The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-18
Modern Process Improve
ment Over Methods of
Former Years.
NEWFANE MILL USES
10000 Blu. APPLES
Large Mills Use Hundreds of Carloads
III Season - Vinegar Now Made by
Heat Instead of Storing Cider to
Change of Itself.
Especial to The Reformer.)

NEWFANE, Nov. is.
An industry which has developed
marked improvements in the manner in
which 1T is conducted is the manufac-
ture of cider, boiled cider, vinegar and
apple jelly. While small by comparison,
the jelly mill owned and operated by
w. c. BallOu in Newtane is a modern
plant and does substantial business
Mr.. BallOu has used about 10000
bushels of apples in the season now
closing. Large vinegar plants use hun
dreds of carloads in a. season. Mr.. Bal
lou is a grain dealer and station agent
and his mill is located few rods from
the railroad station.
Cider making in the good old times
and even as described in current liter
allure seems to call to mind an anti
quated scene with mill under
der an apple tree with press
that was driven by means of a horse
hitched to a pole, the pole hitehed to
the screw of the press and the horse
| driven slowly around and around the
press, gradually pressing the juice from
the apples which, judging from the
artist S picture, might be supposed to
be blown from the apple tree into the
| hopper, there to be converted into red
cider for the full enjoyment of the
small boy with the straw, who is seen
sucking il up from the trough or from
barrels nearby.
Alas for the artist and the beautiful
picture drawn by him, and also for
the poet who also has had his same lit
tie iab along the same lines, the modern
steam driven cider mill has knoc ked
all the poetry from the picture and
resembles more that of a battleship
during target practice than the artist 5
or poet 5 idyls.
Cider, apple jelly and vinegar MAX
ing as conducted by modern processes
| may be new to many. Today a cider
mill in season presents a busy scene.
Large loads of elder apples or "culls
are constantly being unloaded into
huge bins and thence are converted
by means of an endless chain elevator
to the hopper over the press and
run through a grinder or CRATER, which
converts them into fine pomaee Cor
pummace), which drops down into
cloths in a form and is built up with
these cloths and racks into what is
called cheese. several feet high and
containing ton or half ton, depending
upon the capacity of the press.
This is rolled under the press and
pressed by hydraulic machinery, which
| removes practically all the cider from
| the pomace. All this is done very rapid
IL as only - or 90 minutes are con
sumed in building up the cheese, and
a second cheese is being built up while
| the first is pressing.
The cider as pressed drops into a
tank in the basement and is pumped
| to different parts of the mill and is
used for various purposes.
Custom cider is made for the farmers
and his enjoyment as he sits around
the ireside with apples and mug.
For commercial purposes it is con-
verted into apple Jelly. boiled cider
and vinegar. In making apple jelly
the cider is evaporated by steam in a
| cooker or evaporation, which cooks at
an amazing rate and will evaporate
what an ordinary press will produce
Boiled cider or cider syrup is cooked
| to about the consistency of molasses
and Is used for various purposes, some
bottled and sold to grocers for season
| ing for meat pies. etc. Vinegar ma kers
use large quantities IN their process.
Apple Jelly is cooked of course until
it iells and when made of half sweet
and half sour apples makes a fine table
relish or may be used for layer cakes
Vinegar is made by allowing the
cider to partially ferment and is then
pumped into a heated room by means
Of perforated pipes up near the ceiling
from which long strands of rattan Of
reeds arc hung. The cider runs down
these strands and is kept constantly il
circulation in the heated room. Thi.
changes the cider quickly to vinegar
and even a small plant can produce :
carload in a week. The old-fashioneC
way of allowing the cider to make
vinegar of itself by storage in barrel.
is entirely done away with by modern
vinegar makers.