Cider brewday

[Stoney]

Well yesterday me and the Mrs brought 100 cox apples from the grocers in order to try out my new Pulpmaster and Press.

I did the sterilizing first while Mrs chopped some apples and then began to Pulp.

I got me drill fixed up and started pulping...however....it didnt seem to do much at all. The apples were pretty soft too so I was really dissapointed. I kept trying and it just ended up a little better and so then I thought Id try and press it in me new 1.5 Ltr press.

And what do you know..that didnt really work either...I got hardly any juice from the a fair few appples worth. (very messy too)

Well we then thought maybe the press would work better if I went back to me old method of pulping the apples using the Food processer thing. So I put the new pulp in and again.....rubbish...it just spat out everywhere and came up the side inside the press...again hardly any juice came out....

So we are here left with 100 apples so we gotta do something....so out came a Pair of my new tights...(err I mean a pair of the mrs new tights Ha).

So using the food processer and a pair of tights we managed to get a 1 gallon (i think) demijohn full and a bit left over.

To me this seemed like a pretty bad yield off of 100 apples?? When I did it the other day I used 50 and got the same amount..but they were bigger I guess.

Well me verdict is...I think I should have researched more on the equiptment needed.....I really want to do some batches at least twice as big as that but not using the method I used.

 

[Vossy1]

Sorry to hear the press didn't work very well Stoney. I have a similar sized press and my findings are similar to yours, even when using grapes. The best presses seem to be standard board and sack types, from my own experience.

 

[Stoney]

Thanks bud,

Yeah bit of a waste of money...going to try and resell it...and the pulpmaster.

Going to have a look more into the type you state...as a freind of ours has a apple tree and are going to give us the apples to make a big batch and i'd rather not the method use the of food mixer and a pair of tights.

 

[trunky]

I use a similar press and find it OK, it\'s quite an old one - plastic coated steel of some sort. It did come with a thickish polythene tube to go around the outside of the press to stop juice flying everywhere and a large mesh bag to contain the pulp.

Looks like these modern ones are missing out on these extra items that make the press actually work.

As for your yield, 18lbs of apples will make around 1 gallon of juice.

 

[Stoney]

Right thanks for that...ill check the weight I got and compare.

Im wondering whether to buy some sort of muslin bag or something to contain the pulp and give it another crack.

 

[tubby_shaw]

Right thanks for that...ill check the weight I got and compare.

Im wondering whether to buy some sort of muslin bag or something to contain the pulp and give it another crack.

Have a look for muslin squares :thumb: they are sold in the babies section of shops, they are quite big and I have found a few uses for them in brewing

 

[Stoney]

Just an update...I did the hydrometer thing for the second time and it was the same. 9.90

I have now syphoned it into a new demijohn rather than bottling yet. I have a little try and I tell e it tastes great...its dry but twas nice. Mrs found it a bit too dry but I guess thats more for me.

Just a question

When I syphoned at the bottom its hard to get the last bit out as the sediment started to go up the tube....so instead I put the remaining into a tall thin bottle and waited for it to settle and did again...but is there a better way than this??

 

[trunky]

You can get a bit of rigid plastic that fits on the end of the tube, it stops the sediment being siphoned. Have a look in Wilkinsons they usually have them, or any home brew shop.

 

[Stoney]

My syphon has a red rigid bit of plastic on the end (not sur eif this is the right thing)...kind hole in the middle but the sediment is so fine once it gets disturbed (when im nearly at the bottom) it just mixes and i can see it flowing up.