Jimbo's Apple Thread

Post by **Halfbaked** » Sun Sep 07, 2014 10:17 am

Yea it has been on my mind also.

Post by **midwest shinner** » Sun Sep 07, 2014 5:34 pm

Not only would i certainly put a grinder and press to use with apples, id love to make some perry (pear cider) and id definitely use the press for grapes, peaches, cherries, hell whatever i can get my hands on. I've just grown to love all kinds of alcohol made from fruits. Obsessed may actually be a more fitting word for it...Not that i could ever lose my love of grains though. Anyway, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a deal on a decent press from harbor freight to make my fruit press from. It will probably look very similar to Jimbos press.Now i just gotta figure out what kind of grinder/scratter to make and get the parts together

Post by **MichiganCornhusker** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:02 am

Glad this thread popped back up again, I hadn't seen that magnificent grinder! Very impressive, Jimbo. Simple, elegant design. I've got some perforated sheet steel that would weld up into a nice "bucket" for the pressing. Makes me want to go out looking for fruit trees today.

(btw, was that chainsaw on the floor in the background for the apples you couldn't reach?)

Post by **Bushman** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:07 am

This bucket can be bought off Amazon for around $19, I believe if you google turkey fryer basket.

Post by **Jimbo** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:24 am

This dumbass apple tree was a little too happy this year.

Post by **pfshine** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:51 am

Just load the whole branch into the back of the truck and take it home. Faster than picking them there.

Post by **Jimbo** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:57 am

Its already home, this tree is in my yard.

Post by **pfshine** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 12:52 pm

Well that's a different story. That sucks. But at least you will have some good smoker chips.

Post by **bitter** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 1:04 pm

Jimbo wrote:Its already home, this tree is in my yard.

Poor tree

Nice crop though!!!

B

Post by **jedneck** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 1:37 pm

http://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/do- ... oztri.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Found this link many might find good.

Post by **Jimbo** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 1:37 pm

Just about 3 hours of picking today, 702 lbs of apples and 136 lbs of pears. My back freakin hurts. The trees are still loaded so Ill prolly do a few hundred more lbs tomorrow then start ta grindin. Gonna do the apples up Frenchie Calvados method this year, grinding up the apples then letting the must sit for a couple days before pressing.

Post by **cranky** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:06 pm

Wow Jimbo, you did in one day what it took me all season to do

Wish my trees were nice and easy to get to like that. I'm interested to see what you think about the French style Vs the way you have been doing it.

Post by **MichiganCornhusker** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:28 pm

That is a beautiful harvest! Will it be ready for Woodshed's?
The pears sound wonderful...

Post by **bitter** » Fri Oct 16, 2015 2:34 pm

Nice haul!!!! I bet your back does hurt!!

B

Post by **Jimbo** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 4:12 pm

1400 lbs of apples and pears this year. Im done picking! Not fun packing that into 2 days, I usually spread it over 6-8 sessions. Ground up enough to fill a 55gal barrel with ground apples, not even half of the apples yet,

Gonna let it sit a couple days, Frenchie Calvados style this year. Back at it tomorrow. I have a 30, 2 15's and some 6 gal buckets to fit the rest of the apples in, I hope. My other 55g is full of bourbon mash. Bad planning on my part. The teflon bearing finally gave up, had to pause and craft a new copper bushing out of a chunk of copper tubing hammered flat. Seems to work fine now, lubed up with some keg lube.

Post by **yakattack** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 4:29 pm

Looks like mine brewery too. Or did rather. Mine is all hard cider now. Waiting to be run. Labor or love indeed.

A few gallons are destined to become a vinigar, the rest more than likely brandy.

Yak

Post by **cranky** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:07 pm

Very impressive Jimbo.

Post by **MichiganCornhusker** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:33 pm

Jimbo wrote:1400 lbs of apples and pears this year.

You say you used to run marathons? Big surprise.
You are a machine, Jimbo, props to you and cranky and all the other fruit guys!
That's a lot of muscle per shot. I knew how good your brandy tasted at Shed's, but now I have a better appreciation for how precious it is. Thanks for posting, guys, your obsessions are truly inspiring.

Post by **Jimbo** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:28 am

MichiganCornhusker wrote:That is a beautiful harvest! Will it be ready for Woodshed's?
The pears sound wonderful...

These apples wont be ready for sheds, but fear not I have about a case from 2012 and 2013 batches left. This batch is gonna go in a barrel, put away somewhere not terrible convenient to get to, and get forgotten about for as long as possible, hopefully 8 years, next to a barrel of bourbon. Plenty other stuff to drink. The pears I'll either leave white or do a very light oaking like I did on a batch in 2000, of which I still have 1/4 bottle. Did you try that when you were here, its a pear bomb, pretty amazing. Ill bring a bottle of pear eau de vie to Sheds.

Time to get back on these apples.

Post by **Jimbo** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:51 pm

Done for the day, pressed 55 gallons of pomace/must/mush whatever you wanna call it that I ground up yesterday and let sit overnight. Pressed 24.5 gallons off that and have it split on 71B-1122 and D47. Definitely get a better yield when it sits and works overnight. Pressed 6 gallons of pear juice, which is on 71B-1122 now. And ground up another 55 gallons of apple mush to let sit for a couple days, or till I can get to it. Still have a few hundred pounds of apples left but put a pretty major dent in them. Prolly 3-400 lbs left for next weekend.

Post by **cranky** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:39 pm

I thought the yield was higher when you let it rest a bit too and I think it develops a bit more apple flavor too. Maybe the French are on to something. I'm hoping my pear brandy develops a bit more pear flavor over time but I think I will be happy with it just the way it is.

Post by **S-Cackalacky** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:55 pm

Cranky, I think you and Jimbo are right about that. It took me so long to grind and press my apples that I could tell a distinct difference in the aroma between the freshly ground apples and the stuff that had been sitting for a day or so. Oxidation seems to have a profound effect. I have to think that difference will likely carry over to the ferment and hopefully to the spirits.

Post by **Jimbo** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:03 am

Here's some more pics from the weekend.

I like this pic, working at the shed on apples past sundown.

Here's a good pic of the grind I get on my apples with the apple mill. Some bigger chunks make it through, but not a bad grind overall.

I bumped from 4ton to 8ton and beefed up the supports on the wooden press frame. Does a good job squashing the apples into a fairly dry pancake. A finer grind would help, but the apple mush sitting overnight definitely helps!

Post by **Bushman** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:47 am

Nice, I use a 20 ton press and also beefed up my base. I also use a 5 gallon paint strainer cloth when pressing and another one when pouring into my 1 gallon jugs to catch any extras that get past the pressing.

Post by **Jimbo** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:59 am

20 tons yeeehaw! That'd put the squeeze on. I think my 2x4 frame might explode into a face full of shrapnel under 40,000 lbs force!

In the press pic can you see this thing. Its a screen that drops into the top of a bucket. Its used when spinning out honey to catch any solid bits, bee wings etc. VERY handy, I use it all the time in the brew room. Comes in different mesh sizes too. http://shop.honeybeeware.com/Pail-Filters-303.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

This is a nice one too, double sieve, coarse then fine. Sits right into the top of a bucket http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Pl ... tinfo/196/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow They have a stainless model for a few more bucks too.

Post by **Bushman** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:47 am

Lots of ways to skin a cat. Not having worked with bees I am not familiar with those products but very interesting!

Post by **cranky** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 5:26 pm

That's a great setup Jimbo and I love the strainers. I have a 12 ton jack I am planning on using for next years press, I plan on building it pretty much like yours only I plan on using 4x4s.

Wooday · Post by **Wooday** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:07 am

Jimbo wrote: ...had to pause and craft a new copper bushing out of a chunk of copper tubing hammered flat. Seems to work fine now, lubed up with some keg lube.
IMG_20151017_45948.jpg

I think that bushing will work just fine for now.
Next year you can maybe spring for self-lubricating bronze bushings, but that might betray the "made lovingly from scrap" soul of your build.

Post by **Jimbo** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:15 am

wooda2008 wrote: might betray the "made lovingly from scrap" soul of your build.

haha, I dont care much about that, its a purely utilitarian build out of necessity. I have the money to buy appropriate parts if I have the forethought to get them in time. I want to start working on a new scratter wheel, to get a better grind. A better mousetrap if you will. And for it I'll build a new hopper and frame. It will sit on top of a 55G barrel, now that Im sold on the frenchie approach of letting the must sit for a couple days. For the new one I'll put proper bearings in it, and bake in all the little things I learned on this build.

Post by **Jimbo** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:18 am

yakattack wrote:
A few gallons are destined to become a vinigar,

Yak

Yak, I been wanting to make a batch of balsamic. How do I get a good vinegar mother to get some cider started?