Any risks of using unpasteurized cider?

I'm pretty sure, like beer, that pathogens wouldn't be able to live in unpasteurized cider after it is fermented into hard cider. The pH is just too low (even lower than beer).

Still though, I found this website (which I'm questioning the credibility of). 4th paragraph under Raw Orchard Cider had me questioning my logic. http://www.howtomakehardcider.com/fruit-yeast.html

I've never made cider before, so I just want to make sure I'm crossing all my 't's on this one. Either way my plan is to do the following:

Heat cider to 160-185F for 60 minutes to kill wild yeast/bacteria. WILL NOT BOIL (I understand that this is bad).
During the 60 minute period I'll caramalize some brown sugar with cinnamon probably...maybe some honey. Pour that into the pot.
Chill the must down to about 70F with a sanitized immersion chiller.
Dump it into the bucket and add my yeast.

I also have some questions about making the cider sweet instead of dry. I'm still down some reading on this so I'll post new threads if I have additional questions. I suspect I'll just back sweeten it with brown sugar. Then I'll rack to my pot and pasteurize at 160-185F for 60 minutes to kill off the yeast, then keg it to make it sparkling.

 

There is no need to pasteurize apple juice before fermentation. That article mis-states the risks, which are ONLY applicable to drinking unfermented juice (mistakenly labeled "cider" in the US); and even then, the risk is pretty low, unless you have a compromised immune system. Scientific testing has shown that fermentation does, in fact, "magically" reduce pathogenic bacterial activity, meeting the same "five-nines" reduction standard applied to fresh juice treatments. Moreover, even if the bacteria were to survive the fermentation process, the combination of low pH, alcohol content, and absence of sugar in a dry cider means they cannot reproduce to harmful levels - as in all fermented foods.

Most cider makers use sulfites, rather than heat treatment, to stun/kill the wild yeasts and bacteria that are naturally present in apple juice before fermentation. This is done to ensure the cultured yeasts dominate fermentation. The amount needed varies with the pH of the juice - lower pH needs less KMS - but it is usually in the range of 50 -150 ppm.