Narrator:
APPLE CIDER IS ALSO KNOWN
AS SWEET CIDER OR SOFT CIDER.
IT'S DARKER AND CLOUDIER
THAN CONVENTIONAL APPLE JUICE
BECAUSE TINY BITS OF APPLE
ARE NOT FILTERED OUT.
THESE FLAVORFUL FRAGMENTS
ARE WHAT MAKES
THIS FALL BEVERAGE UNIQUE.
WHEN THE APPLES
ON THE TREES ARE RIPE,
IT'S TIME
TO PRODUCE APPLE CIDER.
THEY PROCESS THE APPLES
WITHIN DAYS OF THE HARVEST
TO PRODUCE A BEVERAGE THAT
TASTES BOTH FRESH AND SWEET.
IT STARTS WITH THE RIGHT MIX
OF APPLES.
SOME VARIETIES ARE SWEET,
AND OTHERS ARE TART.
THIS MIX OF FLAVORS
WILL SPICE THINGS UP.
THE APPLES FLOAT TO THE
SURFACE
OF A WATER-FILLED PIT
AND DRIFT ONTO A CONVEYOR
THAT TAKES THEM
INTO THE CIDER MILL.
INSIDE THE MILL, THE APPLES
SPILL INTO A WASHING STATION.
WATER SPRAYS THE APPLES AS
THEY
BOUNCE ACROSS ROLLING BRUSHES.
NEXT, THE APPLES
TAKE A TRIP UP TO A GRINDER.
INSIDE, A STEEL ARM PUSHES
THE APPLES AGAINST A GRATER.
IT SHREDS THEM, PITS
AND ALL, INTO A PULP.
THIS PULP IS KNOWN AS POMACE.
THE POMACE LANDS IN A FUNNEL.
FROM HERE, A PUMP MOVES IT
THROUGH PIPES ACROSS THE
PLANT,
WHERE IT ARRIVES AT A PRESS.
THE APPLE POMACE
FLOWS BETWEEN TWO POROUS BELTS
THAT WIND AROUND ROLLERS.
THE ROLLERS APPLY PRESSURE
TO SQUEEZE OUT THE JUICE.
THE JUICE DRIPS THROUGH HOLES
IN THE BELTS.
THE PROCESS STRAINS
OUT MOST OF THE PULP,
BUT SOME REMAINS AS THE JUICE
SPILLS FROM THE PRESS
INTO LARGE CATCH PANS.
THEN, THEY
PUMP THIS CHUNKY APPLE LIQUID
INTO A HOLDING TANK.
FROM THE TANK, IT
FLOWS THROUGH A REVOLVING DRUM
THAT FILTERS OUT MORE PULP,
PITS, AND APPLE STEMS.
THE FLUID SEEPS THROUGH
THE PERFORATIONS IN THE DRUM
AND FLOWS INTO A LARGE TROUGH.
AFTER ONE MORE SCREENING,
ONLY FINE BITS
OF APPLE AND SEDIMENT REMAIN.
THIS GIVES IT THE DESIRED
CIDER CONSISTENCY AND FLAVOR.
THE CIDER NOW
FLOWS INTO CHANNELS
BETWEEN HOT STEEL PLATES.
THE HEAT DESTROYS PATHOGENS
AND BACTERIA
THAT WOULD CONVERT
THE NATURAL SUGARS TO ALCOHOL.
THIS ENSURES THAT THE CIDER
IS BOTH SAFE TO DRINK
AND NONALCOHOLIC.
IT'S NOW READY FOR BOTTLING.
A WORKER SLIDES PLASTIC JUGS
INTO POSITION UNDER NOZZLES.
THE NOZZLES DESCEND AND PUMP
THE BOILING-HOT APPLE CIDER
INTO THE JUGS.
THEY'RE FILLED TO THE BRIM
SO AIR CAN'T GET INSIDE.
AIR CAUSES THE CIDER
TO DETERIORATE.
NEXT, THE CONVEYOR
MOVES THE JUGS
FORWARD TO A CAPPING STATION.
PLASTIC CAPS FUNNEL TOWARD
THE JUGS AS THEY APPROACH.
THE CAPS LAND ON THE RIMS
WITH PERFECT TIMING.
SPINNING WHEELS TIGHTEN THE
CAPS
AS THE JUGS RIDE BY,
HERMETICALLY SEALING
THE HOT APPLE CIDER,
GIVING IT A SHELF LIFE
OF APPROXIMATELY A YEAR.
THE JUGS
THEN HEAD INTO A TUNNEL,
WHERE SPRAYERS
DOUSE THEM WITH COLD WATER.
NEXT, MACHINERY PULLS THE
LINER
OFF OF ADHESIVE-BACKED LABELS.
AN ELECTRIC EYE
DETECTS THE APPROACHING JUGS,
QUEUING ROLLERS
TO APPLY THE LABELS.
THE FILTERED-OUT POMACE
FROM EARLIER IS COOKED
FOUR TO FIVE HOURS.
THIS CARAMELIZES THE SUGARS
IN THE APPLES,
TURNING THE POMACE INTO
A HIGHLY CONCENTRATED SPREAD
KNOWN AS APPLE BUTTER.
THEY BOTTLE IT WHILE IT'S
PIPING HOT TO PRESERVE IT.
ALTHOUGH NOT TECHNICALLY
BUTTER,
THIS FRUIT SPREAD
HAS A SIMILAR CONSISTENCY.
IT TAKES A FULL DAY
OF PROCESSING
TO PRODUCE BOTH APPLE BUTTER
AND APPLE CIDER.
IT'S TIME TO RAISE A GLASS
AND ENJOY THE SWEET BOUNTY
OF THE HARVEST.
