New for 2023...
Start by washing the press parts and hosing down the press. Then clean up your junky apples. Mince or mash them to pommace with chunks under one inch.
Set the jack, lower press block, cookie sheet, lower cutting board in place. Lay out a layer of draining slats.
Set the cheese frame on the slats.
Lay out the press cloth on the frame with corners front and back. Fill the cloth and frame with pommace. Press in gently . It will be two inches thick.
Fold the corners in over he cheese. pull it snug.
Remove the frame. Add a layer of drain slats at 90 degrees from the last layer. Continue to build cheeses until you run out of pommace, cloths, or space.
Add the upper cutting board face down.
Add the upper press block.
Fill the remaining gap with spacers. Position then carefully. It is a five ton press.
Add pressure slowly.
Collect juice at the drain line.
The frame is salvaged fence posts, iron pipe and flanges. The jack has steel plates above and below. It is captive so it will not slip out.The inner press blocks are large cutting boards. The drip tray is a new cookie sheet, modified brass fitting, rubber o ring, vinyl tube and C clip.
The drain slats are English laurel from our yard. The frame is hardwood from the store. It is preferable to soak the slats well so they pick up minimal juice.
Our test press was 1.5 litres of pommace. We got about .75 litre of delicious juice with no sediment. It was scary noisy.
Chuck
