How many apples would I need to juice to get enough for 2 gallons of must? And is it called "cider" if I run it through a juicer or just "juice"?
Fresh Apple Juice for 2 gallon must
- Thread starter THawk
- Start date
-
Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
-
We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
I'm a bit confused on the question. The amount of juice you'll need for your must will depend on what SG you want. Are you asking how many apples do you need to press to make 1 gallon of juice? Or did you miss a detail?
Second, juice and cider seem to be interchangeable in America, except most commercial ciders I've seen have some spices in them. Across the puddle, cider specifically means 'hard' fermented apple juice. So it depends on geography.
Second, juice and cider seem to be interchangeable in America, except most commercial ciders I've seen have some spices in them. Across the puddle, cider specifically means 'hard' fermented apple juice. So it depends on geography.
That's basically what I was asking... I have a thread in the General Recipes about an apple cyser (my "Liquid Apple Pie") wherein I was planning to use Mott's Apple Juice. Since apples are fairly plentiful here, I was wondering how many I'd need to use to get about a gallon or two of juice...
Definitely the US definition... be kinda pointless to further ferment 'hard' cider
Definitely the US definition... be kinda pointless to further ferment 'hard' cider
I think it takes 2-3 gallon buckets of apples to make 1 gallon of juice depending on how you do it. Juicers seem to get more juice out than a hand press, but doing enough apples in one go seems to kill them. Freezing the shreds and then 'twisting' them in a clean cloth after they defrost seems to get another couple of cups out of each batch.
So...the short answer is about a 3:1 ratio on a GOOD day with the right equipment, time, and effort. Search for press, apple juice, and things like that with Chevette Girl as the author. She's the pressing guru as far as I can tell.
For me, it was easier to buy the juice. I don't have a juicer or a press, I don't have 2-3 days to pick bushels of apples, and then to cut them, freeze them, dethaw, juice them, freeze them again... Not worth it to me. Obviously others disagree.
So...the short answer is about a 3:1 ratio on a GOOD day with the right equipment, time, and effort. Search for press, apple juice, and things like that with Chevette Girl as the author. She's the pressing guru as far as I can tell.
For me, it was easier to buy the juice. I don't have a juicer or a press, I don't have 2-3 days to pick bushels of apples, and then to cut them, freeze them, dethaw, juice them, freeze them again... Not worth it to me. Obviously others disagree.
I think it takes 2-3 gallon buckets of apples to make 1 gallon of juice depending on how you do it. Juicers seem to get more juice out than a hand press, but doing enough apples in one go seems to kill them. Freezing the shreds and then 'twisting' them in a clean cloth after they defrost seems to get another couple of cups out of each batch.
So...the short answer is about a 3:1 ratio on a GOOD day with the right equipment, time, and effort. Search for press, apple juice, and things like that with Chevette Girl as the author. She's the pressing guru as far as I can tell.
For me, it was easier to buy the juice. I don't have a juicer or a press, I don't have 2-3 days to pick bushels of apples, and then to cut them, freeze them, dethaw, juice them, freeze them again... Not worth it to me. Obviously others disagree.
Maybe I'll do half and half... then again, maybe I better just buy the juice... you're right, it might be more trouble than it's worth!
I will also admit I'm really lucky that I have a cider mill within driving distance of my home. I call to see what days they're pressing, head over, buy a couple gallons of what they did that day or the day before, and head home with a fresh fried cider donut almost year round since they sell their product to local grocery stores they order apples in out of season. I didn't have to go digging for the 'best juice' I could find with fruit bits and whatever. I order mine from the supplier
But if you DO have time, you can get more interesting flavors by having your own press. Chevette's done crabapple, pear, and other interesting fruit juices that I can't go buy. So there's pro's to being a homesteader too!
But if you DO have time, you can get more interesting flavors by having your own press. Chevette's done crabapple, pear, and other interesting fruit juices that I can't go buy. So there's pro's to being a homesteader too!
Well, I have a juicer, so I could juice my own fruit if I really needed to, especially for fruit that doesn't usually come in juice form...
Actually, for pears I just chunk them and ferment in a bag, same for crabapples, the only time I extract juice is when I'm making jelly . It's just this year I got my hands on so many larger-than-crab-apples and started pressing... With my extration methods, I think a 5-gal pail of apples was giivng me roughly two gallons, but I really pressed the heck out of it. And if you're using a juicer, my advice after reading other folks' experiences doing large quantities with a small electric juicer, do it in small batches and let the thing cool down completely between uses.
I find I get plenty of crabapple flavour with fruit in a bag, and when I did a wine using apple juice, it's still unmistakeably appley even though I only used 1.36 litres of canned apple juice in a gallon of wine.
. It's just this year I got my hands on so many larger-than-crab-apples and started pressing... With my extration methods, I think a 5-gal pail of apples was giivng me roughly two gallons, but I really pressed the heck out of it. And if you're using a juicer, my advice after reading other folks' experiences doing large quantities with a small electric juicer, do it in small batches and let the thing cool down completely between uses.I find I get plenty of crabapple flavour with fruit in a bag, and when I did a wine using apple juice, it's still unmistakeably appley even though I only used 1.36 litres of canned apple juice in a gallon of wine.
Hmm... I think you've just convinced me to use Mott's Apple Juice... I suddenly lost the enthusiasm to use fresh (well, although apples are plentiful, they're not THAT cheap)... ;D
Yeah... the whole juicing/pressing thing? Best when you have access to apple trees... otherwise really not worth it.
