Steam Juicers?

[TStarr]

Yet more help and guidance needed - could someone please point out the advantages of a steam juicer over say an electric one, and over fermenting on the pulp. Does the juice extracted have everything you need for the fermentation, or is something lost in not using the pulp?
I apologise if this is covered elsewhere, I tried the Search facility, but nothing specific came up. Especially relevant at this point in time, is whether a steam juicer gives the right output from Apples for cider - as sounds like it might beat the bejeebers out of crushing stuff. Are we essentially swapping brawn in a crusher, for an electric bill with a steam extractor?

Again my thanks in advance.

[SiSandrine]

Steam juicers in this sense are not electric powered, they sit on the stove/cooker/aga and have an inverse funnel with a draw off tube. You can't effectively use an ordinary household steamer without delivering a cooked flavour into the fruit.

Pulp fermentation is generally about putting colour into a wine. Personal view is that nothing is lost by steaming, particularly for soft fruits e.g. elderberries and it holds several advantages. It retains everything you need (except yeast, yeast nutrient and probably sugar).

Steam juicers are not really suitable for apples, more soft fruits without a tough skin as they work by steam breaking down the cells in the fruit allowing the juice to 'flow' out.
For apples you are better off using an electric juicer or as you say smashing them up into a pulp and then pressing them.

Everything you need to know about juice extraction is at the wines at home part on YouTube. See here for Colin Tweeds excellent tutorial.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=colin+tweed+juice+extraction&aq=f

Hope this helps.

[TStarr]

Can the juice from a steam juicer be safely put into a demijohn - even a warmed one? or does it have to go into a metal pan, bucket or more heavy duty glassware first?

[solly]

Can the juice from a steam juicer be safely put into a demijohn - even a warmed one? or does it have to go into a metal pan, bucket or more heavy duty glassware first?

Demijohns are very weak and even a DJ with pressure inside will cause it to brake, I have broken 2 DJ's so far and one was full with apple juice and it went everywhere (even under the kitchen units)

I would let the liquid cool down first before even thinking of adding it to a DJ......Demijohns are not as strong as some people think they are.

[TStarr]

Thks - for those replies - How about which type of bottling jars are best if you are having to store excess juice from a steam juicer? Presumably a Kilner type jar? Screw or Clamp type?
I take it such bottling has to be done at v high temps. (My gd lady does not want anything back in the freezer, which is why the steam juicer, and bottling would appear to be the way to go)

[medpretzel]

I'd also be a little worried about kilner jars. I had steam-juiced some mahonias and sulfited them properly, but fermentation still took off. I'd probably go with freezing or using directly, if I could.

The juice is not pastuerised when you steam-juice it....

So your options are to really sulfite it well and hope for the best, use it right away, or freeze it. (the latter option being my favourite)

[crusher]

You could pasturise your juice and store it in Kilner jars but only the screw top jars. The clamp type are described as "storage jars" not preserving.

If you look at the "Lidl Electric Pasturiser" thread in Wines at Home Extras/Equipment, David has detailed how to do it. Post 36.

Might save you getting in trouble with the other half.

[David]

The juice is not pastuerised when you steam-juice it....

I can't find may Lakeland instructions at the moment but I'm sure they stated the juice could be bottled straight from their juicer. It states in the instructions for my Rommelsbacher steamer that the juice can be bottled, also in my WECK canning canning book and it's on on Vigo's website for the steamers they sell.

I can foresee problems if using defrosted fruit (where lots of juice will run straight into the juice reservoir) and running that off into bottles before the steam rising beneath has heated it to over 75 degrees C for 25 minutes, otherwise as long as the bottles are sterilised (and heated so they don't crack), filled right to the brim, the caps are also sterilised and are put on immediately after filling and the bottles are laid on their sides after capping, then it should be OK.

The temperature of the juice can always be checked (and the juice poured back in over the fruit) to ensure it's been hot enough for long enough to bottle.