Take a self-guided tour of the Mill's production area in the Cider Gallery on the second level. The Gallery houses the exhibit Power, Process and Popularity that depicts the entire process, portraying the unique equipment that powers the Mill and offering information about apples and cider. The Gallery overlooks the 1889 Boomer & Boschert water-powered, water-hyraulic cider press producing some 20,000 gallons of cider each fall. The actual process takes place in the fall at non-scheduled times dependent on cider sales. At other times a video demonstrates the cider making process.
The cider making starts with the harvest of hand-picked Apples from New York® Apples. The apples are stored at 38 degrees Fahrenheit before pressing. As needed the apples are sent through the apple washer located in the Mill's old ice house where they are scrubbed with nine rows of brushes and heavy jets of fresh, clean water.
After washing, the apples fall into the grinder, a stainless-steel drum with knives running at high speends. The grinder shreds the whole apple in to a course mash called pomace. A progress-cavitey feed pump transfers the pomace to the second-level grinding area.
Layers of pomace are placed in nylon cloths between plastic racks in a formation called a "cheese." After the "cheese" is complete the entire pressing tray is rotated under the press. Pressure is applied by a two-cylinder water pump that is powered by the Lestner Water Turbine located in the basement of the Mill. The spinning turbine runs another flat belt to transfer power to the press's water-hydraulic pump creating pressure on the "cheese." The resulting sweet cider is pressed out of the pomace and held in a storage tank for the next step: assuring cider safety.
The Mill's newest piece of technology is an ultraviolet light processing machine called "Cidersure." The Cidersure process guarantees cider safety by shining high intensity ultraviolet light through a very thin stream of cider. The light eliminates the possibility of any harmful contaminates in the fresh juice the same as with pasteurization without the addition of heat, therefore retaining a freshly pressed taste. Another advantave of the UV method is that it does not damage any of the natural yeast in the juice so it will still ferment. The cider is then pumped into two storage tanks ready to be tasted and purchased by Mill visitors.
All of our cider is made in this fashion and without any preservatives.... nothing added - nothing taken away!
Tours are complimentary and self-guided.
See when we are pressing next click here
Video of Complete Cider-Making Process
New York Foodie Podcast - a great audio story about what you will see at the Mill!
