We started out with a hand powered mill/pulper, and then we adapted a vintage 'beet chopper' to prepare the apples for pressing. Neither were ideal, but did what we wanted to do in order to demonstrate the process to obtain apple juice, which would have in turn been fermented to cider.
The hand powered machine was OK for small quantities, but in order to make two cheeses worth of pulp, it took around an hour and a half to chop - and a relay of weary arms!
The old farm 'beet chopper', belt driven by a vintage stationary engine, enabled us to speed up the process dramatically, but the pulp was not sufficiently small to maximise the juice yeild.
Now with our newly acquired vintage apple mill (around 100 years old), we have a machine which was purpose designed for the job. Again, coupled with a vintage stationary engine it will make the pulping process extremely efficient.
It is thanks to your donations that we have been able to save this piece of farming history, and to restore it for future generations to see the old way of doing things - thank you!
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