A member once made one from an old electric mower it worked a treat.
2020 Apple Harvest Cider Thread
- Thread starter MattH1973
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BartonMillBrewer
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That shows remarkable ingenuity!
to answer an earlier question, the Selections scratter takes whole apples easily up to about 10cm in diameter - so it is very rare for me to need to halve one. it very rarely blocks and reduces the overall man hours required for the press by a factor of about 4 or 5. Cleaning is important but easy - just remove the top, hose it down, remove and clean the blade, oil the blade and add grease to the seal that protects the motor from acid.
So if you make a lot of cider every year, and place any sort of value on your time, it is well worth it. But I realise the c£300 up front costs isnt for everyone, as it is often the economics of home brewing that appeals. if I value craft cider at £6 per litre then my scratter paid for itself in its first year.
So if you make a lot of cider every year, and place any sort of value on your time, it is well worth it. But I realise the c£300 up front costs isnt for everyone, as it is often the economics of home brewing that appeals. if I value craft cider at £6 per litre then my scratter paid for itself in its first year.
interesting update
1. the au naturel from just under 3 weeks ago is already fizzing and bubbling
2. but the au naturel from the first press - i believe 5 weeks ago - isntt doing much - this is the longest i have seen a batch go withhout obviously starting - I'd be keen for views on when to start worrying about stuck fermentation. Of course, it could be that it's just going very slowly, so I may test a hydrometer sample.
3. bottles from last weekend firming up nicely.
Advice welcome on 2 please, how many weeks do i wait before bunging some yeast in ??
1. the au naturel from just under 3 weeks ago is already fizzing and bubbling
2. but the au naturel from the first press - i believe 5 weeks ago - isntt doing much - this is the longest i have seen a batch go withhout obviously starting - I'd be keen for views on when to start worrying about stuck fermentation. Of course, it could be that it's just going very slowly, so I may test a hydrometer sample.
3. bottles from last weekend firming up nicely.
Advice welcome on 2 please, how many weeks do i wait before bunging some yeast in ??
I wouldn't panic Matt. It may be just you don't have a perfect seal on the air lock. Any evidence of any small bubbles in the juice?
One of my trads got stuck all winter. Fermented from 1.040 to 1.020 then didn't do anything (I didn't notice until I racked it off) and then fired back up in the spring and fermented to dry! Give it a stir if you want but don't put any yeast in...
One of my trads got stuck all winter. Fermented from 1.040 to 1.020 then didn't do anything (I didn't notice until I racked it off) and then fired back up in the spring and fermented to dry! Give it a stir if you want but don't put any yeast in...
SimonAlfie
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I saw a few people talking/asking about scratters. I have just today ground about 20-30 kg with a home made one, powered by an electric drill. If people are intrested I will post some pics and a few details of how I constructed it.
Phil C
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Hi All
I wasn’t going to make cider until next year when I hope to have a few cider verities producing, but I have so many desert and cookers thought may as well try this year. Didn’t have any scratting or pressing gear so after a search on web found Goodlife home brew has a scratter and bladder press you can use for £25 hr. Never done this before but took less than hour to produce 65 litres of juice.
A little guidance here chaps shall I post the resulting brew here or on another thread.
I wasn’t going to make cider until next year when I hope to have a few cider verities producing, but I have so many desert and cookers thought may as well try this year. Didn’t have any scratting or pressing gear so after a search on web found Goodlife home brew has a scratter and bladder press you can use for £25 hr. Never done this before but took less than hour to produce 65 litres of juice.
A little guidance here chaps shall I post the resulting brew here or on another thread.
Steven
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you were right freester, i took a sample from the clearest, quietest DJ and even that had fermented about 3/4 of the way. I will let it do its thing and bottle in Dec. All good.
bottled all 35 litres of the au naturel today. the earlier batch hadn't fermented quite as dry as the latter (stronger) one which had gone drier and smoother....... so that should be my operations all done for another year, with plenty stowed away to drink.....
20201213_143338 by MattH3764, on Flickr
20201213_143338 by MattH3764, on Flickr
Nice work that man. Don't drink it all at Xmas!
drinking some of the 2020 just to see how it is.......
- the post above was instructive, as the earlier batch is particularly fizzy - i think i bottled a tad too early and that had the effect of over priming. tastes OK though.....
- for the yeast batches i went back to where i started - wineworks / love brewing champagne yeast. I am now convinced this is my favourite as the stronger cider made with this is dry, crisp and champagne like. I think in future I am going with a 50 50 split of au naturel and yeast.
blossom just forming on the trees, but some cold nights coming, so lets hope a late frost doesnt hurt us in 2021......
- the post above was instructive, as the earlier batch is particularly fizzy - i think i bottled a tad too early and that had the effect of over priming. tastes OK though.....
- for the yeast batches i went back to where i started - wineworks / love brewing champagne yeast. I am now convinced this is my favourite as the stronger cider made with this is dry, crisp and champagne like. I think in future I am going with a 50 50 split of au naturel and yeast.
blossom just forming on the trees, but some cold nights coming, so lets hope a late frost doesnt hurt us in 2021......
