How to scrat apples?

[jceg316]

This year will hopefully be the year I make cider from scratch. Near me is a field of apple trees I want to take advantage of. I have an apple press but no scratter. I know there are ways to smash apples like getting a big log and smashing the apples in a bucket, but was wondering if there are easier ways to do this?

I'm not terribly handy or good at building things, so any instructions which involve things like "drill a hole through a block of hardwood" won't be terribly useful to me.

Thanks!

 

[Sheepish]

If building something is out of the question, I have seen vids of people using a garden shredder.

 

[Cwrw666]

I use a scratter but to make it an easy job I always freeze my apples first, then when I thaw them out they're all soft and mushy. If you were going to mash the apples instead like you suggest, this would make the job really easy.

 

[jceg316]

Garden shredder sounds interesting. My wife might have one on her farm, but it might be used for compost so would have to give it a clean.

I'm not sure I would have enough freezer space for all the apples but that sounds like a good idea if possible. Would freezing the apple detract from it in any other way? Would it affect flavour?

 

[Aqualung]

I made a scratter out of an old pressure cooker.

Remove the centre of the lid where the weight usually fits on and there is a hole in the centre of the lid.
You will need a short piece of threaded tube (threaded on the outside).
secure this with a nut inside and outside the lid holding it vertical.
Get a steel rod that will go through the tube and fix/weld some paddles near the base of the rod.
Leave enough of the rod sticking out of the top so that you can put it into an electric drill.
3/4 fill the pan with quartered apples.
Fix the lid onto the pan.
Use short zaps with the drill, and move it up and down, until you feel no resistance.
Take off the lid and hey presto, your mushed up apples and juice are ready for the press.

All the liquid stays in the pan, because it has the lid on, so no chance of electrocution.

It worked for me the last two years, but I dont have many apples to process.

 

[RichardM]

If you don't want to DIY then this may be what you are looking for https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E9AJ...t=&hvlocphy=9045357&hvtargid=pla-433683620320

 

[Petrolhead]

When making scrumpy in the past we used a garden shredder which worked a treat. We also picked up the windfalls in the back of a Series 3 Landy and the press was none to shiny.

Seems that scrumpy is about the only bit of brewing where cleaning is optional!

 

[IainM]

I've done it manually, never again. Then I got a pulpmaster which is fine for soft apples but doesn't work for harder ones, even if they're ripe, so those need to be frozen first to soften them up. Plus it isn't very big an a bit of a rip off for what it is. I'm now waiting for a cheap/free garden shredder or sink disposal unit to turn up on gum tree or freecycle.

 

[jceg316]

I am terrible at building something. I was gonna go for something like in RichardM's post, but I've been told they aren't great. I might be able to get funding and get something like this: https://www.vidaxl.co.uk/e/87184758...MIgpH5s6ri2wIVSbXtCh28Dw8TEAQYBCABEgK1lvD_BwE. I'm turning my cider making into a community day and therefore can get community grants.

 

[robbym123]

I use a plasterers paddle attached to a drill. They only cost about a fiver and do a great job!.

 

[Cwrw666]

'm not sure I would have enough freezer space for all the apples but that sounds like a good idea if possible. Would freezing the apple detract from it in any other way? Would it affect flavour?

No, my cider just tastes like normal. Main reason I do it is so I can choose when to make the cider. This year I ended up doing it in March (and only then because we needed the freezer space for meat).

 

[jceg316]

I use a plasterers paddle attached to a drill. They only cost about a fiver and do a great job!.

This sounds like a pretty good idea, does it mash the apples up well?

 

[robbym123]

Yes, you end up with a big bucket full of completely pulped apples.

Only thing is you need a good strong drill, mine is a sds and it works fine