Home made kindling splitter

[Peasgood]

The current winner was Jonagold but have won with Cox and also with Belle de Boskoop before now, Discovery is often a winner. Any apple with a good flavour will do and the more distinct the better. Having said that, I would never consider Golden Delicious as having a strong flavour yet have made very nice juice with them. Each year I have a favourite juice I have made and it is usually a different variety than last year, this Year it is Red Pippin.

I think it doesn't matter too much which variety it is as long as the apples are picked when fully ripe so they have maximum flavour and then pressed while still in good condition. I don't think you would win much with Bramley as it is too acidic but I may well be wrong on that. People have always asked for the sweetest juice but post covid they are now asking for the sharpest. Don't know how to explain that one, Bramley do make a good addition to a sweet juice, about 30% Bramley in the mix is about right but depends on taste of course.

 

As for which press, I think the pack presses are a bit more efficient as in how much yield you get. I did several years with a press as per the above pic. My current press is a bigger hydraulic version but basically does exactly the same thing, I'd say the bigger the press the more advantage in pack over basket.

[peds]

Good to know. How about longevity? How many tons can you send through a set of pack press sheets before they give up the ghost, and how does that compare to a basket? Will you get a lifetime out of it, if looked after, or do they eventually retire?

 

Point noted about using stainless steel for the scratter instead of whatever blades come attached to the lawnmower. I've used a Speidel mill for the last two seasons, so I'll be modeling whatever I build closely on that. The one I have access to is a 40 minute drive away, and I fancy owning something myself anyway. 

 

One question: any recommendations for a pollination group 4 eater that keeps well? Tart and crisp, ideally... 

[Peasgood]

Cloths I like to replace every other year. I have a twin bed press so replace half each year, they are ridiculously expensive for what they are otherwise I might buy new every year. Each bed has 9 cloths and Vigo ask something like £40 each! I use fine cloths also known as "ripe fruit" cloths because the standard mesh is too open for my liking and you get too much pulp squeezing through like a puree. The cloth I bought last year was a different material and tbh I may as well have just cut up a tablecloth and used that. They couldn't/wouldn't tell me if this years material was the same or not so I didn't buy any. I will have to find something before next year and if anybody does know a good source I'd be grateful. I tried some dacron sailcloth which is really good as far as it is heavy duty but the weave was too fine I felt.

What I find happens to the cloths is that as they age it gets harder to shake the pressed pulp off, they don't wear out as such but the high pressure messes them up if they are not quite fitted right when pressing.

 

I had to look up what pollinator group 4 was (see I said I was always learning :)) and can't claim to know all of the varieties listed but two stood out. Chivers Delight was one that I do know and that will fit the bill, a good apple that does indeed make good juice. I'd say it was slightly tart and quite crisp, they crop very heavy and can be quite small as a result but they can also be very big if you thin or they get a bit frosted. They have always set very heavy here. The other was Laxtons Superb, in 35 acres of orchards we somehow only ended up with one branch of Laxtons on one tree, I have taken scion wood and I do have one tree from it which I intend to increase. A chap an awful lot more experienced and knowledgeable than me recommended them as a good juicing variety so I will be following that advice.

[Peasgood]

By way of apologies to the OP. sorry for derailing.

 

[sime42]

Not at all, I am always interested to hear how others do it and I am convinced hardly anyone enters the competitions so they are not hard to win. It all sounds very grand but if there were only 3 entrants you stand a good chance. [emoji3]
 
If you are making a beam press as above it will make life easier if the beam can be swung out of the way. Hopefully the pic explains it. That is a pack press but same principle as a basket press. The pic is taken off www.vigopresses.co.uk who are a good source of equipment and sundries, they are nothing to do with me hopefully just a useful link.
 
 

A bit of timber and a bucket are surprisingly effective for mashing apples, small to medium quantities anyway. I had a 6" x 3/4 foot log, with conveniently placed branch stubs left on. I also tried a plaster mixing attachment on a drill one year. That was good but no faster than the log really.

Cheers for the tip about the swinging top beam. I'll try to remember that. I'm planning to make a bigger press at some point with the big machine thread from what I think is an old fencing strainer.
Vigo do some very good stuff, for a price, they're not cheap! I've got one of their small countertop basket presses.

[peds]

On 10/02/2022 at 23:01, Peasgood said:

 

I had to look up what pollinator group 4 was (see I said I was always learning :)) and can't claim to know all of the varieties listed but two stood out. Chivers Delight was one that I do know and that will fit the bill, a good apple that does indeed make good juice. I'd say it was slightly tart and quite crisp, they crop very heavy and can be quite small as a result but they can also be very big if you thin or they get a bit frosted. They have always set very heavy here. The other was Laxtons Superb, in 35 acres of orchards we somehow only ended up with one branch of Laxtons on one tree, I have taken scion wood and I do have one tree from it which I intend to increase.

I've heard people waxing lyrical about Laxtons Superb before, so I'll definitely look into that. I'll check if the two you suggest are known to do well on my bit of the west coast of Ireland. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Stere]

I noticed I got more juice from the press when the apples were put through  an electric scratter rather  than a manual one as it seemed to pulp them finer.

[Will C]

On 10/02/2022 at 23:36, Peasgood said:

By way of apologies to the OP. sorry for derailing.

 

That looks like a cracking bit of kit, I may have to copy that and make one 👍

[Peasgood]

10 minutes ago, Will C said:

That looks like a cracking bit of kit, I may have to copy that and make one 👍

This video shows you how to make one.

 

 

[slack ma girdle]

And if you don't have the ability or time, Chris forestry sells them ready made.

https://www.chrisforestry.co.uk/store/Flint-Kindling-Splitter-p135294160