Good Ol’ Apple Pressing

Monday, October 31, 2011

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I know I’m cutting it close to this month’s Apple Challenge, but what better day to post than on Halloween? And what better way to celebrate the fall than by a good ol’ apple pressing. This past weekend, some good friends who caretake at the historic Wyck House in Germantown invited a few friends over to press apples in the mansion’s apple press. Although this isn’t a press that dates as far back as some of the historic pieces in the mansion, it’s modeled after the traditional design used in the 1800’s and even before.

If you look at the picture, the apples are sitting in the grinder. The grinder is a cylinder with jagged edges that is attached to a crank wheel on the side. By spinning the wheel, the apples are processed through into small chunks that fall into the basket below lined with cheese cloth. Once the basket is filled, a lid is placed over the apples that fits inside the basket. The lid has a piece of metal on the top with a groove indented into it that will receive the business end of that long threaded rod coming from the top. The handle on top of the rod allows you to screw down the rod, pushing down the lid, and thus pressing the apples. The juice seeps out of the basket and the cloth, onto a tray with a hole at one end, from which that sweet nectar of the autumnal gods pours out.

The fruits of our labor were enjoyed by all as we drank the fresh cider right out of the press. It was amazing how different blends of different apples made juices with different shades, different thicknesses and different levels of sweet or tartness. This also reaffirmed my desire to buy my own press. Aside from the plenty of apples we get during the Fall in this region, I also have Italian black grapes in my yard and two plum trees across the street from my house. So I will have more than enough reasons to press. But after watching the press in action, my good friend Carl and I mused on the possibilities of building our own. I’ll keep you all up to date on our progress. As for now, I’m thankful for this great resource at the Wyck House. The caretakers also do pressing with school groups. For more info, please consult their website.

As a side note, should some of us have wanted to harden up that cider, the method is to take a small amount of sodium bicarbonate and add it to a five gallon glass carboy (available at most homebrew stores) to start the process. After three days of letting it rest, add champagne yeast and then let the fermentation process to begin. For best results, let the cider ferment for two to three months, reracking the cider into different containers two or three times through out the process.

So once again, here’s to fall and apples. Have a safe and fun halloween.