apple presses

[Richard Bainter]

> >>Hopefully this time next year I'll have a press to make my own ciders
> >>instead of having to buy it.
> >Are you going to be making or buying this press?

I have plans to make one, but I have a friend who is *hopefully* making
me one since he has done it in the past and has all the materials to
make it sturdy and reinforced.

>>I can remember trying to use a blender to get the juice out of the
>>apples. I ended up having to add so much water to make this work at
>>all that what I got out was way too diluted.
>>
>>I have considered a press in the past, but decided just to buy the
>>juice since I wouldn't use the press that much.

Well I certainly do not plan on buying a press. They currently run about
$200 for a ~4 gallon press. This isn't the amount of spare money I have
right now. (Although I do have spare time, and if I made it I wouldn't be
able to use it this season anyway.) My brewing rate is up quite a bit, so
I've started the process of accuring a press somehow. (I've got 25 gallons
of cider based stuff brewing right now. Raspberry Cider, Strawberry Cider,
Yule Cider, Cyser and a plain old hard cider.)

>>Is this press going to be a vertical screw type?

Yep.

>>The one disadvantage I can see to buying the fresh fruit and
>>juicing it is that you are buying prime, top of the line fruit for
>>this.

As well, I am able to pick and blend the type of apples for specific
flavors. This is my main objective for pressing my own.

>>It was my impression that both today and in period the
>>bruised or otherwise less than prime fruit ended up in juice unless
>>there was a surplus that you couldn't use any other way.

That's still how it's done for most juices. Sell the good stuff as
apples, make the questionable looking, but still good apples into
juice.

>>But perhaps the extra expense is not that much for what you are
>>getting in the way of no prservatives and natural yeasts.

I am hoping it will be worth it in just better taste. (Things sitting
around my house too long will start fermenting on the yeasts floating
around in the air from the amount of brewing of late.)

> I have two sets of plans for a press. One small and one large. I have never
> constructed them.

I would be very interested in the plans you have. I have plans from
other cider makers on the net, as well as a reference to one the
Canadian Agriculture department(?) published. (Agriculture Canada leaflet
A73-1046 (ISBN 0-662-001551-6) - called 'Home Preparation of Juices, Wines
and Cider'.)

> The large handles " two boxes of apples at a time to
> produce 2 to 10 gallons of juice", or so the write-up says. Thes are not
> period, but appear to be functional.

At this point I want functional. Getting to fresh juice instead of store
bought is a step in the right direction. (Gotta do all this period stuff
in baby steps. *grin*) After getting the functionality of a press down,
I can investigate period presses.

Ciao,

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