Cider Press Restoration (and subsequent cider enjoyed)

So, this actually happened over a month ago.  But, at the moment, I'm pinned down with a sleeping baby without access to my camera to download more pics of the stuff slated to be sold on ebay.  But I digress....

This was actually a fun, though time-consuming, dirty but ultimately rewarding project that I took on this past September.  The cider press has been in my family for about 50 years or so.  My uncle found it somewhere in Castle Rock, Washington and gave it to the Huson/Kiser clan since we had access to plenty of apples.  So, this was the press that we used to make cider when I was growing up.  I have very fond memories of it.

When I got a hold of it a few months ago, it was in pretty sad shape.  I didn't bother to take pics but basically I had to grind of years worth of rust and repaint.  The staves of the basket, originally fir, were filled with powder post beetle holes.  I found some locally grown and milled alder wood for replacements.  Also, new screws, new drain board (an Ikea carving board, which I carved additional drain channels into), new press disks (made from Doug fir) and new tamper.

Anyway, the big debut just happened to fall on the last sunny Saturday in early October.  With a small gathering of friends and neighbors, cider was pressed and enjoyed along with bratwurst, "blaukraut", fried potatoes, spinach salad, fresh pretzels and my mom's delicious raw apple cake.

 About 200 lbs. of apples were pressed, yeilding, I figure, about 5 gallons of cider.

Most of the cider was enjoyed fresh and taken home by our guests. The remaining is still fermenting!  And that will lead me to a separate posting later.