Fruit Press wanted

kaizer_soze

I have some excess fruit and wanted to make different preserves and juices from it. I was wondering if anyone has an old fruit press that they no longer use? I can give it back some use. Anywhere in the country considered for collection.

Thanks

Kev

blue5000

Any chance of a few gallons of cider?:D:D

It should be fairly easy to make one using strong timber and a bottle jack.

kaizer_soze

Yea cider is one of the things I want to make. I know what you're saying about making one but using an existing fruit press would be much easier!

Saruman

It will need to be a pretty tough one to press apples. Getting a small one designed for grapes etc will result in a broken press.

kaizer_soze

Yea ideally a sturdy cider press means I could do a few different juices. No luck so far anyway!

reilig

Loads on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.ie/WINE-PRESS-fruit-cider-CHEAPEST-EBAY-5-5-LITRE-/220672251603?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item33611756d3

vcsggl

Saruman wrote: »

It will need to be a pretty tough one to press apples. Getting a small one designed for grapes etc will result in a broken press.

Whatever press you use you must chop up the apples first! I make about 200 litres of cider each year. I have a big "mincer" - bit like the old turnip choppers that you still find lying about some farms - and then use a 30litre press. One pressing gives about 5 litres of juice. Most of the mincers - called "scratters" in Somerset - come from Hungary or Czech Republic and are very solid machines, the best presses are cast iron with a very strong beechwood "basket". The kit isn't cheap - this place has the best prices in the UK -http://www.hamstead-brewing-centre.co.uk/itmidx56.htm but you can pay twice as much for fancy stuff.

George

kaizer_soze

Thanks George, yes that's what I was hoping that there might be an old press or chopper lying around a farm somewhere. New ones are expensive enough.
I've seen people using a bark-chipper machine to chop up the apples. Fail on that, I have a decent food processor that holds 3 litres and would chop them in seconds. I can transfer the pulped fruit to the press then for squeezing.

If all else fails, I can go the DIY route but I've got a few other DIY and decorating projects to finish in the meantime and would like to finish them off first if possible. I'd be a little late by that time.

vcsggl

The bark chipper sounds great! You could process a lot of apples in a very short time I imagine. So far as pressing the pulp goes you can get a good yield with a car jack and a few bits of 4x4 to make a frame - put the apple pulp in something like those log nets and jack it up - or down! Yield is not so good as a purpose built press but if you've got plenty of apples the yield isn't a big issue. If you make your cider now you should be able to drink it by Christmas!!

George