Flat bag in box cider sweetening and flavouring

[simon12]

I am planning to make 40l and split into 4 10l bag in box 1 dry 1 medium-medium sweet and 2 fruit. I plan to use a recipe posted by @Clint
"20 litres Asda smart price apple juice
8 tea bag black tea in about half litre of boiling water,
Two teaspoons Wilko yeast nutrient
Two teaspoons Wilko citric acid,
One CML cider yeast."
Except I have 48L of euro shopper juice and will double the rest. When gravity is around 1.000 I plan to bag the dry as is then add wine stabiliser to the rest leave it a few days then add sugar to the medium/medium sweet and undecided flavours to the other 2. I am pretty sure i'm correct in thinking I can add whatever food grade flavouring I like as its stabilised and going to be flat. Does this all sound OK? Any suggestions for fruit flavours? Any idea how it will compare to commercially produced stuff? How important is the citric acid and can it be added after fermentation as I plan to make it tomorrow and don't have any at the moment?
This will be my 1st batch of commercial cider as I have the HMRC authorisation to make up to 7000l a year duty free.
Cheers for any help/comments.

 

[Dutto]

I think that 7,000 litres a year is "commercial" unless you're friends with a whole parish!

Check out Chippy Tea's Post on Stabiliser. It's something that is easily misunderstood ...

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/stabilising-and-bulk-aging.79203/

... which is why many Forum Members let the brew ferment out and then use Splenda or other non-fermentable sweetener.

 

[simon12]

I read chippys post, I think I will be alright with pot. sorbate and campden especially as I will be refrigerating it as soon as its sweetened. Its years since I made one but remember the beaverdale kits had stabiliser that they suggest using to stop fermentation before it finishes, any idea whats in that?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I made one but remember the beaverdale kits had stabiliser that they suggest using to stop fermentation before it finishes, any idea whats in that?

I assume its pot sorbate i have made many kits and they all have said to ferment until its below .995 i assume they therefore hope the yeast is about finished and adding the pot sorb will be enough to stop the ones left from kicking a fermentation off, to be honest i have only ever seen wines starting again when i have been impatient and have finished them early.

 

[simon12]

Just remembered this thread and thought I would confirm the sodium and potassium sulphides and refrigeration did prevent any further fermentation and the cider went down very well. 1 slight change I made was I sweetened it with apple juice instead of sugar.