Cider pressing

[jeffatc250r]

Heres a few pics of my buddys press. Built around 1910-1920 and is still pretty much all original, even most of the conveyor, although some of the woodwork is in dire need of a rebuild. 135 gals in 3 hrs, and thats while holding a beer in one hand.

Here is where it starts, chuck the apples into the conveyor and they get fed into the top where they are sliced and diced by what is basically just a big-ass planer.
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I dont have a pic of it, but the sliced up mash then falls down and you fill the racks up before stacking them up under the ram(In this pic the racks are being pressed)
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The whole operation is run off of a belt with a little J-D 420 powering it just off an idle, pop pop pop pop


It takes about 30 mins for the press to cycle. In this pic you can see the cider is diverted into a stainless tub, from there it travels down a 2 inch pipe into a much larger tank with a spout to fill your jugs and kegs.
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One more pic

[fabiodriven]

That's friggin cool Jeff. Thanks for sharing.

[MonroeMike]

That thing is huge.

[jeffatc250r]

No prob, Ill give a heads up next year for ya if your interested in watching. Ill get a cpl more pics tomm when i go there to press out what i need to fill my kegs.

Cant wait to hear them kegs fartin away in a few months.....

[Triple B!]

That is so neat. I love it when people still do some of that stuff from original equipment, like they did back in the old days. Kinda pays homage to where we came from, you know?

[aldochina]

dude that thing is impressive!! Must be cool as hell to watch it work. Sure beats the snot out of our set up!! Looks like something youd find right at the orchard. Either way, cider rocks!! Not sure if you saw my thread, i will post the link if you want to check it. we did about 35 gallons in a weekend. Certainly no free hands to hold a beer Coulda actually used a few more. Mine is fermenting away in my basement as we speak. need to update my thread. We are not that far from eachother, maybe we can get together for a ride and a cider tasting sometime!!

[aldochina]

the link
http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/s...d.php?t=103103

[jeffatc250r]

^^^Nice! Ya i got my keg stashed away in the cellar. I did 15 pounds of sugar in mine. My friend always does about ten pounds and that turns out to be 10-15 percent. So im hoping mine may turn out 15-20%

Ya im always game to meet other riders. Anytime you want to go for a cruise let me know. There is a small herd of us, there is a thread in the local riding section called sunday, sunday.

[aldochina]

I did not add anything to kill off the bad yeasts. My dad used to make it back in the day, and said he never did, but everything I read now says to do it. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I could not find a usable barrel for a reasonable price, so I have 3 -6 gallon glass carboys, and one 14 gallon one. I put honey in one, brown sugar in one, brown and white sugar in the big one, and left one natural. I used about a pound of sugar per gallon of cider! we'll see how they come out. That way next year i know which one I prefer. I also add some raisins to it, lots of natural sugars, and yeasts in raisins. The frothing has stopped, now I got the airlocks on, and she's bubblin away!! I will keep an eye out for your local rides.

[super90]

wow thats huge! dwarfs mine. Mine is just a little contraption i made to crush and strain them. Have a carboy fermenting at the moment. Made about 4 gallons, plenty to get me by for a while. Only used a few bushels I get for free but it tastes excellant.

[aldochina]

hows the cider coming along, i just bottled the 5 gallons that i left all natural. It is a little tart, but if you add a tablspoon if sugar to a glass its deliious!! The rest is still working.

[jensenracing77]

we have an old press but it has a hand crank to chop the apples then you have to turn the wheel on top to smash the apples. no motors for mine.

[racer....X]

there is part of a smaller press in the barn at my moms.I been thinkin about bringin it home and building the missing parts.

[aldochina]

we have an old press but it has a hand crank to chop the apples then you have to turn the wheel on top to smash the apples. no motors for mine.

thats what i used, i have a thread about it in hear, the link is posted above.

[harryredtrike]

pretty cool operation,how many apples ran through that this year