How to Make a Hydraulic Cider Press

If you want to produce large volumes of cider, a press is needed; typically this means using a rack and cloth style press.

Hydraulic presses can save a busy cider house time by eliminating the need to fold cloths between batches. They're more costly, however; so an affordable alternative might be creating one yourself but this requires more brute force!

Frame

One of the great pleasures of life is drinking freshly-pressed apple cider from your own press - but commercial presses start from PS140, while DIY options don't need to break the bank - you could even use items found around the home and garden!

The key element in this design is the frame, which must be strong enough to withstand the immense force applied by a hydraulic jack. Ideally made from planed softwood lumber such as pine but other woods may also work (see page 59 for parts list). Dimensions depend on bucket and juice tray dimensions - make sure it stands taller than your car jack height otherwise pressure won't reach far enough into your bucket or tray to apply sufficient force.

To assemble your frame, first take measurements of both width and length of your bucket before marking on boards the appropriate frame beams. An offcut from laminate countertop makes an economical and sturdy base for juice trays; alternatively you could try covering any non-food safe cutting boards with plastic bags or another suitable covering to make them safe to use as bases for juice trays.

Next, cut the frame beams to their appropriate lengths, taking into account both the depth of your bucket and an overhang at its end for your collecting container. A handsaw may suffice here; for faster results use a miter saw with quality blade and take your time for clean cuts.

If using plywood, make sure that it's treated with water repellent before placing outdoors, and cover it in waterproof plastic for exterior use. Screws or hex lag bolts should be used instead of nails to secure framing as nails may split under strain and result in cracked frames which not only look bad, but can be unsafe as well.

Tray

Once cider makers have crushed, mashed, and steamed their apples into a mash, it is necessary to press out all of the juice from them using an efficient hydraulic press. A hydraulic press offers many advantages over rack and cloth for commercial apple growers and should be considered an invaluable piece of equipment in their arsenal.

A tray is one of the key components to properly sizing a press. It will ultimately determine how other parts will fit, such as bucket size and frame vertical beam spacing; additionally it should allow a car jack to access apple mash without difficulty.

An easy solution to this is purchasing a plastic food grade cutting board and trimming it to fit your bucket with either a handsaw or miter saw. Be sure to select an approved board as this will come into direct contact with apple mash!

Before adding apple mash, it is a wise idea to line the tray with muslin. This will prevent it from seeping through the bucket's base and polluting pressed juice, as well as apple pulp clogging the juice escape hole. Plus, the muslin can be easily washed and used over multiple presses!

Many people use an electric wood chipper or food processor to mash apples, although any type of food processor will do just as well. Once done, add the mashed apple pulp to a press cider container with lid. Let it ferment before bottleing and storing in your cellar.

No matter if you are a backyard homebrewer, small to medium sized farm, or cidery; some form of mechanical pressing device will help take your business to the next level. From home-built grinders made out of garbage disposals to commercial belt presses for larger operations; mechanical pressing devices will help create superior tasting and higher-quality products with less labor in a shorter amount of time.

Bucket

Before the dawn of Coca-Cola and hard cider, families used home-built presses to craft juices, ciders, and liqueurs from fresh fruits like apples, pears, plums and grapes into delicious beverages. While barrel presses may no longer be common (they can sometimes be found at antique shops for exorbitant prices), hydraulic presses still make for effective solutions when producing beverages from fresh fruit.

Cider presses work by applying pressure to crushed and macerated apples or other fruit, then applying pressure. Your choice of press will depend on the quantity and speed of juice extraction; there are various kinds available for purchase on the market from simple rack-and-cloth models to industrial-scale belt fruit presses.

Hydraulic presses offer superior results when compared with manual or hand-operated versions, including increased efficiency and producing higher-quality juice. A hydraulic press can also help reduce pulp in your juice by using special cloth filters designed specifically to separate out pure juice while leaving behind any sludge that remains.

To create your own hydraulic cider press, you'll require several items. First is a basket and bucket that are large enough to contain at least two or three pounds of apple mash; next comes a pounding stick; my husband made his by cutting off several feet from an old fence post and attaching handles onto them.

The basket should be made from durable and reusuable cloth material that fits within a bucket, with holes drilled throughout it for drainage. You could also create your own bucket from an empty food-grade bucket; then cut and drill holes onto pieces of plywood or plastic cutting board cut to size to form basket slats.

Jack

Hand-crank grinders (like those you might already have in your kitchen) can make small-scale cidermaking easy, but for larger batches of apple or perry cider (pear cider), an expensive hydraulic press may be required to meet production targets.

Hydraulic presses use pump and water pressure to exert enough force on fruit to extract juice, and are easy to use - you don't need any woodworking expertise or to purchase one commercially! Plus, making one yourself for much cheaper is possible than commercial models!

To create a hydraulic press, the following components will be necessary.

Frame: The basic, straightforward frame consists of a square piece of plywood. To keep pressure even, it is crucial that its size matches that of your barrels, while for larger quantities you may wish to consider adding bracing and reinforcements for added support and stability.

Tray: To complete this project, either purchase or make a tray that can fit within your frame. Ideally, this should contain a drainage hole at its base to aid with drainage, while additionally it would be wise to line it with waterproof material such as an old bed sheet or net curtain fabric available by yard from haberdashers.

Basket: If you are working with large volumes of apples, the traditional basket press may not be sufficient for producing cider. Basket presses typically consist of wooden or steel frames with crossbars, an acme threaded screw, and a basket to collect crushed apple "pomace". As the screw turns it will add pressure incrementally which squeezes out juice into your collection vessel below.

If you plan on using a basket press, be sure to select dense wood like maple or oak as this will offer maximum support for the pomace and prevent it from being compressed too tightly, which may lead to juice leaks. Inflate your bladder using high-pressure water rather than air as this could potentially damage it further.