Patrick lives and works on acreage that he purchased in 2015 with an existing orchard. After a season of selling his apples at the local farmers market, he was looking for more ways to boost his income. The Gala apple variety that he grows is a good variety for being pressed. The juice comes straight from the orchard so Patrick doesn’t mind a bit of sediment in his juice as it is a naturally occurring byproduct.
Sediment goes hand in hand with fresh juice, we can’t eliminate it without without the added step of settling or filtration. To keep it to a minimum while keeping yields high, a continuous belt press has adjustments to belt tension, speed and mash thickness.
If you are working with deteriorated fruit that commonly creates more sediment, adjustments can be made. Reducing the pressure on the belt, and increasing the speed will result in less sediment.
Pressing with a belt press may have more sediment than other systems, because more fibers are pushed through the belt due to higher pressure placed on the mash. Read more about yields of a belt press
Getting more out of your apple
Sediment can be seen in the output from a Kreuzmayr press because the continuous belt press is using more of the fruit. Our presses are known for their high yields because the press can be manipulated to suit the quality of fruit that is being pressed. Adjusting the belt tension, speed and thickness allows you to get the most out of your fruit while adjusting it to keep the sediment to a desirable level.
What creates more sediment?
If the fiber of the mash is deteriorated, there will be more solids being pushed through the pressing belt.
How can I decrease the amount of sediment?
By:
- pressing apples that are fresh and not deteriorated
- speeding up the press
- reducing the pressure on the mash, and
- increasing the thickness of the mash
Patrick chooses to press his apples straight from the tree without storing them. This keeps the yield high, the juice clear, and the product fresh.