Well, I thought about this for some time given the paucity of supplies here in The Netherlands and decided to have a go at home brewing. The logic is on a number of grounds cost being high up the list but also influenced by the waste streams and the desire to challenge the lack of interest in this delicious beverage here. Much (too much) thought went into the question of do i build my own fruit press or do I buy. As I could see it the cost of materials for a home built system added up to perhaps a little under 100€, plus the far from perfect diy skills I have to build it. So, today a €165 press arrives. It certainly looks sturdy enough with a weight of 23kgs.
Saturday I will see if the local fruit seller in the market will source the 45kg of apples I need. The choice is alarming really although the king of cider apples, Kingston black, is of course not known here in the commercial markets. Possibly some specialist growers do cultivate but right back to the issue of costs. So a mixture of sweet and tart is what I look for, second quality at a good price. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot really but you don’t know until you try!