Apple questions for cider

[Maddie]

Hi, Its my first post and I need help.
I have a load of apples I want to make into cider.
I have a mincer and an apple press but its going to take me a long time to mince my apples.
Can I precut them tonight and leave them in water before mincing and pressing tomorrow or is it better to cut, mince then press them?
Thanks
Maddie

[jonnybeer]

Hi, i'm fairly new myself but I would do the whole thing in one operation.

If you must chop the apples before I think i've read somewhere to use citric acid .in the soak to avoid browing of the fruit

There are many cider makers on the site so i'm sure you will get the correct advice. Just be patient

j.b.

[Gurgeh]

before i got a shredder, i used to just pound the apples in a big bucket with a 4" thick pole.

i used to get some help with that but it worked reasonably well (though tiring, but your mincer will take forever!)

[Duffbeer]

Hi, Its my first post and I need help.
I have a load of apples I want to make into cider.
I have a mincer and an apple press but its going to take me a long time to mince my apples.
Can I precut them tonight and leave them in water before mincing and pressing tomorrow or is it better to cut, mince then press them?
Thanks
Maddie

Forget the mincer, freeze the apples and then thaw after 3 days, press them once cut into quarters and reap the lovely clear juice,
it's much easier, so in the right order, chop quickly , freeze , thaw and press

I personaly freeze and press apples whole, once thawed ready to press (saves oxidisation and browning)

oops and edit again....don't chop frozen apples as you'll lose a lot of juice

[Frothy]

The finer the pommace the better, traditional cider makers just beat the apples to a pulp using poles- an end on sledge hammer might do a similar job? If you read Jean Yves Guide to real Bretton cider (on this site) he recommends leaving the pommace (pulped apples) for ~6hrs before pressing, this unsures a better yield and aroma from the apples. This is also beneficial to fermentation if you intend to make use of the natural yeasts on the apple skins like traditional cider makers as it encourages them.

Frothy

[Maddie]

Thanks for the advice, I minced 40lb of apples and got a huge amount of juice from them, plus severe hand cramp and mega blisters. I used a clean fence post offcut to pulp about 80lbs and got a much smaller amount of juice.

More apples are ready so I think I will get myself a shredder!

[Vossy1]

Maddie, your local HBS might do 'hire' juice pressers...it's worth a phone call....

This is a nice cheap drill powered solution to chopping apple worries, click on grape and fruit crushers

http://www.winepress4u.co.uk/

I know of people using 'hired' vertical shredders, the type used in gardens, as cheap shredders, for this purpose also.

NOTE, Horizontal shredders are no good as the juice from the apples can be hazerdous with electrics