Ive made cider many times using my grandmothers methods. Her "golden ratio" is 1/3 mashed apples to 2/3 water and add 1lb of sugar for every gallon of water added. (33gal primary so 10gal apple mash, 20gal H2O and 20lb of sugar)
Ive upped my technique over the years and am making 4, 33 gallon batches at a time. My yearly total is about 200-ish gallons. I filter it eventually through a 1 micron filter and UV light.
I tried a smaller table top fruit press, but it was just too small for me and let the idea go.......until I stumbled into this forum and saw pics of presses, so I built one. I made it out of a shop press and an 20 ton air/hydraulic jack
So my question is.....do all you fellas grind/press and straight ferment the juice?
Whats the benefits of fermenting straight juice other than it clearing soon?
If crushed and juiced....could i still get away with grandmas "golden ratio" of 1/3 juice, 2/3 water and 1lb of sugar to every gallon of water added?
How man people do it my way? Crush add water and sugar + yeast? (71b)
Any advice will be read and appreciated!
I added pics of my press (I used white oak for the staves). A pic of my garbage disposal table(it works ok). The #32 meat grinder is powered by a 1hp motor and its gear box is a 32;1. Lastly is a pic of one of my 33gal primary (yes its a domed lid and has lots of head space, but i put the lid on.....evacuate the oxy with CO2 and then put air lock in)
Thanks for reading this far!
cheers, Tim
Ive upped my technique over the years and am making 4, 33 gallon batches at a time. My yearly total is about 200-ish gallons. I filter it eventually through a 1 micron filter and UV light.
I tried a smaller table top fruit press, but it was just too small for me and let the idea go.......until I stumbled into this forum and saw pics of presses, so I built one. I made it out of a shop press and an 20 ton air/hydraulic jack
So my question is.....do all you fellas grind/press and straight ferment the juice?
Whats the benefits of fermenting straight juice other than it clearing soon?
If crushed and juiced....could i still get away with grandmas "golden ratio" of 1/3 juice, 2/3 water and 1lb of sugar to every gallon of water added?
How man people do it my way? Crush add water and sugar + yeast? (71b)
Any advice will be read and appreciated!
I added pics of my press (I used white oak for the staves). A pic of my garbage disposal table(it works ok). The #32 meat grinder is powered by a 1hp motor and its gear box is a 32;1. Lastly is a pic of one of my 33gal primary (yes its a domed lid and has lots of head space, but i put the lid on.....evacuate the oxy with CO2 and then put air lock in)
Thanks for reading this far!
cheers, Tim