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Cider Digest #0789
Subject: Cider Digest #789, 27 January 1999
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #789 27 January 1999
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Applegrinding with Garbage Disposal (Donald Yellman)
Cider Space ("capshew")
Cider Space (Cider Digest)
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Subject: Applegrinding with Garbage Disposal
From: Donald Yellman <dyellman@primenet.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 00:06:16 -0500
The following idea was submitted to "Pomona", the quarterly journal
of the North American Fruit Explorers Association, Chapin, Ill.. While
I have not yet received the winter 1999 edition of that journal, I have
been informed by cidermaker Bob Capshew of Indiana that the article
appears there. Bob suggested that I share the idea with Cider Digest.
I also contacted Andrew Lea of Somerset, England, a well known
cidermaker who thought the idea worth sharing.
For several years, I have been using a kitchen garbage disposal to
grind large quantities (12-15 bushels) of cider apples from my orchard,
having found the hand-cranked barrel grinder that came with my cider
press to be slow, wasteful, and generally inefficient. Because the
concept of using a garbage disposal seemed so simple, it did not occur
to me until recently that I might be the only one doing this. I can
only apologize for not having shared this as soon as I discovered that
it worked so well. And it does. It works and it's cheap.
All that is required is a table frame constructed of 2x4's or any
scrap lumber, about 36" tall, with a plywood or formica top about 2 feet
square. At least one side must be completely open to insert and remove
a 5 gallon plastic bucket. Use a sabre saw to cut out the appropriate
size hole in the center of the top, and install the (preferably new)
garbage disposal. The 90 degree plastic fitting that accompanies the
disposal is perfect for discharging directly to the bucket below. No
additional tubing is required. A metal switchbox and an ordinary light
switch may be installed in a handy location on the side of the table.
Three-wire cord must be used, since both the disposal and the switchbox
must be grounded. Otherwise, you may light up unexpectedly while
standing on a damp surface.
When I built my unit, I was not at all sure the concept would work,
and I opted for the cheapest garbage disposal available --- a $30.00,
1/3 horsepower model. In retrospect, I wish I had gone a little further
up the scale, perhaps to a 1/2 horsepower model. I would also look for
the one with the largest throat, as we sometimes have to cut large
apples in half to fit them in. Garbage disposals are essentially
miniature attrition mills, which operate with small hammers, not knives.
The apple (or pear, or anything) slurry is expelled by centrifugal
force, and is absolutely perfect for pressing, but use of a large,
fine-mesh nylon bag to line the bucket is essential. When you lift the
bag out of the bucket to your press, you will find a substantial amount
of clear cider already in the bucket. Fortunately, the nylon bags are
inexpensive, widely available, and tough enough to last for several
years. The volume of dry pomace that remains after pressing is quite
small, indicating that juice yield is close to maximum.
The internal parts of even the cheaper garbage disposals are all
stainless steel, so a thorough cleaup with the hose is quick and easy.
I wish I could say that is all there is to the story, but I cannot.
Garbage disposal motors rely on the liquid they process for cooling, and
they are not really built for continuous duty. While you can feed in
apples at an amazing clip, after 25-30 minutes the motor will overheat
and trip the internal circuit breaker. Then you must wait 10-15 minutes
before you can reset the breaker. Eventually I may burn up my little
motor, but so far, so good. Even with these occasional breaks, I can
still grind 3-4 times faster than the hand grinder, and turn out a much
better product. Now I wonder whether a larger, more powerful disposal
might be more inclined to take the continuous use. I have also given
some thought to wrapping cooling fins around the motor, installing a
small fan under the table, or drilling ventilation holes in the motor
case itself. But, since these are induction motors, with the windings
right there under the case, I am loath to drill. A good motor man with
a machine shop could probably figure out some way to solve the
overheating problem.
Meanwhile, if you are willing to take an occasional break to let
the motor cool down, you can grind a lot of apples in an afternoon with
the disposal grinder.
Don Yellman
Great Falls, Virginia
dyellman@primenet.com
------------------------------
Subject: Cider Space
From: "capshew" <capshew@otherside.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 12:26:16 -0500
What happened to the website called Cider
Space? Is there a new address or is it gone?
It was a wealth of information and links.
Bob Capshew
------------------------------
Subject: Cider Space
From: cider@raven.talisman.com (Cider Digest)
Date: 27 Jan 99 01:24:38 MST (Wed)
Cider Space will be back soon. I'll be taking it over, so it will exist
under www.talisman.com. Morgan and I had actually discussed this some
time back, but due to missed communications between us it didn't happen as
it should have.
It's not there yet. (Relax:) I'll put a note in the Cider Digest when
the pages are available.
- ---
Cider Digest cider-request@talisman.com
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor Boulder County, Colorado USA
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End of Cider Digest #789
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