Cider weekend! + question

[Trunky]

[sleepygonzales]

Why not search out some lower acid cider apples (bittersweets would be ideal) and blend with the sharp cider that you have?

know where i can get any?

Depends where you are, cider apples are harvested during November in the main so you still have time. I find most farmers with orchards are happy for you to purchase apples from them (around £85 per tonne picked up yourself). Outside of the main cider producing regions of the West and South West it's not going to be as easy.

Around here the small orchards are not under contract but most of it is bought up by Thatchers.

Im in Bristol, I have a trailer. Know anywhere specific? Next weekend is my last weekend of apple picking/pressing. The wife is getting pissy.

[Trunky]

[sleepygonzales]

So I had another crack this weekend. Not impressed with the basket press, we made our own press, cranked with a 2 tonne bottle jack. And not having the energy to run the pulpmaster 5000 manual edition, we modified a garden chipper with a rubber bucket and a peice of plastic. We had between 300 and 400 kg of apples.

I had a load of cooking apples from a mate, and a load of apples from a cider apple orchard.


the new press.....



fully loaded we hade 5 cheeses, seperated with semi rigid pvc matting that i pinched from work. Run off mats that you would find in the shower cubicles in swimming pools.











The new scratter. I cant really imagine how it could have produced better apple pulp. Fun to use too....





The new equipement was a huge improvement. We pressed 255 litres in one day. As opposed to 50 litres in a day with the old gear.

Thanks for the fermentation tank Trunky! And thanks for all the advice, you are a gent.

[Trunky]

[floydmeddler]

Looks good and your all set up and good to go for next year. Have patience with the cider, keep the vessels topped up to the brim and wait, should be good to drink in April ish.

I think your production rate is very good, I can make 300litres in a day on my own from 440kg of cider apples (less juicy than normal apples) so your right up there.

I have one pressing day to go and I predict a final total of around 900litres.

That looks brilliant. Well done men!

[floydmeddler]

I predict a final total of around 900litres.

Not all for you surely?

[Trunky]