How to Build Apple Presses
An apple press is used to remove the liquids of an apple to make cider and juices. A jack-operated apple press can be constructed at home. Once your press is finished you just have to place your pressing apples over the perforated cover of the juice barrel and cover it with the wooden disk. You then have to place the jack on top of the disk and raise the jack to release the juice. The top bar of the frame provides the counterweight for the jack allowing it to press the apples.
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Things You'll Need
- 4-by-4 wood, 25 feet
- Table saw
- Carriage bolts
- Power drill
- Metal barrel with removable cover, 3 ½ feet in diameter
- ½ inch thick wood
- Pencil
Instructions
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1
Cut five lengths of 4-by-4 wood to 5 feet with a table saw for the frame and legs of the press.
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2
Lay two of the pieces of wood vertically so they are parallel to each other, with one piece horizontally between the vertical ones. The wood should be arranged like an upside down "U."
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3
Insert a carriage bolt through both ends of the horizontal piece of wood to join the vertical pieces it to it. Use a power drill to make the holes for the bolts and tighten them with a wrench.
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4
Lay the other two pieces of wood vertically alongside the bolted shape. You should have one piece of wood on either side of the bolted wood.
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5
Stand up the bolted wood so it is upright and perpendicular to the two flat pieces of wood. The upright wood should be centered along the length of the wood that is lying down.
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6
Drive carriage bolts through the flat wood and into the upright wood to secure them together. The frame should now stand up by itself.
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7
Drill five holes into the removable cover of a metal barrel. The holes should be 2 inches in diameter and arranged like the five dots on dice.
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8
Put the barrel cover onto of a piece of ½ inch thick wood and trace the shape with a pencil. Cut out the traced shape of the wood with the saw.
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9
Place the barrel in between the two upright wooden posts. The opening of the barrel should be facing up. Put the cover back on the barrel and place the wooden disc on top of the barrel.
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Tips & Warnings
Buy a brand new, clean barrel and only use it for apple pressing to make sure no flavors or impurities contaminate your cider.
Make sure the barrel you use is leak proof, or you will lose the cider as it is pressed.
References
- Photo Credit Wine making press image by liubomirt from Fotolia.com
