tonyhibbett
Landlord.
This is an update to an earlier posting.
Using a whole fruit juicer, I have now processed about 36 kilos of apples, resulting in a raw extraction rate greater than 70% by straining the waste pulp. Having removed, by siphoning, the froth and sediment, after settling, I ended up with 55% translucent juice, which I believe exceeds the product of traditional crushing and pressing (up to 50%), and at a fraction of the cost of equipment. But you have to be organised. I picked enough apples to fill a 3 gallon bucket, (about 7 kilos), filled it with water to wash and set up 2 x 2 gallon buckets, one for the juice and one for the pulp, with a muslin straining bag inside the latter. Then placed the juicer and collecting jug inside a clean plastic tray, as things get rather messy. You can juice 3 average size apples in one go. After 2 litres of juice, empty the pulp collector into the muslin bagged bucket and strain out the juice, putting the dry pulp into a plastic bag and the resultant juice with the rest in the first bucket. Continue until all apples processed. Skim off most of the thick foam in the bucket and transfer juice into a demijohn to settle for a few hours. Cleaning out the juicer is somewhat tedious, so process as many apples as you can in one session.
Once the juice has settled, siphon out the translucent juice between the foam and sediment and either discard the waste, or drink it. It's very 'wholemeal'! Add 1 crushed campden tablet, (I use clean pliers) a teaspoon of pectic enzyme to 'clear' juice, stir and fit fermentation lock. If natural fermentation has not started within 48 hours, add nutrient and yeast.
Using a whole fruit juicer, I have now processed about 36 kilos of apples, resulting in a raw extraction rate greater than 70% by straining the waste pulp. Having removed, by siphoning, the froth and sediment, after settling, I ended up with 55% translucent juice, which I believe exceeds the product of traditional crushing and pressing (up to 50%), and at a fraction of the cost of equipment. But you have to be organised. I picked enough apples to fill a 3 gallon bucket, (about 7 kilos), filled it with water to wash and set up 2 x 2 gallon buckets, one for the juice and one for the pulp, with a muslin straining bag inside the latter. Then placed the juicer and collecting jug inside a clean plastic tray, as things get rather messy. You can juice 3 average size apples in one go. After 2 litres of juice, empty the pulp collector into the muslin bagged bucket and strain out the juice, putting the dry pulp into a plastic bag and the resultant juice with the rest in the first bucket. Continue until all apples processed. Skim off most of the thick foam in the bucket and transfer juice into a demijohn to settle for a few hours. Cleaning out the juicer is somewhat tedious, so process as many apples as you can in one session.
Once the juice has settled, siphon out the translucent juice between the foam and sediment and either discard the waste, or drink it. It's very 'wholemeal'! Add 1 crushed campden tablet, (I use clean pliers) a teaspoon of pectic enzyme to 'clear' juice, stir and fit fermentation lock. If natural fermentation has not started within 48 hours, add nutrient and yeast.