Cider mills make apple cider and are often located near apple orchards. They have been around for centuries and were historically powered by horses or water wheels. Modern mills use gas or electricity and can produce more cider for higher profits, but some still operate traditionally.
A cider mill is a facility where apple cider is made. The structure in which the mill is contained is most often located near an apple orchard for greater efficiency in the production process, and the machinery contained therein can vary greatly depending on how up to date the cider mill is and from what volume of cider or other products is being made. These mills have been around for centuries and the method of propelling the machinery has changed accordingly; older mills may have been powered by horses, or even water wheels, while more modern mills are powered by gas engines, electricity, or other means.
Small cider operations might have been portable, but most were historically permanent and were housed in structures that resembled any barn you might come across. Orchard owners would transfer the apples to the mill, which could be on-site or located nearby, and pay the mill owner an agreed amount to press the apples into cider. The cider itself could be stored in barrels or demijohns for shipping or in jugs for direct sale. The cider varieties produced would vary according to the apples used, and the apples could be combined to make new types of cider for sale.
One method of pressing apples in a cider mill historically involved feeding the apples into a series of troughs. A large stone wheel was placed in one of the troughs and this wheel was attached to an axle which was attached to another vertical post which would allow the press operators to rotate the wheel around the vat. The coarseness of the wheel would help grind the apples down to a pulp, and the resulting liquid from the apples could then be collected. The apples were often transferred from a trough to the pressing trough by hand, with a human operator shoveling the apples. There are other styles of printing as well, and modern machines often take much of the effort out of the process.
Mills have historically been powered by horse or water through the use of a water wheel. Most modern mills are powered by gasoline or electricity, allowing the mill operator to squeeze apples at a larger capacity and at higher speeds. Increased production means higher profits and in some cases lower production costs. Despite advances in cider mill technology, many mills operate in traditional methods to preserve the history of the trade.
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