by Charlie Robinson
I am living proof that good luck will always compensate for stupidity and ineptitude. In my last article I bewailed my inability to produce even one drop of apple juice, despite a considerable investment in time, money, and expletives. Good luck came in the guise of my inventive brother-in-law who just happened to have a pork mincer, with attached electric motor, lying around the shed (as you do). Now, this pork mincer performs the task of apple scratting to perfection. It looks like an over-sized meat mincer and seems custom made for the task at hand.
The quartered apples are simply shoved into the top chute and a knurled shaft forces the pieces through a sieve into the bucket at just the right consistency for pressing. The scratted apples are then placed into the press and compressed by hardwood blocks and the juice escapes through slats into the base which then flows into another bucket. A washing basket full of apples takes about an hour to scrat and press. This is enough to produce 25 litres of juice which I leave for a couple of days, skim off the floating residue, and pour into a fermenting vessel. After adding yeast and a kg of sugar, a lid with airlock is screwed on and the action commences. Before long you can see the gas bubbling through the airlock and you know that fermentation is happening.
By Gabrielle Prior
Tired of living in a winter cave with the curtains drawn to keep in the warmth?
Wish you had double glazing but can't afford it?
Renting a house so window or curtain upgrades aren't an option?
Want a way to help keep the heat in and maybe reduce your heating costs?
What you need is bubble-glazing!
No, it's not an urban myth - you really can use bubble-wrap to double the r-rating of your windows (the r-rating is a measure of the window's insulating abilities). That might not sound like much but trust me, it makes a noticeable difference.
So, what's so great about bubble-glazing?
