Cider press

[Beardy Wierdy]

I was just wondering, and forgive me if someones already asked but what is the best wood for making a ciderpress and does it need any treatment to the wood. i have the thread/handle and all the metal parts i just want to do it right to make sure it lasts a good while.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[graysalchemy]

There was plenty of discussion about this back in the autumn. I think you are better using oak or pine some of the hard woods are actually toxic. Try searching as I said there was quite a few threads about it.

:

AG

 

[Stone Cold]

I remember Muddy Disco saying he has made a cider press (what hasn't he made?) so it could be worth dropping him a message to see what he has to say about it.
ollie

 

[Growler]

after much talk about this a while back with a bunch of wood turners the general consensus is any wood in direct and sustained contact with food stuffs is best to be a fruit wood as these are all food safe

 

[pondlife]

I made my own apple press following these instructions and using these free plans.

It was relatively inexpensive to construct and it's very robust - certainly more than up to the job. The only issue I had was with the adaptation of my juice collection tray. In retrospect, I should have fitted the drain plug through the floor of the tray rather than at the side. This would have prevented the (considerable) amount of juice pooling in the tray and potentially overflowing.

It's a good DIY project, though, and easily completed in less than half a day. :thumb:

 

[Beardy Wierdy]

Thanks for the help and advice everyone much appreciated

 

[tonyhibbett]

New pine will impart an unwelcome flavour. Oak is good, easy to get from timberyards but very expensive. Recycled oak (eg beams) is better and cheaper. Beech is frequently used but hard to get. Avoid timber treated with preservatives.
A press alone is not enough as the apples need to be pulped first. A Pulpmaster is cheap and reasonably effective but not particularly efficient, so I tip the results into a dustbin, add just enough water to cover, add pectic enzyme and stir for a couple of days.

 

[jebrug]

My advice would be to use any wood you fancy as long as it has not been treated. But make sure the elements that come into contact with the juice are of plastic.
My own press has a collection tray made from the base of a plastic cold water tank just chopped off 4" high, and the cheese separators are cut out of the bottoms of plastic bread trays. With a 2 ton hydraulic jack from Halfords "Job done" Photo's in my "New Boy" post.

 

[jamiec]

I was just wondering, and forgive me if someones already asked but what is the best wood for making a ciderpress and does it need any treatment to the wood. i have the thread/handle and all the metal parts i just want to do it right to make sure it lasts a good while.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

There is a brew shop in Brownhills that rents out a press and a crusher, I paid £40 for the weekend. I did 100kg of apples and made 16 litres. It was ok but lots of work and lots of mess

 

[evanvine]

I did 100kg of apples and made 16 litres. It was ok but lots of work and lots of mess

You sure about those figures jamie?
100kg/16ltr = 6.25 kg/ltr.
I would have expected at least 2kg/ltr.
Being still in the dark ages, I've always gone with 100lbs/5 gallons.
Others on the Forum claim even better figures.

 

[evanvine]

what is the best wood for making a ciderpress

If you liberally paint the contact areas with Vaseline, it matters not what wood you use.