Has anyone got any ideas on how I can rig up a press to make cider please? I've got loads of apples, and even with storage and using them in chutneys and apple sauce, there is no way we can eat them all, so have decided to make some cider.
It doesn't need to be very big, and i've got the chopping sorted. But ideas for a press would be very welcome folks
Thanks
Apple/cidar press
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
-
Colin_M
- KG Regular
- Posts: 1182
- Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:13 am
- Location: Bristol
- Been thanked: 1 time
I'm sure someone will come back to you with the official answer on using a proper press.
In the meantime, if you don't actually have a press, do you have access to a juicer? This will probably be a longer job, but there's more chance you can get hold of one.
It probably doesn't meet any of the requirements for doing it "properly" but I used one a few years ago when I saw my neighbour's tree laden with fruit that he had no intention of using. The resulting juice made a batch of cider plus some apple wine.
In the meantime, if you don't actually have a press, do you have access to a juicer? This will probably be a longer job, but there's more chance you can get hold of one.
It probably doesn't meet any of the requirements for doing it "properly" but I used one a few years ago when I saw my neighbour's tree laden with fruit that he had no intention of using. The resulting juice made a batch of cider plus some apple wine.
-
Shallot Man
- KG Regular
- Posts: 2653
- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:51 am
- Location: Basildon. Essex
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 30 times
lizzie. if it proofs to much for you, why not invite us all round to sample the cider.
What a fab idea Colin.... I do have a juicer but the idea of using it to make cider never emtered my head 
As for invites, well, we'll see how things work out. It could be the stuff I make is only fit for unblocking drains or stripping varnish
As for invites, well, we'll see how things work out. It could be the stuff I make is only fit for unblocking drains or stripping varnish
Lots of love
Lizzie
Lizzie
-
peter
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5845
- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:54 pm
- Location: Near Stansted airport
- Has thanked: 18 times
- Been thanked: 36 times
- Contact:
Read the small ads in the back of KG, I'm sure you'll find what you want.
Whether you can afford it will be a different matter.
Whether you can afford it will be a different matter.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
-
PLUMPUDDING
- KG Regular
- Posts: 3269
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:14 pm
- Location: Stocksbridge, S. Yorks
I use my juicer and it is quite efficient but you can't do many at a time. I also put the pulp in a fine mesh bag and squeeze that out again and it does give a bit more juice. Using the juicer does make more of a deposit than just pressing, but this settles out and you just syphon the juice off the top.
I've also used a large mincer and that is also OK.
I've also used a large mincer and that is also OK.
Hello Lizzie
There is quite a bit of stuff on ebay, a lot of it is new, and even some plans so you can build your own press. It looks as though you have to have a pulper as well to get the most juice from your fruit.
John
There is quite a bit of stuff on ebay, a lot of it is new, and even some plans so you can build your own press. It looks as though you have to have a pulper as well to get the most juice from your fruit.
John
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
I have seen a square frame with a couple of squares of thick plywood and a car jack to do the squashing used.
The difficult bit is finding/making a strong metal frame to contain it.
You could make some sort of lever press with a long wooden handle (like 10ft of 2x4) and hang some weights on the end.
There's no end of ways of doing it just constrained by your imagination.
Personally I would put the pulp in a strong muslim bag between two thick pieces of ply and then push down on it with my (clean) digger bucket.
You can buy small scale cider making kit on the interweb.
Kev
The difficult bit is finding/making a strong metal frame to contain it.
You could make some sort of lever press with a long wooden handle (like 10ft of 2x4) and hang some weights on the end.
There's no end of ways of doing it just constrained by your imagination.
Personally I would put the pulp in a strong muslim bag between two thick pieces of ply and then push down on it with my (clean) digger bucket.
You can buy small scale cider making kit on the interweb.
Kev
Thanks everyone........I'll keep these brilliant suggestions in mine. I found a barrel in my shed that I can use. It's a bit manky but nothing a good clean and a bottle of Miltons wont cure. Didn't know I had a barrel in there. But then again, I can't get in my shed so there's probably all kinds that I've kept which I thought may come in useful one day 
Lots of love
Lizzie
Lizzie