Anyone make your own apple scratter to mash the apples B4 juicing them?

just

We have a 100 year old cider press, but it has it's own bin and cutter to chop up the apples (a very coarse grind). Wouldn't want to do more than a few, but to get something similar, you could quarter up your apples, then pulse them a few times in a food processor.

Many ways devised to get the juice from the apples. Old style like our press was to drop mush into a wooden basket, then press with a big plunger on a screw. Gets a lot of juice out, but leaves a lot too. Similar was the old cast iron Enterprise sausage stuffers, with juice plate. More modern version was to grind apples into fine mush, lay out on racks, stack several racks one on top of the other, then use a hydraulic jack to press them. Modern version is to use either water or air bladder presses like the wineries use.

Ive seen alot of home set ups around here that run them thru a dedicated garbage disposal to grind prior to pressing.

Quickie process description:

• Quarter apples
• feed disposal through sink
• use jack in lined, perforated bucket to squeeze juice
• juice collected in lowest bucket

Clever!

I like it, just running apples minus seeds and core through a meat grinder , dropping it into a strainer , and a jelly cloth if you want pure juice.
Just a little different idea.

Update:

I've sold everything I owned.

New process:

• Put $10 in wallet
• Drive to orchard
• grab gallon jug
• Pay the nice lady

Im too cheap to buy a garbage disposer.lol
Im asking about the wooden ones. Use a wood cylinder with ss screws to grind with.
just

I know what you are talkin' 'bout. I've seen drawings in some of my old books, like Woodwork for Winemakers.

It is a wooden hopper through which a rolling pin type cylinder with spikes sits in the bottom. One end with a hand crank.

Good idea, but I will continue my trips to the orchard.

Had so many big and perfect apples this year {Macintosh and Honey Crisp ) No marks on them ,So we bought a press and now I am finding out that it may not do what I thought .

I'm liking the meat grinder idea, especially if you have the large, kidney bean shaped stuffing plates. That would be the right size to get a good extraction of the juice. Maturity of the apple also matters. Too green and they are dry and you get nothing. Too ripe and they turn to mush and you get clogged filters and mostly nothing. Also needs to be a balance between sweet and tart apples.

And unless you have concerns about alcohol, filter it then straight into the milk jugs. Give it about 3 weeks in the fridge and when the jug has swelled to point of blowing the lid off, it then has a little fizz and is ready to go.

I got the plans just have to get a drive center for my shopsmith to turn the cylinder.
I bought a "berry press" at a yard sale a couple of years ago and felt just like snowpa. lol
Hey pa a new garbage disposal would be my choice if I wern't so cheap.
just

Pick apples. Wash them.
Then quarter them or even cut them smaller.
Freeze in 2-gallon buckets.

Thaw after 2-3 days
The juice just runs out of them at this point. Pressing takes out the rest.
Put in 2 gallon pot.
Heat to 160+ which is pasteurization temp.
Chill in sink of ice and water.
Pour thru a filter into 1/2 gallon or gallon jugs
Then store in the chest freezer till needed.

I’m still drinking 2014 juice and it’s just fine.

That's what I do with pears that get too ripe to peel and can.
Easy to make pear jelly then.
I've seen pear cider also , tried some, it's not bad , just not the same as apple, but still good.

I made one out of an old wooded rolling pin with screws run in leaving the heads stick out about one half inch. Used lag screws as an axel. Spin the grinder with and electric drill. I get about 1.5 gallon out of a crate of apples.

Thanks for the info. ! 1/2 wood screws be ok? Also the lag bolt idea . Wasn't sure about either.
just