Cider press...??

[woody67]

Has any body made a cider press? We've got tons of apples ready to drop, but sadly they all seem blighted and thus inedible.So, in my wisdom(!?) I want to make a quick and easy press mainly for apple juice for the bairns as cider doesn't agree with me

Any ides would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks

Mark

 

[Bean]

Mark I have seen these made using using the screws sold for making vices. The frame for that should be simple enough. The bottom part of the press need to be a slotted container with a tray to collect the juice beneath.

I have seen the containers made as wooden slats upon a steel ring, the wood looked like Beech. Have a surf on the net as there are a few about to inspire you.

 

[ScoobySnacks]

A simple way of doing it, rather than using a screw to provide the pressing, is to buy a hydraulic bottle jack. Depending on how much you want to press a force round the 12 tonne mark would do the job.

There are a few examples of these on the net, the framing is fairly simple but needs to be made pretty robust due to the large forces involved.

I'd also recommend chipping the apples before attempting to press them, as this allows far easier juice extraction.

Good luck with the cider, mine's a pint!

 

[woody67]

Thanks both. Got a good build plan off..... of all places.....Wikipedia! Like the bottle jack idea.
Hope you can wait long enough for your pint Scooby! :wink:

 

[Nick W]

For those interested the link is here.

 

[milkman]

Excellent thread, regrettably I don't have the time for an appla harvest this year but saw a couple of ideas for presses.
One very simple one was some g-clamps to pull some wooden plates together.
Also thought the frame idea on Wikipedia could work with some Irwin power clamps set to expand. This might be easier than trying to find the kind of screw device shown in the wiki entry

 

[Bean]

Machine Mart are selling fruit presses for about £80, so making your own is very viable