Apple Press Kit Step-by-step Instructions

• Prepare your fruit, ensuring it is clean and free from rot or excessive bruising. You do not need to pre-cut the apples.
• Set up your pasteurisers so they can be heating while you do your first pressing:
  • Fill with water to approximately one third full — using hot water can be helpful — and put the lids on.
  • Plug in and switch on.
  • Set the thermostat to 75°C.
  • Set the timer to Continuous.

⚠️ Safety precautions

The machine is not suitable for use by children under 16 years of age. Small children must be kept away from the machine when the blades are exposed for cleaning.

Note: The machine is fitted with an interlocking safety switch so the motor will not operate unless the hopper is correctly clamped in place.

• Do not carry the mill base without using the provided, marked, occasionally split flexi-bucket to cover the blades and reduce the risk of serious injury.
• Do not spray water into the motor housing.
• Never attempt to start the motor with fruit in the mill.
• Never reach into the filler opening.
• Never introduce foreign objects into the appliance.
• The mill is designed for apples and pears. It is not suitable for fruit containing stones.

⚙️ Operation

• Place the mill on a clean, level surface and connect the power cable to a standard 13 amp socket.
• Check the three hopper retaining catches are engaged and securely holding the yellow part in place.
• Place a green bucket under the pulp discharge chute.
• Switch on using the green ON button. Wait until the motor is running at full speed before introducing fruit.
• Pour fruit into the hopper a little at a time, taking care not to overload the motor.
• If juice or pulp escapes around the edge of the housing, tighten the catches to give a tighter fit.

IMPORTANT: Start the mill before filling it, and only switch off after complete processing of the load; otherwise difficulties may be experienced when restarting.

🧼 Cleaning

• Wash the mill immediately after the final use in any pressing session, before the pulp has dried.
• With the mill running, use a normal garden hose to run water down the inside of the hopper to flush the bulk of the residual pulp.
• Turn off and disconnect from the power supply. Undo the three hopper retaining catches and lift off the hopper. WARNING: this exposes the very sharp mill blades.
• Using a normal garden hose with water running at a trickle and a nylon kitchen dish brush, carefully clean the blade assembly and inside of the milling chamber.
• You can use an old thin cloth under the blades to ensure no pulp is left to dry underneath, as this can cause the mill to fail.
• Do not let water run into the small hole in the motor housing that gives access to the cut-off safety switch.
• Protect this locating hole with duct tape or similar waterproof tape; a blob of Blu Tack can also be used.
• Do not spray water onto the switch and power socket.

📝 Note: You will need roughly one and a half flexi-buckets of pulp to fill a 40 litre press.

⚠️ Safety precautions

Important: For safety reasons, press the air release plunger until water runs out.

The rubber membrane should be protected from sharp objects. The press must only be transported fully assembled to prevent damage to both the bladder and the cylinder.

⚙️ Operation

• If supplied with extension “legs”, place these on each fitted press leg to raise the press — particularly useful if pressing directly into a barrel.
• Place a green flexi-bucket, or other suitable container, under the juice outlet and keep a spare container ready.
• Assemble the large funnel and its two-piece plastic insert with the mesh bag sandwiched between the two insert sections. Place the assembly in the funnel.
• Only rinse the funnel insert plastic in cold water; it does not cope well with hot water.
• Place the separate coarse filter fabric in the top of the funnel as well.
• If using a flexi-tub to collect juice, string between the handles can support the funnel so you do not need to hold it.

Note: Juice will flow freely before pressing, so have a collecting container ready before putting pulp in the press.

• Insert the pressing bag into the cylinder, spread the bottom out and fold the top over the rim.
• Pour fruit pulp evenly into the basket using the supplied scoops, firming it down until level with the top of the rubber membrane.
• Fold the cloth over the top of the pulp.
• Fit the lid, replace the washer and securely tighten the nut.
• Turn on the water supply and depress the air release button in the centre of the lid until water escapes around the button, then release it.
• Control the rate of pressing by regulating the water pressure in the membrane. A slower, more gradual pressing will yield more juice.
• Once the pulp yields no more juice, shut off the water supply. You may notice the pressure-release valve under the press starting to spray.
• Open the drain valve and empty the rubber membrane until water ceases to flow from the drain.
• For maximum yield, allow the press to remain at full pressure for several minutes before releasing the water.
• Remove the lid, then lift off the cylinder with the liner sack and pulp inside. This is easiest with two people, easing up the base of the cylinder and pushing the liner fabric under the pulp before lifting straight upwards.

🧼 Cleaning

• Wash the press immediately after the final use in a pressing session, before pulp has dried.
• Disassemble the press and use a low-pressure hose and nylon brush to clean thoroughly, then rinse with fresh water.
• Before returning the kit, remove the hose from the press; leaving it attached can cause kinks which may split it.
• Reassemble the press before transporting it to prevent distortion of the stainless cylinder and potential damage to the water bladder.

If you are pressing your apples to make cider you are likely to press directly into a fermenting vessel, so this stage will not apply.

⚠️ Safety precautions

This gets hot. Never move the equipment once full with hot water, so take care to situate it correctly before starting. Plug directly into a main socket rather than using an extension lead, which can trip the electricity supply or blow fuses.

🧪 Preparation

• Fill bottles to approximately one inch below the brim — normally the base of the bottle neck. Heating causes the juice to expand, hence not filling to the top.
• Use only clean bottles. Pasteurising will kill yeast to stop fermentation but will not be effective against dirt.
• Fit lids loosely to allow air to escape when heated.

⚙️ Operation

IMPORTANT: Never turn the equipment on without water inside. Always fill with water before plugging in the pasteurisers.

• Place the pasteuriser on a level surface.
• Fill approximately one third full. Heating the water in a kettle first can save time.
• Connect the power cable to a standard plug socket.
• Place the bottles into the urn; you should be able to fit 14 at a time.
• Adjust the water so it reaches the level of the liquid inside the bottles, then fit the lid.
• Turn the temperature dial to 75°C.
• Set the pasteuriser timer to Continuous — anti-clockwise until it clicks.
• We recommend using a kitchen timer or phone alarm rather than the pasteuriser timer. Set it for 25–30 minutes once the juice-filled bottles are in the urn.
• When the timer finishes, dip-test a couple of bottles to check they are at 75°C, then allow a further 3 minutes to ensure the juice is fully pasteurised.
• Using gloves, screw the lids on firmly.
• Invert each bottle to sterilise the lid with the hot liquid.
• Allow bottles to cool lying on their sides.

🍎 Giant Greenhouse Pasteuriser

If you are using the giant 100-bottle pasteuriser in the Greenhouse, allow approximately 40 minutes for pasteurising: around 20 minutes to reach temperature, followed by 20 minutes at 72°C.

🧼 Cleaning

• Empty the water using the tap.
• Once cooled, rinse the equipment with warm water.
• Do not put the lead and plug inside the pasteuriser where they can get wet; loop the lead through one of the handles as it was when collected.

📝 Storage notes: Correctly pasteurised juice stored in a cool, dark place should keep for up to two years, although Brendon Orchards uses a one-year best-before date on its own juice. Reused bottles can eventually fail during pasteurising, so inspect them carefully. Rinse empty bottles promptly if you plan to reuse them next season.