The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Home brewing => Topic started by: demonfarmer2630 on May 12, 2011, 08:26:12 pm

Title: wanted cheap cider/fruit press
Post by: demonfarmer2630 on May 12, 2011, 08:26:12 pm

i know there are other ways of pressing apples and fruit i use a hammer tea towel and a brick works but i would like a cider/fruit press im near cupar in fife
thanks

Title: Re: wanted cheap cider/fruit press
Post by: dizzy1pig on May 12, 2011, 08:37:13 pm

there is a lady at back of 'Muchty that has a press for any amount of apples.
all she takes is 20% of what you press.
Done it last year and well worth it

not so far from you and saves the expense

Title: Re: wanted cheap cider/fruit press
Post by: demonfarmer2630 on May 12, 2011, 08:39:53 pm

thank you but i have no transport

Title: Re: wanted cheap cider/fruit press
Post by: suziequeue on June 17, 2011, 06:53:06 pm

My experience is that you get what you pay for with presses.

It's not to difficult in principle to make one but actually the mechanics get more complex once you factor in volume of apples to be pressed, pressures required, a means of letting the juice drain off clean etc etc.

I have done quite alot of searching for a decent plan/kit to make our own press and they are not easy to find.

We bought a very nice ratchet press last year. Looked lovely in the photo but by the end of the pressing, we were on the verge of never doing cider again (even though we ended up with about 50L of really nice stuff which hubby is still getting through  :yum: :yum: :yum:). It was a NIGHTMARE!!!

This year we have invested in a bigger better press and I've given up ideas of making my own.

However, am still working on pedal powered apple scratter

Title: Re: wanted cheap cider/fruit press
Post by: doganjo on June 17, 2011, 08:44:57 pm

Quote from: demonfarmer2630 on May 12, 2011, 08:26:12 pm

i know there are other ways of pressing apples and fruit i use a hammer tea towel and a brick works but i would like a cider/fruit press im near cupar in fife
thanks

How about joining Central Scotlad Smallholders - we are thinking of buying one for members to use.  Only £10 a year membership and half price from the end of this month. ;D

Title: Re: wanted cheap cider/fruit press
Post by: digit on June 17, 2011, 08:47:44 pm

I looked into buying an apple press two years ago, wasn't happy with the quality or the price's of some of them, so i made my own, it does about 30 litre of apples a time and works a treat. It would be easy to make one using a car jack to squeeze the juice out of the apples, i put the apples through a garden shredder first

Title: Re: wanted cheap cider/fruit press
Post by: Floyd on June 19, 2011, 04:12:05 pm

I used a clean garden shredder prior to pressing and got loads more juice than previous attemps