Help with apples asap

Information about fruit/vegetable type washes.

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Virandell
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Help with apples asap

Post by Virandell »

Hi guys I need fast help with apples I have 50kg of them I am not sure should I mince the with potato mincer or cut them with the knife about 1inch pieces and add pectoenzyme ? I read somewhere if I will mince them I might have a problem with filtring juice after fermentatiob
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Boozewaves
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by Boozewaves »

I don't think pectic enzyme will dissolve 1inch pieces but I have never used it so cannot say for certain

I did around double that amount last year by cutting the seeds and stems and then used a kitchen juicer (the kind with a spinning grater inside)

had to buy another juicer after I broke the first putting whole apples in . in between juicers I used a stick blender to cut up pieces and put mashed up pieces in a fermenter with water to cover the pulp , stirred occasionally and after a week squeezed through tights (added ec1118 yeast to the liquid at this point as well) this is the method I used in 2018 and it works well but the cider is watery compared to using just juice.

I don't think you would have a problem filtering juice after mincing but you would need to squeeze the liquid out using tights or a strainer bag either at the beginning like I did or before distilling after its done

long process but worth it in my opinion . especially if you make wide cuts and hide it from yourself for a year :D make sure you make yourself something else to drink in the meantime so you dont get tempted
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zed255
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by zed255 »

I have a fruit crusher that basically shreds my apples and pears into small chunks and pulp. I don't usually use pectic enzyme, but when I do I mix it in as I process the fruit to give it some time to work before pressing. You will get a little more juice and a clearer cider if you use it, but some say it also leads to more undesirable compounds in the final drink.

Sounds like you want to ferment on the pulp. I have never done that, I always press the fruit and ferment the juice.
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NZChris
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by NZChris »

Put them through a scratter, then press the pulp with a cider press.

If you can't get a cider press, use a wine press.

If you can't get either, use a juicer.

If you haven't got a juicer, buy one.

If you can't get any of the above, are you prepared to do the kind of hard work that Boozewaves described to turn them into juice?
Virandell
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by Virandell »

Right guys thanks alot for help I ended up mincing 45kg and squeezing them by hands my back and hands are killing :lol: i ended up with around 23L of juice and i added another 5kg of minced apples to that juice (I read it's improving taste) and everything fermenting together
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by The Baker »

I think rather than squeezing I would tread the apples.

I minced that sort of quantity of apples in a commercial butcher's mincer, had to cut most in half to go readily through the machine.
Then I fermented it, just adding a very small amount of water so it wasn't too thick to handle,
and adding a very small amount of sugar to the water so it was about as sweet as a weak sugar wash;
sweet enough for the liquid too to ferment.

Worked fine.

Geoff
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Virandell
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by Virandell »

The Baker wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:25 am I think rather than squeezing I would tread the apples.

I minced that sort of quantity of apples in a commercial butcher's mincer, had to cut most in half to go readily through the machine.
Then I fermented it, just adding a very small amount of water so it wasn't too thick to handle,
and adding a very small amount of sugar to the water so it was about as sweet as a weak sugar wash;
sweet enough for the liquid too to ferment.

Worked fine.

Geoff
I been reading somewhere and couple of friend been telling me aswell that minced apples after ferment are real pain in the ass to squeeze the juice
The Baker
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by The Baker »

Virandell wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:28 am
The Baker wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:25 am I think rather than squeezing I would tread the apples.

I minced that sort of quantity of apples in a commercial butcher's mincer, had to cut most in half to go readily through the machine.
Then I fermented it, just adding a very small amount of water so it wasn't too thick to handle,
and adding a very small amount of sugar to the water so it was about as sweet as a weak sugar wash;
sweet enough for the liquid too to ferment.

Worked fine.

Geoff
I been reading somewhere and couple of friend been telling me as well that minced apples after ferment are real pain in the ass to squeeze the juice
That's why I DID NOT SQUEEZE THE JUICE.

Geoff
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Demy
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by Demy »

The best option is apples shredded into very small pieces, you will always have a mix of juice / pieces but it is a good compromise between yield and manageability. If you cut too large you will not be able to extract the juice. If it's a sporadic thing it's fine, otherwise you can build a small press (there are very primitive systems and others more complicated). I managed for a few years with a drill and a few twisted rags, then (even if small quantities) I built a shredder and a small press with a car jack. Many times I don't get there and try to distill with the pulp. Here you find the small press, the video is of poor quality I know ....
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rubberduck71
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by rubberduck71 »

I read on a different thread about "easier" ways to crush the apples. Someone mentioned they use a cheap wood chipper from Tractor Supply. Check out this link:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produ ... _vc=-10005

Not officially endorsing it, but the concept is intriguing! :thumbup:

I don't have access to cheap bulk apples, so I just use store-bought apple juice. In fact, just this past week I ran a batch of it. I tried Odin's 1.5 distillation technique (which works very well with his Rye Bread Recipe! :clap: ), but found that in my small pot still, the ABV drops too quickly to catch hearts. So I just went to the standard 2x method. Jars are airing out as we speak...
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Demy
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by Demy »

rubberduck71 wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2020 8:03 am I read on a different thread about "easier" ways to crush the apples. Someone mentioned they use a cheap wood chipper from Tractor Supply. Check out this link:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produ ... _vc=-10005

Not officially endorsing it, but the concept is intriguing! :thumbup:

I don't have access to cheap bulk apples, so I just use store-bought apple juice. In fact, just this past week I ran a batch of it. I tried Odin's 1.5 distillation technique (which works very well with his Rye Bread Recipe! :clap: ), but found that in my small pot still, the ABV drops too quickly to catch hearts. So I just went to the standard 2x method. Jars are airing out as we speak...
Perhaps repetitive to insert a photo of me, I think we were talking about in another post
Virandell
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by Virandell »

The Baker wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:30 am That's why I DID NOT SQUEEZE THE JUICE.
Geoff
So how did you distill it with the pulp are you using gas ?
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by Bryan1 »

I make my own apple cider and always leave enough to do a strip run and spirit run, Now to process the apples I dice them up and use my corona mill, a bucket on each side one infront to catch the pulp and one at the rear to get the juice as it pours out the rear of the mill. Then the pulp is placed in a hessian sack and squeezed to get as much juice out as I can.

Off 20kg's of apples I get around 11-13 litres of juice depending on the apple variety, dilute 100% with rainwater and use a bit of simple syrup to get the SG to 1040. EC1118 is used and as always a oyster shell is placed in to take care of the ph.

We have put half a dozen cider apple trees in on the farm as doing small sample runs of cider apples does make the best cider and brandy.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Help with apples asap

Post by The Baker »

Virandell wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2020 10:55 am
The Baker wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:30 am That's why I DID NOT SQUEEZE THE JUICE.
Geoff
So how did you distil it with the pulp are you using gas ?
Yes I used gas. Good point.

But I just thought of this:
I am going electric but I also have a large (80 litre ?) heavy stainless vessel (got it free but the work cost a bit)
that I planned to maybe use for grain or grappa. (With a fine grate to keep the pulp or whatever above the steam inlet.)
Steam from the boiler (water, clear wash, apple juice or whatever, separate or mixed)
into the bottom of this 'thumper'.
Fine for fruit on the pulp.

Geoff
The Baker
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