The two bins of drops we bought from Brackett’s had set in the shade for a week, and required some picking through. The washing crew requests a pedal-powered apple washer for next year.
Um and Pops surveyed the scene while tub after tub of apples met their fate:
The post-crushers eject finely shaved and mashed apple guts. Except for a few loose set screws, the grinder worked well this year – note for next year: LOCTITE!
Rhonda and Nelle load apple pulp into the press. The overwhelming power of the hydraulic press resulted in some ruptured herniations last year, so we double-bagged this year and didn’t have any further blowout problems.
Holly and buster pedal the press:
Joshua and Jo run the press:
Cider flows (this is like 1/20th of the max flow when the stack is first pressed):
Filling carboys:
New this year was a bottling/drinking station. We bottled about 20 gallons of hard cider (minus some for the operators and assembled crowd) using the twin counterpressure bottling setup:
There were more kids than ever. There was a play tent set up in the middle of the field with a brand new air mattress for jumping on, which was promptly popped. 3/5 of the Gates family:
Five Islands Orchard 
November 8, 2011 at 5:36 pm |
Wow, we felt like the Kings of Kings after pressing 115 litres in our first attempt of cider-making, but you are in a whole different world.
We use the garburator method. It worked very well, except we had to pre-slice all the apples. But the pulp it produces is so clearly easier to juice than the chips made by a common scratter.
Your “fine apple mist” shows you have the solution, which I gather are post-crushing drums. It looks like you have plans to post drawings, but could you post a side view of pictures? Or would you mind sharing your solidworks model? Assuming of course you are not going to try to sell this for money…I think solidworks has a free viewer you can use to look at other people’s solid models.
Anyhow, your setup is amazing!!! Please add pictures!!
August 21, 2012 at 10:15 am |
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August 19, 2013 at 3:46 am |
RE: the Locktite on the set screws:
We used a slightly different technique on production machinery, where Loctite would make dis-assembly difficult due to frequent repairs and adjustments.
If the hub of the wheel or gear is thick/broad enough, we would use TWO set screws, one atop the other. The second acted as a lock nut. Use the largest set screws practicable.
Also, ensure you have a small flat spot on the shaft for the set screw to grab/sit on, this will ensure no galling of the shaft should you need to remove the pulley or gear later.
Yet another trick is to use “CUP CENTER” set screws, these have a sharp cup point on the tips, to grasp the shaft more aggressively…some set screws only have a flat tip, that can slip.