Cider Digest #0187

eZine lover (@eZine)

Published in 

Cider Digest

 · 7 months ago

Subject: APPLE PRESS 
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 23:10 CDT 
From: arf@ddsw1.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling) 

  
 To: Cider Digest 
 Fm: Jack Schmidling 
  
 >From: jimf@iwtdr.att.com 
 >Subject: cider press experience 
  
 >1) The flavor of my first batch has a definite pine taste, 
    which doesn't make it undrinkable but nearly so. Is this 
    why real presses are made of oak? I'm not sure how to get 
    rid of it.  
  
  
 I was concerned about that too.  The pine ODOR was very  
 strong but I actually never noticed it the TASTE, even in  
 the first batch.  I have used it enough now that all it  
 smells like is apples. 
  
  
 >2) The presser board that just fits inside of the box, that  
 the 
    threaded rod pushes into, cracked in half the first 
    time. I replaced it with a piece of 2x10. 1x just isn't 
    strong enough. Also, the threaded rod tended to screw 
    right into it as it was tightened down so some kind of 
    metal piece is needed on the top of the board. Also, the 
    threaded rod tended to walk away from the center as 
    pressure was applied. 
  
 Those are some of the "details" I admitedly left out.   The  
 board is 3/4" plywood and will NOT break.  I drilled a  
 shallow 5/8" hole in the center to keep the rod from walking  
 but it weakend the board and looked like it was going to  
 drill right through.  I made a steel bushing that fits into  
 the hole and a shoulder to bear some of the pressure.  It  
 has a shallow hole on the top that the rod centers in. 
 ............. 
  
 I just took a sample of the cider I made a few weeks ago.  I  
 didn't take enough to measure the gravity but the  
 fermentation has slowed down quite a bit but there is still  
 a little foam on the top.  However, it is indistinguishable  
 in taste from plain old apple cider.  I would not believe it  
 if someone else told me it was fermented. 
  
 js 
  

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