Events/2019/5th Annual Cider Pressing: Difference between revisions

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== Cost ==

* Free for members and community, donations gratefully accepted

== Lessons Learned ==

=== Farmers Market Demo ===

* Got way too many apples: purchased 8 bushels for Farmers Market demo, only used ~2-3

** Also received 2 unexpected bushels from a Farmers Market vendor

** Still left with 3.5 bushels after make-your-own event

* Farmers Market Apple Tasting (separate event) scheduled from 9am to 11 am

** We set up late, and ended up staying through end of market (~2:30 pm), still had plenty of people

* Told to expect 350 people

** Used up ~500 sample cups, ran out of flyers very early

** Probably ~50% kids, 25% parents, 25% students?

* Set up in grass, good location

** Kinda far from spigot and loading area, a wheeled cart would have been nice

* Market supplied 1 table and brought another, probably request 2 for future

* Many people interested in buying our cider

** Fundraiser, laser engraved mug of cider?

** Enter our cider in the Apple Tasting "Value Added Products" competition?

=== General ===

* Wade's Orchard is excellent source of inexpensive apples

** Seconds ($8.50/bushel) were great quality

** Cider grade ($5.00/bushel) had some bruising/rot/leaves, but were very adequate

* Mix of 4 parts Stamen Winesap, 2 parts Golden Delicious, 1 part McIntosh, and 1 part Granny Smith produced very good cider

* Grinder did not overheat (likely due to lower temperatures)

** Still a good idea to eventually replace motor

** Using surge strip as power switch worked okay, would still prefer a built in switch (maybe foot pedal or spring loaded normally open)

* Metal pressing plate worked great

* Bottleneck during make-your-own event was the press

** Tried to set up original wooden press, but did not have enough/properly sized pressing disks

** Wooden press also less user friendly, especially without metal pressing plate

** Possibly encourage using multiple smaller cheeses

*** Need more bags and pressing disks

*** Disks are preferably HDPE (food safe, resist breakage, chop up cutting boards) or metal (harder to work with, corrosion concerns)

* Fabric bags seemed to clog up eventually, wasn't squeezing out all the liquid

** Blew up three fabric bags due to using more pressure to get out juice

** Nylon bags worked well and resisted clogging, but let more "stuff" through into the cider. Press and then filter?

* Cleaning up concrete pad failed; put down tarp or plastic dropcloth first

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 == Cost ==
 * Free for members and community, donations gratefully accepted
+== Lessons Learned ==
+=== Farmers Market Demo ===
+* Got way too many apples: purchased 8 bushels for Farmers Market demo, only used ~2-3
+** Also received 2 unexpected bushels from a Farmers Market vendor
+** Still left with 3.5 bushels after make-your-own event
+* Farmers Market Apple Tasting (separate event) scheduled from 9am to 11 am
+** We set up late, and ended up staying through end of market (~2:30 pm), still had plenty of people
+* Told to expect 350 people
+** Used up ~500 sample cups, ran out of flyers very early
+** Probably ~50% kids, 25% parents, 25% students?
+* Set up in grass, good location
+** Kinda far from spigot and loading area, a wheeled cart would have been nice
+* Market supplied 1 table and brought another, probably request 2 for future
+* Many people interested in buying our cider
+** Fundraiser, laser engraved mug of cider?
+** Enter our cider in the Apple Tasting "Value Added Products" competition?
+=== General ===
+* Wade's Orchard is excellent source of inexpensive apples
+** Seconds ($8.50/bushel) were great quality
+** Cider grade ($5.00/bushel) had some bruising/rot/leaves, but were very adequate
+* Mix of 4 parts Stamen Winesap, 2 parts Golden Delicious, 1 part McIntosh, and 1 part Granny Smith produced very good cider
+* Grinder did not overheat (likely due to lower temperatures)
+** Still a good idea to eventually replace motor
+** Using surge strip as power switch worked okay, would still prefer a built in switch (maybe foot pedal or spring loaded normally open)
+* Metal pressing plate worked great
+* Bottleneck during make-your-own event was the press
+** Tried to set up original wooden press, but did not have enough/properly sized pressing disks
+** Wooden press also less user friendly, especially without metal pressing plate
+** Possibly encourage using multiple smaller cheeses
+*** Need more bags and pressing disks
+*** Disks are preferably HDPE (food safe, resist breakage, chop up cutting boards) or metal (harder to work with, corrosion concerns)
+* Fabric bags seemed to clog up eventually, wasn't squeezing out all the liquid
+** Blew up three fabric bags due to using more pressure to get out juice
+** Nylon bags worked well and resisted clogging, but let more "stuff" through into the cider. Press and then filter?
+* Cleaning up concrete pad failed; put down tarp or plastic dropcloth first