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

Events/2019/5th Annual Cider Pressing (view source)

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 == Cost ==
 * Free for members and community, donations gratefully accepted
+== Lessons Learned ==
+* 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
+* Got way too many apples: purchased 8 bushels for Farmers Market demo, only used ~2-3
+** Still left with 3.5 bushels after make-your-own event
+* 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