Cider Pressing Tech Meeting

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:06 pm

Summary
Time: 5:30 pm until everyone leaves
When: 28-Sept
What: Free Cider

As mentioned at last night's meeting, I'll be hosting a cider pressing event in two weeks on Wednesday, 28-September. Since it's pretty close to the first week of October, we'll just call it the October Tech Meeting.

My family recently bought a 20 acre farm on the SE side of town, which includes 50 apple trees. Right now, I plan to have Jonathon, Liberty, Jonafree, and Ozark Gold available for cider making. I'm not much of an apple farmer yet and have no idea how many of each variety will be available, but there should be enough so everyone gets some cider.

I only have one, relatively small press available but am willing to make as much cider as people want, or until it's too late and everyone needs to go home. Since I'm not sure what the through-put will be (gallons/hour), I'm going to start pressing around 5:30 pm, but you're welcome to show up whenever. If you want to take some cider home, please bring a vessel.

If you're interested, please respond to this post with a notion of how much cider you would want. I'll do my best to have enough apples set aside to accomodate everyone. If the total gets too large, we might just have to cap it at 2-3 gallons per person, but I'd like to get a sense of what people want before making any calls like that.

Also, if anyone has another cider press (Rick Young), it would be really helpful.

Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:55 pm

Lee, I’d like 11-17 gallons. I realize this could be quite a bit, so if we need to make special arrangements or if I just need to come with low expectations.. let me know as the date gets closer

From: DrPaulsen [mailto:brew-techmeet@crbeernuts.org]
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2011 5:06 PM
To: brew-techmeet@crbeernuts.org
Subject: Cider Pressing Tech Meeting

Summary
Time: 5:30 pm until everyone leaves
When: 28-Sept
What: Free Cider

As mentioned at last night's meeting, I'll be hosting a cider pressing event in two weeks on Wednesday, 28-September. Since it's pretty close to the first week of October, we'll just call it the October Tech Meeting.

My family recently bought a 20 acre farm on the SE side of town, which includes 50 apple trees. Right now, I plan to have Jonathon, Liberty, Jonafree, and Ozark Gold available for cider making. I'm not much of an apple farmer yet and have no idea how many of each variety will be available, but there should be enough so everyone gets some cider.

I only have one, relatively small press available but am willing to make as much cider as people want, or until it's too late and everyone needs to go home. Since I'm not sure what the through-put will be (gallons/hour), I'm going to start pressing around 5:30 pm, but you're welcome to show up whenever. If you want to take some cider home, please bring a vessel.

If you're interested, please respond to this post with a notion of how much cider you would want. I'll do my best to have enough apples set aside to accomodate everyone. If the total gets too large, we might just have to cap it at 2-3 gallons per person, but I'd like to get a sense of what people want before making any calls like that.

Also, if anyone has another cider press (Rick Young), it would be really helpful.

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Steven P · Post by **Steven P** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:08 am

Do you have a grinder/crusher as well?

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:36 am

The grinder/press system I'm borrowing looks like this: http://www.thefruitpress.com/collection ... ider-press

Extra equipment is welcome since the unit I have is pretty slow.

Also, we're having a loosely organized picking event next weekend (i.e. 24/25 September). Upon reflection, it has become obvious to me that if folks would like more than 1-2 gallons of cider, I'm going to need help picking. When you respond to the original post with a notion of how much cider you'd like, please also indicate if you would be available to pick next weekend. The apples can sit for 4 or 5 days and "sweat" in the garage until we press them.

If anyone wants apples, regardless of whether or not you want cider, you and your family are welcome to come pick next weekend. I can't guarantee what will happen next year, but at least for this year all the apples are free as I just need to get them off the trees. I'll send out another post in a few days with details about apple picking next weekend.

carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:34 am

Put me in for 2-3 gallons. I'll come help pick depending on what day you do it.

TappedOut · Post by **TappedOut** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 12:25 pm

Put me in for ~5 gallons. What day do you plan for the picking? Sunday works better for me, but I should be able to swing either. Just let me know when. I'm guessing bring buckets would be a good idea too.
-Tom T

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 12:32 pm

Depending on the weather, we'll be picking on both days. Saturday will probably be an all day, come-as-you-please type of thing, while Sunday will be limited to anytime after 1 pm. I'll shore up those details in a few days, but that seems about right to me. I'll also have a better count for how many trees of which varieties are ready.

tompb · Post by **tompb** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 3:13 pm

I'd be willing to come out and help pick on either/both days. I'll come help press as well. I'd like 3-5 gallons of cider.

Do you have picking poles or ladders?

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 6:05 pm

Tom -- I have two step ladders, one extension ladder, and an attachment for the bucket on my tractor that allows 2 people to safely pick from an elevated height. I have no idea what a picking pole is. There might be one laying around here somewhere, as the former owners left all their equipment, but I wouldn't know how to spot it.

All that being said, extra ladders and other equipment would probably be helpful.

tompb · Post by **tompb** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 6:30 pm

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002S8 ... JEZT332KZD

tony b · Post by **tony b** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 12:09 pm

Sounds like fun. Never made cider before, but I like it after tasting the Crispin HoneyCrisp at NHC last year. So, I'd like to give it a try. Count me in for 3 gals. and I can come help pick either Saturday or Sunday.

I have a step ladder I could bring if we need extra ones. Can bring a couple of handled 5 gal plastic buckets, too.

BrewHound · Post by **BrewHound** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:18 pm

Lee, I would like approx 15 gals, I have the kids on Saturday so can't pick that day, but me and the wife were just talking about going and doing the apple thing, so Sunday would work.

Also, I have a small press as well that I could bring out to use. I don't have a crusher however, so we would have to crush for both with the same crusher, however, I don't think that should be a problem.

carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:38 pm

How much juice does your press make at a time Lee? If there's that much demand for cider maybe the club should invenst in one? I know, never enough money...
On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 3:18 PM, BrewHound <brew-techmeet@crbeernuts.org (brew-techmeet@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Lee, I would like approx 15 gals, I have the kids on Saturday so can't pick that day, but me and the wife were just talking about going and doing the apple thing, so Sunday would work.

Also, I have a small press as well that I could bring out to use. I don't have a crusher however, so we would have to crush for both with the same crusher, however, I don't think that should be a problem.

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brownbeard · Post by **brownbeard** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 6:57 pm

I would like 5 gallons, and will come help pick and press.

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:21 pm

I did a trial run today with the press I have (it's not mine, but being borrowed from a buddy). I pressed two bushels, and averaged 2 gallons of cider per bushel. Each bushel had to be pressed in two steps, as that was all the strainer bag could reasonably hold.

Here are my time estimates for the process steps.

Cleaning Apples : 15 min/person/bushel
Crush/Macerate : 5 min/gal
Press : 5 min/gal

Of those processes, the crush/press sequence has to be done serially, while apple cleaning can be done in parallel. Unfortunately, the way the crusher is mounted on the unit I have doesn't lend itself to filling a second bag while a first bag is being pressed. CJ - thanks for the offer, but without a second crusher, I don't think it will help speed up the process.

I estimate that a team of at least 5 people should be able to get through 5 gallons per hour, with 2 people washing, 2 people crushing/pressing, and 1 person cleaning up, fetching beer, etc.

Also, I noted that a bushel of apples fits nicely in two 5 gallon buckets. This means you should expect to pick one five gallon bucket of apples for every gallon of cider you'd like. I should have enough room in my garage to sweat all the apples.

Regarding purchasing a club cider press, I'm not sure much could be done this year, unless it could be sourced locally. I'd be glad to store it in my barn, if we all collectively agreed to purchase something like that.

My plan this winter was to build something akin to this cider press/shredder system: http://www.whizbangcider.com/

By my estimations, that system running at full capacity should be able to produce 15-20 gallons per hour with a small team of folks. It doesn't look that hard to build, I just won't have time to get it done in the next couple of weeks.