Time's getting on...

Got the reel of thread at least... still preparing the sweets need another 7lbs and I can move on to the scratting... or the press cloths... decisions...
The sweets have taken longer than thought - the trays needed trawling over to select the dubious keepers...
time for a quick bowl of soup - just

The Big Day... maybe...

Got the twelve 18"sq. pressing boards finished this week.
Then, yesterday realised that I hadn't enough material offcuts left for the bigger press cloths... DOH... all I can do for the present is join together what bits I have got, but could I find any white cotton? (not that I need it to match... but don't want anything leaching out of coloured cotton - though probably wouldn't anyway...)
so there's Wilkinsons open at Clowne, and Dodgy Goods in the village so I should just about get something stitched in time for the trial pressing...
I've made a top plate that slides against the uprights to keep the whole thing stable (he hopes...), but I can see that juice could miss the collecting tray if the stack is not nice and square... better get on...

Batch 3...

...is now underway - fermenting vigorously this morning so the OG of under 1050-ish (well frothy!) will be a bit out... the extra 2 litres of juice have gone into the next 'turbo' cider. On the last pressing, the pulp was fermenting in the bucket as the juice had settled to the bottom. The mild weather..?
Washing down the bigger press boards more of a chore... and that's just 4! Still, that's 90 litres 'cooking' - time will tell...

Success!

The trial with the new baseplate worked well last night - 4 cheeses of 15"x15"x.75" yielded 10 litres. There was a slight leak on one side, but the push-fit vit C tube sealed well and drained the base plate nicely.




Two pressings gave over 20 litres.






It'll be interesting to see if I can load up the press with 12 to get the desired amount at one pressing...

Which reminds me...

...need to increase 'sharp' stock to keep ahead.
Tried the 2nd batch of turbo cider last night - 5 litres made from 2 litres of Tesco juice (value, of course...) with 3 litres of Aldi's (52p per litre) - not bad at all, and has a bit more 'bite' than the 1st 3 ltr Morrisons batch. Saturday night saw us with a bottle of Aspalls Dry and a Kingstone Press and it has to be said the turbo cider is at least as flavoursome... if not better!



Oh, the turbo cider's not cleared yet... I just racked a couple of glasses from the clearer top few inches lol - keen or what?

Apple stock

These are the 'sweets'

New Base Plate continued...

Previous base plate with channel for juice:



With a tube arrangement it should be easier to
control the flow - less chance of spillage! - especially on that 1st gush of infant cider...
(Oh, and the hole's a bit eccentric due to the 1st drill bit slipping...tch)