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What will you need?

There are a few simple things to consider to ensure that your event is a success:

Choose the right apple crusher & press

The type of crusher and press you choose will depend on how many apples you think you will have to juice, the type of event you want to create and whether you have access to electricity.

Hand-operated equipment

Out of all the hand-operated presses and crushers we supply, using the combination of Classic Crusher A with a Cross Beam Press (12 litre Cast Iron Press or 20 litre Press ) provides the most efficient way of juicing. The process is very straightforward:

  • Crush the apples ready for pressing - you will need to quarter the apples to be fed into Classic Crusher A, which sits over the basket of the press
  • The milled apples (pomace) fall directly into the basket of the press ready for pressing with the press

This combination of hand-operated crusher and press requires people to work well as a team (cutting, crushing and pressing) but is great fun! It’s ideal if you want to build a relaxed, happy atmosphere where lots of enthusiastic people can get involved, chat and enjoy themselves in a purposeful way. They also have the pleasurable reward of tasting the juice that they make!

Using the the 20 litre Press and Classic Crusher A, a group could juice around 300 kg of apples in a day and make around 130 litres of juice if they work hard!

Using powered equipment

Our electric mills - The Centrifugal Mill or the Vigo Stainless Steel Electric Mill - make the process of crushing quick and easy but obviously require a source of electricity. They can mill/crush whole apples. With the Vigo Stainless Steel Electric Mill the apples need to be fed steadily into the hopper by hand, but the The Centrifugal Mill can handle full buckets of apples meaning it is possible to mill up to 1000 kg an hour! Either mill can be used conjunction with our larger Presses (20 litre Press , 36 litre Press , or Rack & Cloth Screw Press), but also with the highly efficient Hydropress range.

Hydropresses use water pressure to squeeze the juice out of the milled apples – a source of mains water needs to be accessible. They are incredibly efficient but must be used in conjunction with an electric mill This equipment is used by individuals and groups who have an abundance of fruit and want to produce large quantities of juice as efficiently as possible.

Need some help?

If you need some help choosing equipment, please do call us on 01404 890093 or email us at sales@vigopresses.co.uk.

What will you do with all the juice?

There are several options for storing and preserving apple juice. Make sure that you have enough of the right kind of storage and preserving equipment available on the day. Some groups ask people to bring their own containers or bottles whilst some groups have them for sale at the event. Vigo Presses provides a range of storage options, such as Bottles with Screw Caps and Bag-in-Boxes.

Storing fresh (unpasteurised) juice

  • Store unpasteurised juice in clean glass or plastic bottles and keep it in the fridge - drink within 2-3 days
  • Unpasteurised juice can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Line an empty fruit juice carton with a freezer bag before filling with juice, and this will save space in the freezer.

Storing pasteurised juice

Pasteurisation is a method of preservation that gives the juice a remarkably long shelf-life without altering its flavour at all. It involves heating the apple juice in glass bottles or Bag-in-Boxes to 75 degrees Centigrade for 20 minutes and requires a source of electricity and a pasteuriser with accurate temperature and timing controls. Pasteurised juice can be stored in bottles or bag-in-boxes for 1-2 years. Many groups use our pasteuriseron the day to preserve the juice to be taken away.

And don't forget .....

Based on our experience these are the most important things you will need for the day, in addition to the crusher & press:

  • Table for cutting fruit
  • Knives and chopping board (and somewhere to store knives safely away when they are not being used)
  • Suitable surface to place the press on if it is too low for easy comfortable use
  • Couple of jugs or a Flexi Tub to catch the juice
  • Somewhere to store the pressed apple pomace – sets of Flexi Tubs or large bins are ideal; you may find a local livestock farmer who is happy to take the pulp off your hands to feed to cattle or pigs!
  • Wheelbarrow if you have to move the pressed apple pomace a long way
  • Containers to store the juice
  • A team of willing helpers - as an indication, for around 200 kg of apples it would be ideal to have 4 people cutting, 2 working a hand-operated crusher and 2 working a hand-operated press
  • Bucket, brushes and a source of water to scrub down crushers and presses after use
  • A dry area for pasteurising and electricity source
  • Fermenters, if anyone is considering making cider from the juice
  • Lunch for the team of willing helpers!

Click here for Step 3 - Safety

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