What Is a Cider Mill?

Cider Apples

Cider is an alcoholic drink traditionally made from apples. It is hard to determine the age of cider making, but researchers think it originated with either the ancient Romans or Egyptians. Nowadays, it is a popular drink worldwide and made using a cider mill.

Purpose

Small Cider Mill

A cider mill is a machine that crushes apples for cider making. By pressing apples between two hard surfaces, you can extract the juice for fermentation to make cider. There are many different designs to the machines.

What Are They Made From?

Traditionally, cider mills are made from two parts, usually wooden. The first part resembles two sets of teeth that grind over each other to break up apples. The second part is a press. Apples are squeezed through the press to extract the juice, which is then collected to make cider.

Can I Make a Cider Mill?

Pint of Cider

With expertise, it would be possible for you to make a cider mill. However, it would require special tools and equipment, and you would need to be informed sufficiently to engineer a fuctional machine. However, using timber you could construct a basic, manual fruit press by building a frame, basket and funnel connected with bolts. Although not a traditional cider mill, you can replicate the process more simply at home. You would need only basic tools such as a hammer, chisel and screwdriver.

References

• DrinkFocus.com: The History of Apple Cider
• The Free Library: How I Built a Fruit Press for $35