Apple Crusher

[voota]

I've got a friend who can source unlimited apples, so we are looking at buying or hiring an apple crusher (probably hiring due to limited budget), with the intention of making decent quantities of cider.
My question is, does anybody know where one can find an apple crusher for hire in Melbourne? I've enquired at G&g and my local wine supplier (peel st). Both have units for sale for around $400, but refuse to hire them out due to limited demand. Perhaps somebody knows a cheap way of extracting juice without a crusher? or maybe somebody has a old crusher floating around somewhere they would like to sell (very unlikely i know).

I've got an 50L AG setup, and have thought of chopping the apples up and boiling them in the mash tun and extracting the runnings from the bottom of the kettle, but i dont know how well this will work.

Any help would be much appreciated

, Chris

 

[pint of lager]

Do not boil them up, it totally changes the flavour. You want to crush or juice the apples, then treat the juice with sodium metabisulphate, wait 24 hours and treat with pectinase or pectinex, wait another 24 hours and then pitch the yeast.

If you have a juicer, that would be the way to go. I use a Breville juice fountain. You still loose alot to sediment.

 

[ausdb]

You need a crusher and a press,

This might give you some inspiration on how to cobble up a crusher
http://www.adis-emporium.co.uk/acatalog/Vi...r___Spares.html

Search the cidermaking websites for info on making a press, or if you access to one of those H frame mechanics presses used for getting bearing off etc you are halfway there already
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/scrumpy/cider/press3.htm

Cheers ausdb

 

[voota]

thanks ausdb. I'll be looking into them

 

[Airgead]

I've got a friend who can source unlimited apples, so we are looking at buying or hiring an apple crusher (probably hiring due to limited budget), with the intention of making decent quantities of cider.
My question is, does anybody know where one can find an apple crusher for hire in Melbourne?

, Chris

[post="71787"][/post]​

Don't know about a proper apple crusger but if you get friendly with the people at you local juice bar they may let you pop in after hours and use their juicer...

BTW are these unlimited apples real cider types? If so is there any chance of shipping some of this limitless supply northwards?

Cheers
Dave

 

[Malnourished]

It couldn't hurt to ask one of the local cideries if you could borrow/hire their pressing gear. The Henry of Harcourt people are incredibly friendly folks, though Kellybrook's a lot closer to the city. At this time of year I can't imagine their gear is being used all that much, which begs the question - where are you getting fresh apples from at this time of year?

And if they are genuine cider varieties, are you interested in sharing some???

 

[johnno]

It couldn't hurt to ask one of the local cideries if you could borrow/hire their pressing gear. The Henry of Harcourt people are incredibly friendly folks, though Kellybrook's a lot closer to the city. At this time of year I can't imagine their gear is being used all that much, which begs the question - where are you getting fresh apples from at this time of year?

And if they are genuine cider varieties, are you interested in sharing some???

[post="71903"][/post]​

I'm with Malnourished on this one. You can ask em for a lend of their equipment.
Maybe a few beers thrown in as well.

PS. Voota has a lot of Uni mates. They have probably cloned the apples. :lol: :lol: h34r:

johnno

 

[voota]

One of my housemates folks have an apple orchard, so we had the idea of picking up all the leftovers after harvest. Probably have to wait til next season though, the apples are not cider apples as far as I know. I found a commercial juicer hire place today on Brunswick st, calling them tomorrow.
i'll let you know how i go..

 

[archimedes24]

Hi Voota,

Just a quick thought. Can you rent a juicer from one of the furniture/appliance rental places?

(I won't go into the other thought, how about someone could buy one and then return the machine once you got your chore done...no no, that would be unscrupulous...)h34r:

If time is critical factor, then the commercial company is probably the way to go...

Good luck! :

 

[lanerigg]

Has any body seen these crusher's? I would like to have something more heavy duty then a breville juicer next year! I have gone through 2 this year!
Here is the link:
http://winequip.com.au/basket-and-water-presses/

 

[Airgead]

Has any body seen these crusher's? I would like to have something more heavy duty then a breville juicer next year! I have gone through 2 this year!
Here is the link:
http://winequip.com.au/basket-and-water-presses/

Never seen one but looks interesting. Would they work of normal mains water pressure or would you need a high pressure pump to drive it?

Cheers
Dave