All Things Habitat - Lets talk.....
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Cider Tip from Facebook
- Thread starter sandbur
- Start date
Looks like it grinds em up.
I learned a lot making mine. As it looks like you figured out already the apples really try to jump up off the grinding surface. That's why I put in my little ramp/shelf above the wheel, it helps a lot.
As I said before I think it's awesome that I'm not the only one building one of these contraptions at home. So cool.
@NEPAQDM - my geometry (stator wall) could use some tweaking. The throat needs to be wider. But that may be another winter project (started back in November). I can tell you that with further testing - a pile of apples on the wheel is the trick. Then they don't spin as much and get chewed up - like continuous vaporization so this could end up as the production model for this season. GoldRush, Sundance, Honeycrisp being the main ingredients...some Dabinette, Wicksons and crabs too.
Pete Kuhns
Yearling... With promise
The issue is not-grinding-the-seeds. Delicate calculations/design: grind to a soggy mash but not grind seeds...
Soggy mash, eh? I might have to do some tweaking to get it soggier.
Currently it's more like chunks. They're small but not as mushy as what comes through the grinder on my double tub press.
Teeth spacing - mine are all more than 4cm apart from each other. It seems like spacing, teeth height and wheel speed could each affect the pulp size. Maybe I'll add some more teeth and see what happens. That's easier than messing with the pulley size (to change the speed) and the wheel diameter is obviously fixed.
One other thing I might try first is to move the grinding surface 1-2mm closer to the wheel.
Currently it's more like chunks. They're small but not as mushy as what comes through the grinder on my double tub press.
Teeth spacing - mine are all more than 4cm apart from each other. It seems like spacing, teeth height and wheel speed could each affect the pulp size. Maybe I'll add some more teeth and see what happens. That's easier than messing with the pulley size (to change the speed) and the wheel diameter is obviously fixed.
One other thing I might try first is to move the grinding surface 1-2mm closer to the wheel.
Don't have an exact measurement on mine, it is somewhat variable as the wheel isn't perfectly round. But I think it's in the 2-5mm range, so if I move the grinding surface 1-2mm I might get finer pulp without ripping up the seeds. Hope to get some apples next week, will post my results on here.
JackTerp
5 year old buck +
I have no experience making cider but have a very good friend that makes a lot of cider every year. He uses a large commercial garbage disposal. I have seen several people on YouTube that do the same. The pulp looks more like applesauce. Several times I've heard people state that you do not want to grind up the seeds. I promise you that those persons using a garbage disposal grind up the seeds. Which is correct or is there a correct answer? I have been wanting to try my hand at this and would like to know the answer.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
It seems to me that the seeds contain some cyanide. I also think almonds contain cyanide which adds to their flavor.
This year I used a garbage disposal for many of the crabs. Yield is better.
You can see the difference in the mash.
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