How to clean up food contact metal pieces on an old cider press?

[b***@dogod.com]

I was given an old cider press that a woman had in her garden until
the frame rotted to the point of it falling over. I have re-created
the wooden pieces, but before I put it back together I would like to
clean up the cast iron pieces. This press is a bit different from
anything I have ever seen before. It has a cast iron crosshead, but
the bottom (where the basket sits) is also cast iron, kind of like a
shallow frying pan with a spout. It also has two heavy metal rods
that connect the crosshead to the bottom, so most of the strain is on
these and not on the wooden frame when you use the press.

Anyway, I would like to clean up the food contact areas on this, which
means the bottom piece. Right now it is very rusty and filled with
garden firch. I can hose the firch out, but what is a good way to
clean up the raw metal?

[Goedjn]

Post by b***@dogod.com
Anyway, I would like to clean up the food contact areas on this, which
means the bottom piece. Right now it is very rusty and filled with
garden firch. I can hose the firch out, but what is a good way to
clean up the raw metal?

If you can get the cast iron bits separated, I'd use muriatic
acid followed by a throrough rinse and then cure it in an
oven with vegetable oil like a cast-iron fry pan.

[Kelly E Jones]

Post by b***@dogod.com
Anyway, I would like to clean up the food contact areas on this, which
means the bottom piece. Right now it is very rusty and filled with
garden firch. I can hose the firch out, but what is a good way to
clean up the raw metal?

If it's extremely rusty, and you can disassemble, you might look into
electrolytic de-rusting. It's a simple, DIY technique which literally
turns the rust back into iron.

Once clean, there are food-grade epoxy paints which are good for
coating such parts. They are clear, so they won't affect (much) the
appearance of the metal. Consider that excessive contact with many
metals can impart undesirable tastes and cloudiness to your cider.

Kelly

[Ann]

Post by b***@dogod.com
I was given an old cider press that a woman had in her garden until
the frame rotted to the point of it falling over. I have re-created
the wooden pieces, but before I put it back together I would like to
clean up the cast iron pieces. This press is a bit different from
anything I have ever seen before. It has a cast iron crosshead, but
the bottom (where the basket sits) is also cast iron, kind of like a
shallow frying pan with a spout. It also has two heavy metal rods
that connect the crosshead to the bottom, so most of the strain is on
these and not on the wooden frame when you use the press.
Anyway, I would like to clean up the food contact areas on this, which
means the bottom piece. Right now it is very rusty and filled with
garden firch. I can hose the firch out, but what is a good way to
clean up the raw metal?

Find a machine shop that does sand blasting/glass beading and have them do
whichever they suggest. One negative is that it won't look "antique"
when it's done, but it will be clean. It will rust immediately if not
treated. One possibility is a phosphate treatment that's used in body
shops before painting. If it's not going to be painted, oil would do it.
Also, stove black might help to make it look not so grey and new.

[Larry Caldwell]

Post by b***@dogod.com
Anyway, I would like to clean up the food contact areas on this, which
means the bottom piece. Right now it is very rusty and filled with
garden firch. I can hose the firch out, but what is a good way to
clean up the raw metal?

Don't get radical. Whatever you do, the juice will goober it up again
by next year. I would probably just take a wire brush to it to get any
loose stuff off, wash it down with bleach solution, and call it good.
You can't put anything on it without the "anything" ending up in your
cider.

Did the apple grinder come with the press, or do you have to build one?

Larry

[b***@dogod.com]

I was planning on building a crusher, but I found one on ebay for
about what the materials would cost.

I should also mention that I am having to rebuild the basket for this
as the last owner sold it, She really sold the whole thing but the
only piece they wnated was the basket.

It is 18 5/8" in diameter with 30 slats on it. I am having a local
fabricator roll the bands out for me out of 1/8" stainless and I will
make the slats out of some hard wood. I had thought about procuring
the sheet metal fabrication tool that harbor freight has (often) for
$99 that has a roll on it,a nd taking my battery powered sawzall up to
the junkyard, but (1) I like the idea of clean new stainless rather
then mistery metal for food contact surfaces, and (2) Ideally I would
like to use it this season.

FWIW, I had about the same feeling you had as far as wire brush and
bleach. Might get a little wirewheel for the dremal if there are any
nasty spots, but still the same idea. Perhaps coat it with wax after
the season if it is a real pain to clean up.

Post by Larry Caldwell

Post by b***@dogod.com
Anyway, I would like to clean up the food contact areas on this, which
means the bottom piece. Right now it is very rusty and filled with
garden firch. I can hose the firch out, but what is a good way to
clean up the raw metal?

Don't get radical. Whatever you do, the juice will goober it up again
by next year. I would probably just take a wire brush to it to get any
loose stuff off, wash it down with bleach solution, and call it good.
You can't put anything on it without the "anything" ending up in your
cider.
Did the apple grinder come with the press, or do you have to build one?
Larry

[Peter Huebner]

Post by b***@dogod.com
I was given an old cider press that a woman had in her garden until
the frame rotted to the point of it falling over. I have re-created
the wooden pieces, but before I put it back together I would like to
clean up the cast iron pieces. This press is a bit different from
anything I have ever seen before. It has a cast iron crosshead, but
the bottom (where the basket sits) is also cast iron, kind of like a
shallow frying pan with a spout. It also has two heavy metal rods
that connect the crosshead to the bottom, so most of the strain is on
these and not on the wooden frame when you use the press.
Anyway, I would like to clean up the food contact areas on this, which
means the bottom piece. Right now it is very rusty and filled with
garden firch. I can hose the firch out, but what is a good way to
clean up the raw metal?

If it were mine I'd take it to get nickel- or tin-plated. All you have
to do usually is get the worst muck and thick rust off, they'll do the
rest.

-P.