Any of yous tried making cider before?

This weekend just gone I got about making up some cider. 3 days of work
yielded 22 litres. An interesting experience but one I am going to have to
stream line if I do it next time around.

The apples were free, scavenged from a few trees round the neighbourhood.

Cleaning them was no problem, dunking in a big tub.

Cutting them up and cutting out the odd bad bit or bug was laborious. I did
have some help at one stage which speeded things up a bit.

Shredding the apple pieces in a kitchen whizz was also time consuming. Its
gets easier the longer you go on. But. If done every year I reckon I will
have to make some sort of apple scratterer.

Then came the pressing. Roftl (not).

I had made up a frame from old off cut pine 4 x 2 to hold a car scissor jack
(850 kg limit) and an old chilly bin with a hole cut in the end.

Worked ok to start with however the hole was too small to let all thenjuice
out and it filled up the chilly bin past a certain compression point.

From there I borrowed a (small) grape press. Worked to a point but did not
extract as much juice as I hoped.

So, I drilled holes in a 10 litre plastic bucket and went back to the
scissor jack press. Got more juice than the hand press. Still not enough
holes though. Near the bottom of compression the frame cracked.

Drilled more holes in the bucket and strengthened the frame.

Next press was the best yet.

After a bit more stress the frame came apart at one end. A few screws put it
back together.

A couple of final presses and 22 litres were deposited in 5 carboys.

2 are relying on natural yeasts for fermentation. One I will add a little
bit of extra yeast in to. One I have sulphited and will add yeats in. The
final carboy is only 1/2 full. I will have to cut in some more apple juice,
sulphite and then add yeast.

Interesting exercise. Note to self for next time (if there is a next time).

Build an apple scratterer.
Build a sturdier frame
Use a bottle jack with maybe 1 ton plus capacity
Find a really good basket to hold the pulped apple juice.
Hope the finished cider is worth all the effort.

Worth trying from start to finish at least once though.

rob