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How apple cider is made at Adrian Orchards

Posted at 4:15 PM, Oct 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-15 16:15:19-04

INDIANAPOLIS – One of the best parts about fall lies in all of the sweet treats you can devour at any given time from the end of September through mid-December.

Included in those sweet treats are multiple glasses of apple cider and even cider slushies (if you want to be fancy).

Many may light up the moment they can get their hands on this fall treat, but ever thought of what it takes to actually make it?

I visited Adrian Orchards, who is celebrating their 91st season on the south side of Indy, to learn exactly how it’s made.

If you thought the process begins with apples, you guessed right, but triple the amount of apples you think are needed.

Employees at Adrian start with a large wooden crate, holding about 18 bushels of apples.

Just in case you were wondering, one bushel weighs between 42-48 pounds, which is why a forklift is needed to get the apples on to a conveyor belt.

An employee sorts the apples to make sure all are high quality.

Next, the apples are washed and smashed into bite sized pieces called pomace. They are transferred by a hose to the next employee.

Now this is where the fun begins.

Two workers spray the pomace onto a nylon cloth that has a wooden rack underneath. Once the apple is distributed, the corners of the cloth are folded leaving a square-shaped layer.

A wooden rack, called a "cheese," is place on top of the cloth and the process repeats until 10 stacks are completed. You’ll see the good stuff escaping from the cloths as the amount of wooden stacks increase.

Next, the stack is moved to a press that uses thousands of pounds to force the cider into large containers.

George Adrian, third generation owner of Adrian Orchards described the process as “the old fashioned way with modern technology.”

He said about 20 wooden crates can be used on any given day depending upon how much cider is needed.

For more information on Adrian Orchards, visit adrianorchards.com