cranky wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:35 pm
Jimbo, did you get more juice out of the apples pressing with the 20 ton jack?
Hey Cranky, yes absolutely. I went from about 2.5g per bushell (46 lbs) to over 3. Next step is to make the pomace finer, which shoudl be an easy fix by adjusting the screw heads closer to the drum. Im going to pull all the screws out, sharpen them by grinding the heads on the belt sander and then putting them in at a slight angle and closer to teh drum. Right now they are out about 1/4" so the chunk size just matches the screw placement.
So appears I may need to pick another batch of apples to test this new tweak... At 2400 lbs so far this year.
cranky wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:35 pm
Jimbo, did you get more juice out of the apples pressing with the 20 ton jack?
Hey Cranky, yes absolutely. I went from about 2.5g per bushell (46 lbs) to over 3. Next step is to make the pomace finer, which shoudl be an easy fix by adjusting the screw heads closer to the drum. Im going to pull all the screws out, sharpen them by grinding the heads on the belt sander and then putting them in at a slight angle and closer to teh drum. Right now they are out about 1/4" so the chunk size just matches the screw placement.
So appears I may need to pick another batch of apples to test this new tweak... At 2400 lbs so far this year.
I have a friend that wants to bring over another crate (about 1000 lbs) of apples to press. My wife says we have enough but I don’t want to lose this easy source where the apples are in a crate already picked and we just back the trailer up to the scratter and press.
Here's another improvement underway. Going to install these pillow block bearings on the main shaft. Right now I have some copper flange bearings I made out of 1/2" copper pipe that I hammered flat and wrapped around the axel where it comes through the hopper. Been holding up ok for 6000+ lbs apples so far. But it is getting a little loose and rattley.
OK my apple brandy has been ageing 2 years and I made a mistake. I aged on wood at 63% and it has imparted a distinct tannic influence on the brandy which I do not personally like.
Farside wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:12 pm
OK my apple brandy has been ageing 2 years and I made a mistake. I aged on wood at 63% and it has imparted a distinct tannic influence on the brandy which I do not personally like.
I wish I had proofed it down to 55.
Not my field of expertise, but, too much wood? (I am assuming it was not in a barrel.)
Shouldn't be the proof that is the problem, that is a usual barrel proof.
Is there something suitable you can dilute it a bit with?
A nice clean spirit if you don't have brandy, doesn't matter if it doesn't conform to a particular type of spirit as long as it is nice.
Higher proof spirit cut with some apple juice for flavour??
At 2400 lbs so far this year. 
I have a friend that wants to bring over another crate (about 1000 lbs) of apples to press. My wife says we have enough but I don’t want to lose this easy source where the apples are in a crate already picked and we just back the trailer up to the scratter and press.