Cider on!... Newbie

[ozzy1000]

Hi all,
I've just stumbled across your forum. I've been quite active on various forums for various obssesions in the past but not for some time now.
I'm a westcountry bey living in devon. I've toyed with a couple of beer kits and home brew experiments in the past and have allways liked my cider. Last year we had a few windfalls and I thought I'd make some. I made a little press with some old oak and a car jack, messed around with ideas for scratting and made about 35 gallons in demijons and plastic with varying apples and varying success.
It got me thinking though, so I built a bigger press this year with eight 48cm x 4.5cm cheeses and a 10ton lorry jack, I also made a 1.5hp scratter. I've been buying old food grade barrels scrubbimg them with caustic soda and using them and fermenters. I also have a couple of ex red wine barrels. So far I have done 150gallons over three barrels, I've done these as a rough-farmhouse style, with early apples with low sugar, sugared upto around 1.060, with no sulphites. The next barrels will get full hygiene attention and sulphites so I can make a comparison.

Anyway I'm here to learn more, its been an adventure so far and I'm having fun :)

All the best Owain

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum :

 

[ManseMasher]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Bramble]

Your press puts mine to shame. It is my first attempt this year to make Apple Cider. But still it does the job.

 

[ozzy1000]

Your press puts mine to shame. It is my first attempt this year to make Apple Cider. But still it does the job.

I like it! How much juice does that give you? And how are scratting that apples?

This is my little 1 gallon press that I was using last year. It's just old bit of oak and a 1.5ton bottle jack. It actually worked quite well along side my sledge hammer & bucket scratting :)

https://goo.gl/photos/uspJCTAsfDWMyYun9

 

[Bramble]

I like it! How much juice does that give you? And how are scratting that apples?

This is my little 1 gallon press that I was using last year. It's just old bit of oak and a 1.5ton bottle jack. It actually worked quite well along side my sledge hammer & bucket scratting :)

https://goo.gl/photos/uspJCTAsfDWMyYun9

The apples go in a food processer to be pulped into a slurry.
The pulp is then put into a oblong wood former lined with decorators cloth bought from Wilko's. Maybe one pressing would yield 2 pints?