common sense and fresh apples, rinse before use, cut out rot if present, etc - you shouldn't have any problems.
To fully embrace cider, at one point or another you will have to press your own. When you do you won't be pasteurizing it. When you do, I be you will be pleasantly surprised at the difference in the quality cider you reap.
Edit - there is also some misinformation on the site (sorbate being a yeast killer, etc.). It is not a yeast killer, rather a reproduction inhibitor. That said, if you really wanted you could take a jug of sorbated cider and pitch 1-2 packets of rehydrated yeast and it would ferment it (While I wouldn't recommend doing that). Point being - sorbate and sulphites can be overcome by a healthy yeast population.
