The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: Bodger on August 25, 2009, 10:01:51 pm

Title: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: Bodger on August 25, 2009, 10:01:51 pm

We've just finished making the apple juice tonight, we managed to extract about seven gallons from this barrow full of apples.


(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/c1-5.jpg)


I've no idea what variety they are but they produced a sweet pink apple juice.

Here's Huggsy ( Blind Pugh) operating our Speidel Apple Mill. Its the first time that we've used this bit of kit and it was very impressive. Its output was such that it could have kept numerous presses the size of ours busy.

Huggsy and the press.  :thumbup:


(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/c2-5.jpg)


Building the cheese. Thats what they call the bags of milled apples prior to it being pressed.


(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/c3-4.jpg)


(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/c4-4.jpg)


Putting the pressure on.


(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/c5-4.jpg)


The press is a Vigo ' rack and cloth press. This link proved to be extremely useful on this, the first occasion that we've used it.

http://www.ukcider.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Vigo_Rack_&_Cloth_Screw_Press


Here's the proof of the pudding. Our harvest, the apples produced  7 gallons of the most beautiful pink juice.


(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/c6-2.jpg)


If we were to bottle it and present it properly, we would get a minimum of £2.00 a bottle, which would have given us well over a hundred quid for our evenings efforts.

This was a sort of dry wet run and its certainly given us plenty of room for thought. :thumbup:

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: Rosemary on August 25, 2009, 10:09:57 pm

How brilliant. How will you store it? Frozen?

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: Bodger on August 25, 2009, 10:22:21 pm

This batch will be frozen in plastic bottles but I've bought a Vigo pasteurizer that will do thirteen bottles at a time and thats the plan for future production.

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: doganjo on August 25, 2009, 10:54:52 pm

Ooh, yummy - where are you - I could do a midnight raid ;) ;D ;D

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: QWOLF on August 26, 2009, 02:58:41 pm

LOOKS BRAW.... ome night one barrow wouldnt be long in paying for all the equipment...NICE ::)

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: sandy on August 28, 2009, 11:36:00 pm

I think we all would be doing a midnight raid if we were not so tiered ......good nit...looks good enough to forgo sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on August 29, 2009, 12:04:26 pm

good especially the bru bottles lol


Linz

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: Farmer on August 29, 2009, 04:58:35 pm

So that's what's in Irn-Brew...Cheers!

farmer
 :farmer:

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: sandy on August 29, 2009, 06:03:20 pm

Secrets out then...hang on, it's not GINGER?

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: Norfolk Newby on September 04, 2009, 03:59:00 pm

I've only made cider using cans of apple syrup. The results were good but tended to go musty tasting because of the small quantity of yeast left in the mix. It settles to the bottom of the bottles as a thin sediment but after a month the taste was definitely 'off'.

Do you have a method of filtering the newly fermented cider or is it a case of carefully racking off the cider to leave the yeast in the sediment?

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: xillent on September 27, 2009, 07:21:05 pm

It's actually GIRDERS in Irn Bru.

Title: Re: Am I too old to have a crush ?
Post by: r+lchick on September 29, 2009, 04:10:14 pm

Does pasteurising the apple juice stop to from going off and/or turning into cider?  Pardon my ignorance.  Only made apple pies with our apples.  Not very big drinkers, so an alcoholic drink is of no benefit. Would be interested. Ros :cat: :chook: