[Rosiecrad]

Hello, happy new year!

I wasn't sure where to ask this but thought I'd give it a go here!

I would like to buy a cider/apple press with my christmas money Does anyone have any recommendations? I want to spend about £80, although I don't know if this is a realistic amount. Obviously I don't want a huge press, just for the family.
Thanks xx

[Rosiecrad]

Just had a quick google and realise I will need to spend more than this, which is fine. Could go to £150

Rosie

[Dan]

There's a good thread here that might help, covering building your own too:


http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=37503.0


HTH 

[RUSTYME]

Machine mart used to do one for £93 . No idea if they still do or if the one they did sell was any good , but worth a look .

[Humblepie]

shame ascott smallholding arent around anymore as they used to sell loads of them.

[suziequeue]

try Vigo


Their 20 litre press is £150

[AndynJ]

Making one is quite easy, we did it then accidently bought a press from machine mart, they are really good and strong 6 litre £96, 12 litre £120 the 6 litre fits nicely on the worksurface

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Good start 1 radiator leak

[Rosiecrad]

Thank you everyone, will have a look at your suggestions now! x

[HesterF]

At the risk of stating the obvious, remember you'll need to crush the apples as well - and the better you crush them, the more juice you get out. We've got a bigger Vigo press and it's great, also got the crusher from them. But we've got over 40 apple trees and will be juicing for others too so we went for big stuff straight off rather than buy little and then realise we needed to upsize later. Check out auctions and second hand too. My parents saw a second hand Vigo press and crusher in their local auction that apparently looked practically unused and I can imagine if you try it once and realise it's quite hard work, you just stash it somewhere never to see the light of day again. Mind you, they sold for close to their new price so maybe not huge savings to be made but you might find a better bargain!

H

[Rosiecrad]

Thanks H, I had thought of that, we were looking at buying a garden shredder, so we can use it for the garden and apples.
We have 25 apple trees but some of these we use for eating, cooking and storing.
Thinking of going with the 12L one from Machine mart but I will have a look around too

[cloddopper]

Lots of folk also use a setaside brand new ,always clean ,dried out,  washed out garden shredder specifically for shredding apples, pears carrots plums etc etc for their wines it makes a quick job of the hard work ..they shred into lidded plastic storage boxes such as are found in the likes of B&Q or home base often doing five or more boxes whilst the press is also in use .
A plastic boat light weight wheelbarrow is also very handy for collecting fruit  off the tree or  the windfalls .
  I used to cheat and use a disabled persons 30 inch long picker to take plums , apples or pears off the trees or the ground ..saves getting stung if a wasp is having a feast , plus I have spinal injuries that make bending difficult.
 It is also good in allowing you to reach up into the tree to pick fruit out of  well pruned flat topped trees .

[Scotsdumpy]

Another option for crushing apples is a waste disposal unit preferably a new one. As it is attached to a sink it makes it easy to process. I guess you would have to cut the apples small enogh to go down the plug hole though.

[Bodger]

As way of encouragement and to give you few ideas as regards a cider press and a mill have a look at this. We made our first cider here back in the autumn of 2006 and being the sort of person that I am, I made a record of the days proceedings. Have a look and I hope that you enjoy.


We made cider for the first time ever this year and so I ticked off another one of my lifetime ambitions.
We beg stole and borrowed apples from wherever we could and made about twenty gallons.
Here is a pictorial guide of what went on over two weekends. REALLY GOOD FUN    











We even got Granny Bodger on the left to sort the apples.
The small cylindrical press held 12 litres of what the professionals call cheese which is really squished apples to us novices and cost £70.
This was more than adequate but the biger one was made by my mate from plans that we got from Downsizer.








Even this small press churned out plenty of juice for our size of operation




We put the chopped apples through a borrowed garden shredder.




The press that Bodgers Mate made worked well but there will be modifications for next season.




Not the finished article but a few months on its now perfectly clear.

The good news ! If we can do it anybody can ! The bad news is that after making 20 gallons of the stuff, I have a sneaky feeling that this stuff is responsible for giving me gout !



We even toyed with the idea of having our own label. Delusions of grandeur or what ?    

[Rosiecrad]

Great photos, Bodger and looks like you had a lovely day

The label is fabulous too!
Rosie

[HesterF]

Bodger you should add your photos from this year - the then and now contrast is incredible (and serves as a warning to us all of the slippery slope!).