Whizbang Cider

Whizbang Makes Cider Easy!Whizbang Makes Cider Fun!

2009-01-15T15:46:00.009-08:00

Updated: 16 July 2010

===================================

Welcome to the most remarkably efficient, surprisingly simple, and downright affordable home cidermaking system ever devised!

===================================

You're going to find a wealth of homemade sweet-cider inspiration on this web site. Don't leave without checking out the Whizbang Cider Photo Gallery and my My Newest Whizbang Cidermaking Technique. Pictures tell the story better than words. Now, let me introduce you Whizbang Cider...

I suspect you are familiar with old-style cidermaking equipment consisting of a hand-crank apple grinder and a press with a big Acme screw that is turned down in order to put the squeeze to the ground-up apples. Such tools have been the home cidermaking standard for over a hundred years. And there are cider press companies that still sell (for a hefty price tag) grinders and presses patterned after the old tools. That old-style cidermaking equipment will get the job done but it does not get the job done easily or efficiently. Not at all.

After using old-style cidermaking equipment over the years to make my own fresh-squeezed sweet apple cider, I came to the conclusion that there had to be a better way. Which is to say, there had to be an easier way, and a more productive way, and a less expensive way.

And so it was that I set out on a personal quest to develop my own cidermaking equipment. I wanted a grinder and press that was easy to build with basic handyman tools and skills, relatively inexpensive, and very efficient. It took me four cider seasons of tinkering and testing before I finally had something I was satisfied with. My goal was achieved in the fall of 2008. I couldn't be more pleased with the results. That's why I call it Whizbang cidermaking. "Whizbang" is a dictionary word that means "conspicuous for speed, excellence, or startling effect." Yup, the name fits.

Then I set to work putting my grinder and press designs into plan form so that you, your family, and your friends could experience the sheer joy that comes with making gallons and gallons of pure, sweet, wholesome apple cider. My 46-page plan book provides complete, easy to understand directions. It was published in March of 2009, then updated and reprinted in June of 2010. The cost of the book is only $21.95 (first class postage paid). You can see the book and read about it at this link:

Anyone Can Build a Whizbang Apple Grinder & Cider Press.

I invite you to investigate the wealth of Whizbang Cider information found at this site. Just click on the links that are down the right side of this page. More information will be added in the days ahead.

Best Whizbang Whishes,

Herrick Kimball
The Deliberate Agrarian

P.S. Have you seen the Whizbang Garden Cart plan book? Click HERE to learn about this incredibly useful homestead tool. And I'll tell you how to Save Money if you buy a garden cart plan book along with the Whizbang Cider plan book.

Other Homemade Grinders and Presses on the Internet

2009-01-15T15:46:00.007-08:00

My Whizbang cidermaking system is not the only way to make cider. And I don't claim it is superior to all other cidermaking approaches (but it sure is superior to most I've seen). Therefore, in the interest of good cidermaking disclosure, I want to introduce you to as many other homemade cidermaking ideas as I can, and that is why I'm providing you with the following internet links. I encourage you to see and read about how these other folks are making their own cider. In the end, you may decide not to build a Whizbang Apple Grinder & Cider Press, or you may come up with some sort of a Whizbang hybrid system. That's okay. The important thing is that, one way or the other, you make your own cider! I welcome the addition of other such links (please send them to hckimball@bci.net and I will get them posted here).

Positron Cider 2005
These folks resurrected an old apple grinder and press to make cider in 2005. Of particular interest to me is the picture of the pressed pomace. It is a very coarse grind. Also, I found this observation insightful: “...some types of apple, like Foxwhelp, unleashed a veritable river of juice when pressed while some types only reluctantly produced a miserly trickle.”

Positron Cider 2006
The same people as in the previous essay made cider again in 2006. They utilized a garbage disposal as an apple grinder. To keep the grinder from overheating, they ran compressed air into the motor (if you have compressed air, that would be cheaper and easier than my Whizbang approach). They also made their own screw press and instead of a pressing tub, they used the rack & cloth approach. Check out the picture at the link showing the rack & cloth tilting out of alignment as the pressure is put to it. I like the rack & cloth idea but that’s the same problem I had when I once made a small rack & cloth press.

==========

Don Yellman of Great Falls, Virginia posted the following excerpts in an internet fruit forum. Perhaps Don is the man who "invented" the idea of using a food waste disposal to grind apples:

"For the past five years I have used a kitchen garbage disposal mounted in a small table to grind my apples. This is not a traditional method. Our forefathers and foremothers did not have garbage disposals. However, it works beautifully. The apples go through there like greased lightning, and the pomace is smooth and eminently pressable. Apples do have to be cut at least in half to fit the throat of the disposal, but I find that the speed of grinding and improved juice yield more than compensates for this inconvenience. The disposal is quite an inexpensive system to build, and you can grind 20 bu./day with no problem. More if you are in a hurry and have some help. I have never seen a better system for the small-scale cidermaker."

"The difference between a garbage disposal and any type of toothed grinder is that the disposal produces slurry, with the juice cells already broken up, while a toothed grinder produces chunks. Even a well-engineered toothed grinder like Claude's will turn out chunks, although they might be smaller chunks. A garbage disposal is essentially a miniature hammermill. Slurry will always give you a higher juice yield."

==========

You will like this Pedal Powered Apple Grinder

And here's More About The Pedal Powered Apple Grinder

==========

This rack and cloth press looks like it might be better than most. Check out all the cider jugs in the background. (By the way, the Whizbang cider press design will accomodate a rack & cloth "cheese" like is shown in the picture)
Pete & Ben's Rack & Cloth Press

==========

Speaking of rack & cloth presses, be sure to check out Ray's Homemade Cider Press over in the UK. That link has a lot of very good information. For example, Ray uses sheer curtain material as a fabric filter. That's a great idea! And when I see his built-up cheeses, I'm tempted to try the rack & cloth approach again. Ray started with no racks (as the photo below shows) and now uses HDPE racks. Very nice.

==========

This guy built a “killer apple grinder” using a garbage disposal. He mounted the disposal in the bottom of a large stainless steel bowl. Very clever.
Killer Apple Grinder

==========

Apple Grinders are "scratters" in the UK. Here is a link telling how to make a Homemade Scratter

==========

Here’s a good discussion about homemade apple grinders:
Apple Grinder Discussion

==========

This fellow made his own apple grinder and cider press with an investment of only $18. Check out the results: $18 Cidermaking System

==========

Home preparation of Juices, Wines and Cider From The Canadian Dept. of Agriculture (1975)

==========

This takes the cake.... An apple juicer made with 50 table saw blades. It shoots the mash into a centrifugal juice extractor. I like the idea of using a centrifuge with the very finely ground mash that comes out of the garbage disposal grinder. And check out the cherry juice this man made!
Amazing Saw Blade Apple Grinder

Links to Homebrew Suppliers

2009-01-15T15:46:00.005-08:00

As a rule, I don't drink alcoholic beverages. But I make an exception when it comes to hard cider. An occasional glass of homemade hard cider is a very pleasurable experience, indeed. I have a rural neighbor who delights in making and bottling (and drinking) hard cider, and it is quite good. I once experimented with a single gallon of sweet cider, letting it ferment until hard, and the result was surprisingly agreeable. If you would like to learn more about making your own hard cider and you would like to obtain the needed equipment, I recommend you check out the suppliers below. These businesses also happen to sell my Whizbang Cider plan book. Click the name above the logo to go to the web site.

Northern Brewer.com

Homebrew Heaven

The Red Salamander

If you are a homebrew supplier and would like to be listed on this page, all you have to do is sell the Whizbang Cider plan book. I offer significant wholesale discounts to resellers on orders as small as five copies. For details, please e-mail Herrick Kimball at hckimball@bci.net

New Techniques For Whizbang Cidermaking

2009-01-15T15:46:00.003-08:00

As you may already know, I worked for several cider seasons to develop a simple, low-cost, highly effective home cidermaking system. My first significant development was the Whizbang Apple Grinder which effortlessly grinds apples to a juicy pulp as fast as you can feed the apples into it. No other apple grinder on the market can compare to the Whizbang, unless, of course, you spend a few thousand dollars on a commercial hammer mill.

Then, last fall, I perfected a cider press design to squeeze the juice out of the ground-up apples. The press is so easy to make, so easy to use, and so effective that it too was awarded the Whizbang prefix.

Soon thereafter, I published the book, Anyone Can Build A Whizbang Apple Grinder & Cider Press.

I could leave well enough alone, but I’m inclined to innovate and improve—even on well enough. And if, in so doing, I discover better techniques beyond what is in my book, I’m going to tell you about them. That’s what this essay is about.

If you own a copy of the book, it behooves you to read the following information. And if you don’t yet have a copy, but you are interested in making apple cider, I welcome you to read this... then buy a copy of the book.

====================

Before reading this essay, you should know that last month I pressed some apple cider and it was the worst cidermaking experience I ever had. You can read the essay here: March Tribulations: Further Insights Into Homemade Cider. That bad experience is what led me to make cider again yesterday, and to discover New Improved cidermaking techniques.

Now, here's my latest Whizbang cidermaking story (with lots of pictures)...

====================

It is April here in New York and the apple trees don’t even have blossoms yet so I had to go to the grocery store for apples. The last time I bought apples (the bad experience time last month) I got them from a nearby Mennonite market. They were a mix of unknown varieties.

I suspect that one or more of those varieties were “dessert apples” and not well suited to making cider. I would never have thought that some apples just don’t press very well, especially after being reduced to a mash in the Whizbang apple grinder. But that’s what happened. The mash was more gloppy than juicy and it plugged my filter fabric. It was very discouraging.

So this time I made sure to buy apple varieties that are known to press well for making cider.

According to This Article from the University of Tennessee, the following apple varieties are typically used to make cider: Red Delicious, Rome, Grimes Golden, Cortland, Fuji, Jonagold, Empire, McIntosh, Gala, Winesap, Jonathan, & Granny Smith.

Specifically, I bought seven 3-pound bags of apples for $3.49 a bag. That translates to half a bushel for $24.43. This would be expensive cider! I ended up getting nine pounds of Granny Smith, six pounds of Fuji, three pounds of Gala, and three pounds of Red Delicious.

Aside from the high price, the drawback to store-bought apples is that they are “mystery apples,” which means we have no idea where they really come from and how they were grown. But the bags assured me that they were a product of the U.S. That’s better than China. I also noticed a statement on the bags explaining that the apples were ”coated with food grade vegetable and/or shellac based wax to maintain freshness.” Did you know shellac is made from the excretion of a bug? But I digress....

The Lovely Marlene and I washed the waxy mystery apples and quartered them before feeding them into the the Whizbang apple grinder. As usual, the machine did an incredible job of mashing the fruit. I’ll bet she had the half bushed ground in less than three minutes. Here’s a picture.

I noticed right away that the mash in the bucket was much juicier than the gloppy mash I made the last time I made cider (the disappointing time). That was a good sign.

Instead of lining my Whizbang pressing tub with a nylon pressing bag from Lehman’s ($12.95, plus shipping), I did something very different. I decided to use inexpensive nylon sheer-curtain fabric for the filtering material.

The picture above shows the Lehman’s pressing bag fabric on the bottom. The pink colored fabric above it is nylon sheer-curtain fabric that I paid two dollars a yard for at a local fabric store. Above the pink material is a piece of white sheer-curtain fabric that Marlene bought at a yard sale years ago for next to nothing. You can use this material in place of cheesecloth for various homestead projects. It is very strong and washes out so you can reuse it.

Instead of lining the pressing tub with the fabric, I opted to wrap bundles of apple mash with pieces of the curtain fabric and layer these bundles up inside the wood-slat pressing tub, with each layer separated by a round HDPE plastic “pressing disc.” If you are not familiar with pressing discs, take a look through this Whizbang Cider Photo Gallery for details.

This type of rack-and-cloth arrangement is what’s known as a “cheese” and it is an old approach to pressing cider. The beauty of the rack-and-cloth method is that each of the several cloth-wrapped layers of mash is pressurized within its cloth instead of as a part of a whole mass of mash within the tub. This is bound to be more efficient.

But the disadvantage to the rack-and-cloth setup is that the layers are unstable; if not made just so. the edifice of mash and racks tends to tip and collapse when pressure is applied. Besides that, a cheese is typically something of a bother to make.

As I thought about this matter I realized the Whizbang press design can accommodate and stabilize a cheese very nicely. When the cheese is built up within the confines of a wood-slat pressing tub, like on the Whizbang, the stack is absolutely not going to tip out of alignment. That being the case, the cheese needn’t be so carefully layered up and balanced.

Another advantage to the rack-and-cloth layers being inside the tub is that FAR LESS pressure is directed outward, against the sides of the tub. The pressure is downward, and outward only as far as the confines of the cloth-wrapped “bags” allow.

Less pressure on the tub is a real plus if you use inexpensive HDPE tub hoops, as I recommend in my plan book. The HDPE hoops are remarkably strong and will not break. But, as I discovered during my bad experience last month, if extreme pressure is put to a recalcitrant tub of mash, the HDPE hoops will stretch a bit.

My approach to making the cloth-wrapped layers of the cheese was to lay a 30” by 30” piece of nylon curtain fabric (costing all of a dollar) over a form, pour the apple mash into the form, and simply tie it together with a piece of string. I will show you lots of pictures of this shortly, but first I’ll tell you how to make the form out of a common 5-gallon plastic pail.

The picture above shows how I marked the pail for cutting. The Sharpie marker is resting on two pieces of scrap 2x4 lumber, which are resting on my workbench. Simply bring the pail up to the marker and spin it around. The line will be a touch over 3” high. Cut on the line with a jigsaw. Sand away any roughness. The resulting form is perfectly sized for making “apple mash bags” for the Whizbang cheese.

This next picture shows the mash form inside a large bowl.

In this next picture I have placed the filter cloth over the form and am pouring apple mash in.

Now I have gathered the fabric together and am tying it with a piece of string.

The first bag of mash goes into the bottom of the tub, as shown in this next photo.

Please note that this first bag of mash (the bottom of the cheese stack) is placed directly on the bottom of the bottom pan—I have not used a drain rack, as shown in the book and other Whizbang cidermaking essays on the internet. I see no need for the rack with the cheese. When pressing a tub full of mash, the rack helps the juice drain out of the large mass, but it isn’t necessary with individual bags of mash.

A round HDPE pressing plate is placed on the bag of mash. This plate is now a Whizbang rack plate in the rack-and-cloth structure.

Then I made another bag of mash, this time using a piece of the yard-sale sheer curtain material.

In the above picture I filled the form right to the rim and weighed the it. I found the form holds about nine pounds of ground apples. Again, I gathered the material and tied it off with a piece of string. Notice in this next picture how juicy the mash is in the form. It’s a beautiful thing.

Another round rack plate was placed on top of the bag. I had enough mash left to make a smaller third bag. After that was in place I put the Whizbang pressure plate on top.

The 2-1/3 bags of mash did not fill up the Whizbang tub. I believe the tub with four pressing plates (the number I recommend in the book) will accommodate five mash bags, amounting to a bushel of apples. Here's a picture of the sweet cider flowing under hydraulic pressure.

The cider ran out of the mash bags very quickly. In no time flat the cheese was pressurized to the point that very little cider flowed any more. As for the wood-slat tub, it had so little pressure on it that I could spin it around with the cheese fully pressurized. Then I released pressure and removed the tub.

As you can see in the above picture, the two mash bags flattened right out. The fabric suffered no harm. The string tie held nicely. I removed the string and opened up the bag.

That “pomace” (the proper term for squeezed out mash) is really dry, and that is the desired goal. Here is another picture of the pomace cake in the bottom bag and some of the crumbly-textured pomace.

As for yield, the half bushel of apples produced 1-1/2 gallons of sweet cider. The flavor was pretty good, but not great. For great cider, we’ll have to wait for next fall when fresh, ripe, local apples are available.

Conclusions
The homemade Whizbang apple grinder proved once again that it is an undeniably awesome tool. Ditto for the Whizbang cider press with its pressing discs. But I’m now persuaded that a Lehman’s pressing bag is not necessary because the sheer nylon fabric will do the job just fine.

More cheese pressing experience will be needed to make a final evaluation. But, based on this one experience, I believe the cider presses out of a cheese easier, faster, and more completely than than when pressing a whole tub of mash.

It was my original intention to sell pressing bags to readers of my Whizbang cider plan book, but that idea is now on hold. If the bags are not needed, I’m not going to try to sell them to you.

Furthermore, there is no need for a latticework drain rack when pressing a Whizbang cheese. Once again, it was my intention to make and sell ready-to-assemble drain rack kits to Whizbang cidermakers. In fact, I even started milling the parts for these kits and bought boxes to ship them in. But I will not be selling these kits now. They are simply not needed.

If you make the form-from-a-plastic-pail that I showed in this essay, you can make mash bags very easily and lay up a cheese very quickly. No real skill is required. Is it as quick as just pouring a mass of apple mash into the tub? No. It might take you ten minutes to build a cheese, but the results are worth the effort.

If you were pressing a lot of cider and had lots of help, you could have a person making mash bags ahead so they were all ready. Then, as soon as one cheese is pressed, it would take no time at all to build the next one.

Another plus to this system is that the sheer-curtain material does not hold on to mash particles like the Lehman’s pressing bag does. In fact, the cloths rinsed out quickly and easily and I hung them on the clothesline to dry.

All in all, it was a great day of innovation and experimentation. If you have questions or comments about this essay or Whizbang cidermaking in general, I encourage you to go to the Yahoo discussion group, Whizbang Cider Makers. And, of course, you can get to everything related to Whizbang Cidermaking by going to www.WhizbangCider.com.

Whizbang Cider Press Parts

2009-01-15T15:46:00.001-08:00

===================================

GOOD NEWS....
Whizbang Apple Grinder Tops Are Now Available! (Bottom of this page)

===================================

If you want some help with making your Whizbang cider press, you’re at the right place. I make and sell some (but not all) of the parts you need. Specifically, I sell HDPE (food-grade plastic) tub hoop kits, HDPE bottom pans, HDPE pressing discs, and HDPE pressure plates. I've also just added HDPE grinder tops to the list (at bottom of this page).

However, since publishing the plan book, I have decided not to sell the drain racks because I’ve come to the conclusion that a drain rack is an unnecessary expense, especially if you use my “new and improved” (and highly recommended) cidermaking approach which is fully explained in this online essay: New Techniques For Whizbang Cider Making.

Most people are going to want to purchase the HDPE tub hoops, so I will provide full details on the two tub hoop options first. Then, further down this page, I will provide full details about the other parts. You can use the PayPal buttons provided here for ordering. Or simply send a check or money order to: Whizbang Books, P.O. Box 1117, Moravia, N.Y. 13118

Whizbang Cider Press Tub Hoop Kit

1/8” thick HDPE plastic is an excellent material for making your cider press tub hoops. The material is strong, will not rust, and is considered safe for food contact. The hoop kit I’m selling here (pictured above) makes assembly of your pressing tub very easy. That’s because I’ve gone to the trouble of cutting the two HDPE hoops and two cleat pieces (as shown on pages 36-38 of my plan book) to precise length. Then I’ve made all the screw holes in each hoop and cleat right where they need to be. And I’ve also included all the stainless steel panhead screws you need to attach the hoops to the tub staves.

Note: Please be aware that the hoop length and hole spacing tolerances are plus or minus 1/16”, which is precise enough for the purpose of making your pressing tub. Also, before purchasing this kit, be sure to read the aforementioned new cidermaking approach discussed at this link: New Techniques For Whizbang Cider Making

AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $24.95 (this price includes Priority Mail shipping)

HDPE Hoop Material With Screws

For those of you who want to do more of the work yourself and save a few bucks, I offer “raw” HDPE hoop material and stainless steel panhead screws. The hoop and cleat material is longer than needed, so you have to measure and cut it to precise length. Then you mark out placement of the 60 screw holes and drill them with a 1/8” drill bit. Instructions for the measuring and drilling are provided on page 36 of my plan book, and I also include some additional helpful instructions with the hoop material.

AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $18.95 (this price includes Priority Mail shipping)

Here's a picture of what the HDPE hoops I sell here look like on a completed pressing tub:

About the Whizbang HDPE Pressing Parts I Sell

Wood, sealed with several layers of polyurethane finish, is an acceptable material for making the parts of your cider press that will be in contact with apple mash and cider. This is discussed on page 40 of the plan book. But HDPE plastic is an exceptional material for the job. I use these HDPE parts on my press.

The beauty of HDPE is that it is dense, homogenous, impervious to water, and is rated as “food safe.” Beyond that, the plastic is easy to clean and, because it’s white, you can see that it is truly clean when you wash it. HDPE is used to make everything from ballistic plates to restaurant cutting boards. HDPE will scuff a bit in normal use and it will scratch and dent if you abuse it, but such abuse is to be expected and it does not detract from the practical usefulness of the product.

The bottom line here is that HDPE cider press parts are made to last and will provide you with trouble-free service for the rest of your life.

The only real problem with HDPE is that it is far more expensive than wood. That probably explains why no other home-scale cider press on the market utilizes HDPE pressing components. But the basic Whizbang press design is so simple and inexpensive to make that you can outfit it with the top quality HDPE press parts I sell here and it will still cost you less money than one of those brand new conventional-style presses. What’s more, whether you realize it or not, the Whizbang press far exceeds any other home press on the market when it comes to easy, efficient cider production. Therefore, the Whizbang press, outfitted with HDPE pressing parts, is an exceptional value.

Another nice thing about these HDPE parts I make is that they are all made and ready to use right out of the box. I save you the time and trouble of making the parts yourself. No mess, no fuss. Also, all prices here INCLUDE the cost of UPS shipping. anywhere in the “lower 48” US states. Or you could think of it like this: shipping is FREE. Now let me tell you about the parts. Keep in mind that individual parts are much more expensive than the “package deals,” which are listed further down this page.

Pressing Discs (Set of Four)

These pressing discs are 13-11/16” diameter with a finger hole, just like shown on page 42 of the plan book. They are 1/2” thick. The best way to utilize the pressing discs is with individual pressing bags, as shown in this Whizbang Cider photo essay.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $95.00 (this price includes UPS Ground shipping)

Pressure Plate

This pressure plate is a full 3/4” thick and the diameter matches that of the pressing discs. The curb, sized to accommodate your 2x6 pressing shaft, is assembled and attached to the pressing plate with stainless steel screws. All joints are sealed with a top-quality silicone sealant.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $70.00 (this price includes UPS Ground shipping)

Bottom Pan

This rugged bottom pan has 1/2” HDPE on the bottom and the 1-5/8” high curb sides are 3/4” HDPE. Outside diameter is 17-1/2” x 17-1/2” as the plan book specifies. All joints in the pan are silicone sealed and stainless steel screws hold it all together. The drain hole is drilled along one side, as it should be.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $90.00 (this price includes UPS Ground shipping)

Whizbang Cider Press Parts Package Deals
When you purchase cider press parts together, it costs me less to package and ship those parts. It’s also less work for me. So I can pass on some savings to you. And the savings can be significant. Check out these package deals....

Package Deal #1
The Whole Shebang

This package deal includes the pre-drilled HDPE tub hoops kit ($24.95 value), the HDPE pressure plate ($70.00value), the set of four HDPE pressing discs ($95.00 value), and the bottom pan ($90.00 value). Purchased individually, these parts would cost you $279.95. But with this package deal, you’ll save $49.95.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $230.00 (this price includes UPS Ground shipping)

Package Deal #2

This package deal includes the HDPE pressure plate ($70.00value), the set of four HDPE pressing discs ($95.00 value), and the bottom pan ($90.00 value). Purchased individually, these parts would cost you $255.00. But with this package deal, you’ll save $45.00.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $210.00 (this price includes UPS Ground shipping)

Package Deal #3

This package deal includes the HDPE pressure plate ($70.00value) and the set of four HDPE pressing discs ($95.00 value). Purchased individually, these parts would cost you $165.00 But with this package deal, you’ll save $20.00.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $145.00 (this price includes UPS Ground shipping)

Grinder Tops

These grinder tops I'm selling here are 3/4" HDPE food-grade plastic. They measure 18" by 18" square (as called for in the plan book) and have a hole in the center for the disposal flange (the flange is not included with the top—you have to supply your own). The hole is 4" diameter with a 4-1/2" flange recess around the perimeter, as you can see in the pictures below.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $74.00 (this price includes UPS Ground shipping)

Whizbang Cider & Garden Cart Planbooks Special

2009-01-15T15:45:00.001-08:00

A homemade Whizbang Garden Cart is the ideal tool for many homestead tasks, including cidermaking. The garden cart will hold apples as well as it will potatoes....

You can learn more about the cart and the Whizbang cart plan book AT THIS LINK.

If you see the value of having a Whizbang Garden Cart when cidermaking season rolls around, I’ve got a special deal for you: The garden cart plan book typically sells for $14.95. But if you purchase a copy along with the Whizbang Cider book, I’ll sell it to you for only $7.00

So you’ll get both books (a $36.90 value) for $28.95. To take advantage of this Whizbang offer, just click the button below:

Note: You can also take advantage of this special by sending a check or money order for payment to Whizbang Books, P.O. Box 1117, Moravia, N.Y. 13118

Here's The Competition

2009-01-15T15:40:00.001-08:00

I’m willing to bet there is not a single cider press manufacturer out there that would want its customers to know about my Whizbang apple grinder and cider press plans. But I’m more than willing to provide links to them (I’ll even provide links to other cider press plans when I learn about them).

If you’re looking to make your own sweet cider, I encourage you to investigate all our options and compare all the features and benefits. In the end, you may opt not to build my Whizbang equipment and, instead, purchase ready-made equipment from one of these places. That’s okay. the important thing is that you make and enjoy your own fresh-pressed sweet cider!

Correll Cider Presses
Happy Valley Ranch
Jaffrey Cider Press
Pleasant Hill Cider Press

Kuffel Creek Cider Press Plans

Whizbang Cider Photo Gallery

2009-01-15T15:39:00.001-08:00

My 46-page planbook, Anyone Can Build A Whizbang Apple Grinder And Cider Press tells you exactly how to build the grinder and press shown in the pictures below. If you don't yet have a copy of the book, these pictures will provide you with an excellent idea of just how simple and practical the Whizbang cidermaking system is. For those who have the book with it's many illustrations, these pictures serve to bring the line drawings to life.

That is the Whizbang apple grinder, setting in my kitchen. The grinder is a souped-up food waste disposal (a.k.a., a garbage disposal) mounted in a convenient stand. Chapter Three of my planbook tells you everything you need to know to make the apple grinder. First, I tell you all about garbage disposals, how they work, which ones are best for making an apple grinder, how to save money buying one, and how to modify it to be a Whizbang apple grinder.

That's ground-up apple mash flowing out the grinder drain pipe. The Whizbang apple grinder turns apples into an exceptionally fine, juicy mash. The quality of the mash far exceeds what you'll get from any other home-scale apple grinder on the market. You would have to spend a small fortune on a commercial hammermill grinder like the big cidermaking operations use to get mash on par with what the Whizbang apple grinder turns out.

A bushel of apples (42 pounds) renders a pail of mash, like you see here. The mash comes out white but quickly oxidizes to a brown color.

Here we have washed apples on the kitchen table. The apples have been halved or quartered so they will fit down into the disposal opening. It takes only a few monents to slice the apples. And while I'm at it, I cut out any bad spots that I see. I'm real particular about the fruit I use to make cider. The apples needen't be picture perfect, but they need to be clean and free of rot and mold and worms. Note that the "apple corral" is on the grinder and it is full of apples. And notice too that the Whizbang press is right there in my kitchen. The press is lightweight and can be brought right into the kitchen for pressing on cold winter days.

My son is feeding apples into the grinder. He is using the "apple persuader" (page 13 in the book) to help jam the apples down into the grinding chamber. The Whizbang apple grinder will gobble down apples as fast as you can feed them into the grinding chamber. It doesn't overheat. It doesn't stall. It is an amazing machine.

Here's another view of the grinder and mash-filled buckets. You might be wondering how easily the grinder cleans out when you're done using it. Well, it cleans out quickly and easily, right there in the kitchen. No mess. No fuss. I tell you how on page 16 of my plan book.

Here's an view of the Whizbang cider press. This corresponds to the illustration and parts diagram on page 6 of the plan book. And chapter Four of the book tells exactly how to make the press frame. As you can see, the Whizbang press does not use an Acme screw to put pressure to the tub of mash. Instead, it employs a common automotive scissors jack and a 2x6 pressing shaft. This simple technology is superior to an Acme screw—it's faster and easier to use.

That white thing on top of the pressing tub is the "pressure plate." The square-shaped "curb" on the top is sized to accept the end of the 2x6 pressing shaft.

This picture shows the pressure plate on the pressing shaft and the shaft elevated above the tub. Two dowels in the shaft serve to hold it up out of the way.

Here's another view showing the pressure plate connected to the 2x6 pressing shaft. Observant book readers will notice that the curb is not screwed together as shown in the book. That's okay, just follow what the book says. Have you noticed how beautiful the wood-slat pressing tub is? Those are maple slats coated with polyurethane. The hoops are 1/8" HDPE plastic. Chapter Five in my plan book tells you exactly how to make a pressing tub like that. It's easy to do if someone shows you how. You can use common pine for the slats and save money. For those who want a little help with the project, I sell pre-drilled, HDPE hoops with stainless steel screws.

There is another view of the beautiful wood-hooped pressing tub. The tub sets on a drain rack inside the bottom pan. The bottom pan shown in these pictures is HDPE plastic. But you can make a drain pan out of pine and plywood and seal it with polyurethane. Notice that the drain pan slides ahead to allow easy filling of the tub.

This picture shows the polyester pressing bag from Lehman's Hardware. With such fine apple mash, the pressing bag is an absolute necessity.

There is a bucket of fresh mash (it hasn't even oxidized yet) ready to put into the pressing tub.

What you're looking at here is a "pressing disc" in the mash. These discs are discussed on page 8 of the plan book. They are layered up within the mash and help to distribute pressure more evenly, extract juice faster, and press the fine pulp more thoroughly. The pressing discs shown in these photos are made of HDPE plastic. They could just as well be plywood coated with polyurethane. This picture also shows my HDPE drain rack in the bottom of the bottom pan. My plan book tells you how to make a wood drain rack which is cheaper and easier and does the job just fine. Easier yet is to buy a drain rack parts kit from Whizbang Books. One last thing.... do you see the cider in the collection pan? That's a lot of cider and pressure hasn't even been applied to the mash. That's the beauty of "Whizbanged" apple mash; the cider starts to pour out even before you put pressure to it, and such mash will render more cider than coarser mash from other grinders.

Here the pressing bag is pulled up and tied down tight to the mash. The one bushel of mash shown here barely fills the pressing tub half way. The Whizbang cider press will press two bushels of apples at a time. Cider yield is typically two to three gallons per bushel.

There you have the pressure plate and 2x6 pressing shaft down in place on the mash. It's ready to PRESS.

Since the tub is only half full of mash, the scissors jack needs to be blocked up to the top beam. This is easily and quickly done. The jack (which I got out of the trunk of my car) works fast and easy.

Wow. Look at the cider flow. It's a beautiful thing.

There you go. Just-squeezed apple cider. One of the most delicious and wholesome beverages on earth!

Once the mash is pressed, the tub is removed, and you have a pressing bag with pomace (pressed-out apple mash is called pomace).

Here's another view of the apple pomace. The pressing discs have done their work. The mash goes on the compost pile.

The Whizbang design can be modified into a traditional-style Acme screw cider press like this. I don't think this kind of press is nearly as easy to use and efficient as my Whizbang scissors press. But for those who would like an old-style press, I tell how to make one in the back of my plan book.

The traditional-style press requires a "bearing plate" for the end of the acme screw to turn on, like shown here. Again, I tell how to make this optional press design in the back of my book.

Well, here we are back slicing apples for the grinder. Note that the apples in the bowl are a little blemished. That's not a problem when it comes to making cider. I'll bet there are millions of bushels of less-than-perfect-but-still-good-for-cider apples that go to waste in America every year. Don't let such apples go to waste! Make cider. Gallons and gallons of it. It's easy to do and downright fun with the Whizbang cidermaking equipment that my plan book tells you how to make.

How many of those other apple grinders and cider presses on the market can be toted right into the kitchen on a bitter cold autumn (or winter) day? Though I typically press cider in my workshop or outside, I leave the grinder right in my kitchen until our supply of cider apples is gone for the season.

An automotive scissors jack puts one to two tons of pressure to the mash. That's enough to get the job done. But a little six-ton hydraulic bottle jack like shown here provides a nice excess with which to press cider.

And finally, here is another pressing tub option, which I discuss in my plan book. You can make a dandy one-bushel-capacity pressing tub out of a food-grade pail.

I'm Just Getting Started Here.....

2008-12-25T06:59:00.000-08:00

Just Look At This Apple Mash, Ready For Pressing
That's almost two bushels of apples ground to a fine, juicy mash in a matter of minutes. No hard hand cranking was needed to make that mash. Just flip a switch and feed apples into the Whizbang apple grinder as fast as you can. The Whizbang apple grinder makes a uniform puree of ground apples so easily you'll be amazed.

And There's The Fresh Sweet Cider
Put the mash in the Whizbang cider press and squeeze the juice out. Gallons and gallons of your own homemade sweet cider. It's a beautiful thing!

Coming Soon
I am currently putting together a plan book that will tell how to make a Whizbang cider press and apple grinder. I'll have much more to say about the book when it is finally in print. Until then, I welcome you to read the following essays that I have written. You can learn all about (and see lots of pictures of) my Whizbang apple grinder and press in the first two essays.

Cider Making 2006 (Introducing My New Whizbang Apple Crusher)

Introducing My Homemade Whizbang Apple Cider Press

Whizbang Cider Pressin' In The Kitchen

Pressing Cider in a Bucket (An Experiment)

Cider Pressin’ 2005

When Me & Ed Made Apple Cider

Making Apple Cider In The Old Days

My Vinegar & Hard Cider Experiment

My Cider Vinegar Experiment: The Remarkable Final Report