Newbie's Apple Juice & Juicing Questions

[rickbuddy]

I'm getting ready to produce my first cider.

I added a couple of apple trees recommended for cider a few years ago, and this year I have a small bit of production this year. My Tramlett's Bitter tree has produced about 10 pounds of apples, and my two Gold Rush trees will produce about 20. In addition I also have some older Granny Smith apple trees that are producing well this year, plus a Hyslop crab that has produced well. Overall I should be working with about 100 pounds of apples, or about 5 gallons of juice. Everything I've read tells me I should be able to put together a tasty batch with these apples.

1.) Here's the issue: Tramlett's Bitter is a fairly early-season apple. They are ready to harvest now. The other apples are all late-season apples and won't be ready for another month. I'm hesitant to pick and store. If I freeze the juice will it affect taste?

2.) I've looked at scratters and presses, but until I build a new shed I really don't have room for them. I do have room for a kitchen juicer, and I've read posts about them. However I have not read anything here specifically about the Breville Cold XL -- a 1200-watt centrifugal juicer with a unique design that helps prevent the high-speed cutting blades from heating the juice.
I have read some articles that indicate this juicer would work for me in the near future. As the trees grow and produce more, and I get that new shed finished, then I'll consider more efficient equipment.

Thank you

Rick

 

[Sequoiacider]

Welcome to the club! It's a very fun hobby. Looks like you are at an excellent starting point.

1) Yes, freezing the juice is the preferred method for keeping it without changing the flavor. If you don't have enough freezer space you can heat pasteurize, but that does affect the flavor. As long as you've got the freezer space, then you should freeze until ready to use. Remember to leave some head space in the containers to allow for the expansion that occurs when it freezes.

2) I think you will find a counter-top juicer to be a giant pain for pressing juice in any appreciable quantity for cider making, especially once your higher producing Granny Smith trees are ready. You can get a fairly decent basket press and grinder for only a little bit more cost, which will be much more efficient than a counter-top juicer. If you also like to juice vegetables and other things, then the counter-top juicer may be a good investment anyway, but if you planning to use it just for apples then I recommend getting a proper apple press. The storage footprint really is not that big, if you can clear out a few things in your existing storage space to make room that really would be the better way to go.

 

[rickbuddy]

Welcome to the club! It's a very fun hobby. Looks like you are at an excellent starting point.

Thank you. I apologize for taking some time to reply.

1) Yes, freezing the juice is the preferred method for keeping it without changing the flavor. If you don't have enough freezer space you can heat pasteurize, but that does affect the flavor. As long as you've got the freezer space, then you should freeze until ready to use. Remember to leave some head space in the containers to allow for the expansion that occurs when it freezes.

Sounds good. We already freeze about 10 gallons of tomato sauce each year.

2) I think you will find a counter-top juicer to be a giant pain for pressing juice in any appreciable quantity for cider making, especially once your higher producing Granny Smith trees are ready. You can get a fairly decent basket press and grinder for only a little bit more cost, which will be much more efficient than a counter-top juicer. If you also like to juice vegetables and other things, then the counter-top juicer may be a good investment anyway, but if you planning to use it just for apples then I recommend getting a proper apple press. The storage footprint really is not that big, if you can clear out a few things in your existing storage space to make room that really would be the better way to go.

Space has been tight since we moved out of the city, downsized housing, and upsized the land. I'm planning that as my small orchard grows, so will my interest in this hobby. The shed is in the plans for next year and it will include dedicated space for cider equipment and processing. The juicer, as you point out, will help out with juicing other fruits and veggies, for example if I wanted to juice my Balaton Cherries. Also for small runs of apples, say from a down year on a biennial tree.

Here is a link to something that interested me in the Breville juicer. It seems like the machine may have changed the game for people with smaller runs of juice: https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/cider-making-made-easy/

 

[madscientist451]

Here is a link to something that interested me in the Breville juicer. It seems like the machine may have changed the game for people with smaller runs of juice:

I have a Breville Juicer, I've tried it with apples and I didn't like the results.
The juicer introduces a great deal of air into the juice and creates a foam that doesn't go away. Plus, the remaining pulp still had a large amounts of juice in it.
I tried it once with apples and that was it.
A better solution if you are just running 100 lbs would be to smash up the apples with a wood 4x4 in a bucket, (attach lag screws to the 4x4 for handles) then use the "bucket in a bucket" DIY press with a car jack as featured on numerous youtube videos. Let your apples age or "sweat" for a few weeks or a month and they'll soften up and the flavors will develop a little more.
Note about your first post w/your apple blend. Granny Smith apples will push up the acidity of your cider. I wouldn't put in more than 10% Granny Smith.
Try to scrounge around your neighborhood for apple trees in people's yards or visit a nearby orchard and ask if they have any "seconds" to sell. Around here, they go for $7-$8 a bushel, which is pretty cheap.

 

[wasully]

Wine/homebrew/some ag stores/orchards often rent 2 bucket grinder/presses. Orchard near me is $30/day.

Source your own bags to press the pomace in, but again-those same retail establishments probably sell those too.

 

[rickbuddy]

I have a Breville Juicer, I've tried it with apples and I didn't like the results.
The juicer introduces a great deal of air into the juice and creates a foam that doesn't go away. Plus, the remaining pulp still had a large amounts of juice in it.
I tried it once with apples and that was it.

Thank you, Mad. Was that a centrifugal model or slow press? Looking at the juice and strain method on youtube I did not see the foam you mentioned.



Also, I think I can use the juicer on my Balaton cherries.

Granny Smith apples will push up the acidity of your cider. I wouldn't put in more than 10% Granny Smith.
Try to scrounge around your neighborhood for apple trees in people's yards or visit a nearby orchard and ask if they have any "seconds" to sell. Around here, they go for $7-$8 a bushel, which is pretty cheap.

That is a good reminder. The Granny Smith's are part of our original 16-tree dessert/pie filling/jams & jellies orchard. I get the blemished and overages, the rest go to the original purpose. I plan on using the Gold Rush apples as my main juice. I've seen single-variety ciders made from this apple, and posts in this forum that praise it.

Due to high production from my cherry and peach trees, and loss to disease and deer on one of each, I've had two slots open up, which I plan on adding a Chisel Jersey and a Dabinette.

As for sweet seconds, I live in Berrien County, Michigan.

https://www.nwitimes.com/niche/shor...cle_fa345362-5f5d-54b1-8d26-621bf76ca3d5.html

Rick

 

[madscientist451]

Was that a centrifugal model or slow press? Looking at the juice and strain method on youtube I did not see the foam you mentioned.

I believe my Breville juicer would be called a centifugal, it has a wire basket that spins the pulp around. It looks similar to the ones in the video.
You can see the foam in the video at 1:51, they are using a mesh bag to trap it.
I tried the juicer as an alternative to getting my apple shredder and press out, and I wasn't happy with how much juice I got for the time invested.
In the video they said they used 40kg of apples and it looks like they got about 5 gallons of juice, which is pretty good. Perhaps their apples were "juicier" than the apples I used, (which had been in storage for several months) so I guess its worth a try and maybe I'll try my juicer again using their strainer bag method.
You should be able to get some decent seconds in your area there are plenty of growers there.