I agree with you.

Do NOT use campden tablets - the sulphides can lead to a heavy headache.

The butchers mincer is an excellent idea - and stainless is NOT a problem. It is a totaly neutral metal - hence its continued use with food preparation.

For want of equipment - you can mash the apples and let them ferment on the pulp in a vat for a few days before squeezing the mash out. It is a wurzel - scrumpy approach.

The apples have enough yeast that you do NOT need to add "wine yeast" as suggested above.

Do not cook/boil ANY part of the apples - it will create pectin which makes it cloudy. Which - in itself is not such a bad thing...just esthetics...I like H.E. Bravery comment in "Home Brewing Without Failures" 1965, "I do not know who first said this, but he was absolutely right when saying:'The English drink with their eyes rather than their palate; they will drink anything provided it is crystal clear.' How true,...."

I use boiling water for sterilzation but let the containers cool.

Why would anyone want to add raisens?

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

The froth has subsided - today I will add 5 pounds honey to the ten gallon batch.