Press for crushing grapes at home. Do-it-yourself grape press, how to make a homemade one from scrap materials

Manufacturing instructions

Their length should be 60-70cm. The width of the device will depend on the size of the rollers. The optimal width is 20 cm. The length of the rollers and the distance between the bars should be the same. For the press, it is recommended to use grooved rollers with a depth of 3 cm. The product should be directed to the axes of the rollers in a helical manner.

Rules of application

Grape press

For people who grow grapes on their plots, the issue of processing the resulting harvest is always relevant. It is usually used to make juice, vinegar or homemade wine. One of the most effective modern devices for these purposes is considered to be a grape press.

The principle of operation of the grape press

Typically this unit consists of:

• gears;
• rollers (2 pieces) with a corrugated surface, made of stainless steel or wood, about 25 cm long and 10 cm in diameter;
• pens;
• 2 containers: for crushed berries and juice.

Grooved rollers are connected to gears, which, when the handle is turned, are driven in counter motion to each other. The distance between the gears is adjusted to the size of the fruit being processed, but should be within 3 – 8mm. As a result of this movement, the berries are compressed and the squeezed juice is poured into the prepared container.

At the moment, there are many types of juice presses.

Types of presses for squeezing grapes

Depending on the effort applied, grape presses can be manual (mechanical) or electric (automated).

The operation of manual pressing machines can be based on the operation of different mechanisms:

• jacks - in them the usual squeezing of berries occurs, placed in a loading container or a special burlap;
• screw (screw press for grapes) - the operating principle is based on a double action: moving the berries and putting pressure on them.

In turn, automated models of grape presses differ in the drive used to create pressure: hydraulic (water) and pneumatic (compressed air).

Also, presses can be designed to work with only one type of berries or fruits (for grapes, for herbs) or be universal - capable of squeezing juice from any product.

Depending on what the main basket is made of, grape presses are: wooden (from hard beech or oak), cast iron and stainless steel.

Based on size and power, presses for squeezing grapes are divided into household (used at home) and industrial models.

For home use, small, simple manual or automated models with average power are usually chosen.

DIY grape press video

If you need to get a small amount of juice, then at home, like a grape press, you can use a mechanical auger juicer or crush the berries with a masher and squeeze in gauze. It should be taken into account that when using a hydraulic press, due to the automation of the process, a larger amount of juice is obtained than when working on a manual press.

The grape press has many advantages:

When buying a press for home grape processing, you should choose models without metal parts, since the juice, after interacting with iron, oxidizes, darkens and becomes unsuitable for consumption or making homemade wine.

Manufacturing instructions

For the press you should take 2 pipe stands with a diameter of about 22 mm. Next, weld the U-shaped profile to the pipes. The profile height should be chosen so that the screw nut fits freely inside. Weld a clamp to each pipe at the base. Thanks to these clamps, the press can be attached to the window sill. To build the frame you need to take wooden blocks cross section 4*10cm.

Video: DIY juice press

Their length should be 60-70cm.

DIY grape and berry press

The width of the device will depend on the size of the rollers. The optimal width is 20 cm. The length of the rollers and the distance between the bars should be the same. For the press, it is recommended to use grooved rollers with a depth of 3 cm. The product should be directed to the axes of the rollers in a helical manner.

In this case, for every 10 cm of the roll it is necessary to make a shift of 2 cm. Next, this mechanism is fixed to the frame using bearings. The rollers will rotate at different speeds, so gears must be used with different diameters.

A ladle is required to load the berries. It is desirable that it be pyramidal in shape. Install the bucket on the transverse rails of the frame. If possible, the distance between the wooden ladle and the roller should be a minimum of no more than 1 cm.

It is necessary to install a vessel at the base of the press where the juice will accumulate. For normal compression of fruits between the rollers, the gaps should be controlled. The gaps between the crushing rollers allow you to leave

Rules of application

Once manufactured, the press can be placed and secured to any support. Before use, the grape crusher must be placed on a flat surface and secured well.

The manual crusher must be installed on a container to collect pulp. To do this, you can use barrels or tanks made of plastic or of stainless steel. To obtain juice, berries are loaded into the loading ladle. From there they are poured onto windrows. A strong napkin must be placed at the bottom of the basket, from which the pulp is then removed.

When rotated, the berries are crushed and then turned into a mass like a puree, from which juice comes out. Before loading the berries into the receiving bucket, they are removed from the bunch and washed well. There is no need to remove the skin from the berries; thanks to it, the juice has a pleasant aroma.

After processing the crop, the device should be thoroughly washed and dried to avoid rotting. A homemade press greatly simplifies the work of processing berries, especially when harvested is about 200 kg.

Video about the principle of operation of the grape press:

True, the press and cylinder turned out to be fairly smeared with some kind of technical lubricant - either grease or something else. And, of course, before pressing the juice, it was necessary to wash it thoroughly.
Lowering the piston to the very end, when the handle of the press touches the body, you realize that this is not the very bottom. That is, what remains is a “pancake” of grapes 4.5 cm high. And in these 4.5 cm there are even whole berries. Do-it-yourself wine press for grapes And there is a lot of juice left. We tried to take this “pancake” apart with our hands and squeeze it out again. But even after the second squeeze, we simply squeezed out another half liter of juice with our hands, wrapping the remains in gauze.

Home comfort

How to make a grape press with your own hands?

Today, several methods are known for making and growing grapes both at home and in industrial conditions. However, what remains unchanged is the technology for squeezing fresh juice from berries. It uses a special grape press, regardless of the location and type of production. Of course, in industry its size and productivity are much larger homemade options, however, purchasing such a device for home purposes is simply impractical, because for 10 or even 50 liters of wine, devices made by yourself are quite sufficient. But absolutely anyone can make a grape press with their own hands, while spending a minimum of money, time and effort on the work.

Making a roller crusher

As is known, this device is capable of extracting everything from fruits. useful material, vitamins and mineral salts. Therefore, for high-quality crushing of berries, it is necessary to install a roller crusher. You can make it using available tools. All you need to make is this wooden frame, loading bucket and 2 rolls mounted in bearings on the frame. And, of course, don't forget to make a handle for rotation. Basically, the main material here is wood, so no welding machines We will not use other complex devices.

Details about materials

In order to make a frame, you need to prepare several wooden blocks approximately 60-70 centimeters long with a cross-section of 10x4 cm. In this case, the width of the finished device will depend on the size of the rollers. Optimal size the average is approximately 15-20 centimeters. In this case, the distance between the transverse bars should be equal to the sum of the length of the rolls. When calculating this distance, add another 10 cm to the resulting value. This way you will get the most optimal and practical design in size.

Video on the topic

Making a grape press with your own hands: installing rollers

As for these tools, they need to be made grooved. The depth of each reef should be about 2-3 centimeters. Finished goods it is necessary to direct it to the axes of the rolls in a helical manner, making a slight shift within 2 centimeters for every 10 cm of the roll. The resulting mechanism should be mounted on the main frame, that is, on a home grape press, and movement should be ensured using bearings. Remember that the rollers will rotate on the axle at different speeds, so gears must be used with different diameters. Make the gear ratio 1:2. If the gears are the same size, you will have to do this work with rollers, reducing their dimensions for a given gear ratio. Only then will your homemade grape press be able to provide different rotation speeds for the berries.

Next, you need to secure a pyramid-shaped wooden bucket and handle over the rollers. The latter must be attached to one of the sides of the mechanism. When making a grape press with your own hands, do not forget to install a vessel in its lower part to receive the pressed raw materials. Make the gap between the rollers manageable to ensure normal compression of the fruit depending on their size. That's it, at this stage the grape press has been successfully made with your own hands!

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We bought it in Ukraine, according to an advertisement. It is popularly called a grape press. For ourselves, we defined it as a press for obtaining juice from grapes, or simply a press for grapes. The advertisement for the sale of the press was given by a person who Soviet times He made it himself at the factory, like many in those days.

The design is simple: a hand press, a stainless steel cylinder with holes and a tray with a groove through which the juice flows.
True, the press and cylinder turned out to be fairly smeared with some kind of technical lubricant - either grease or something else. Grape presses: rules for selection and self-production And, of course, before pressing the juice, it was necessary to wash it thoroughly. We asked the seller what the press is smeared with and what is the best way to wash it off, since we want to use it to obtain a food product. The seller replied that he himself probably did not know what kind of lubricant was used. For cleaning, I advised taking technical gasoline “Galosha” for degreasing, detergent for Fairy type dishes and alcohol. We didn’t take any risks with gasoline; we were afraid that it would be difficult to wash later, so we washed it right away with Fairy, and then with industrial alcohol. The most difficult thing was to wash the threads on the press, which can only be done with a fine brush.
Washed and dried. Carefully secured it to the table. And they started squeezing the juice. And since we did not have instructions for its use, and, unfortunately, the Internet was not “at hand,” we mastered the nuances in practice.
The first problem was that the piston came off the press; it took a long time and with difficulty to strengthen it, because the hole in the piston for attaching it to the press was not centered. And how they put him on the press in the first place is unclear.
The second problem is to secure it so that the press does not move during operation and does not fall. By the way, it weighs more than 10 kg. The cutouts for the bolts on the base are very small. Well, these problems have been solved. We drilled a hole in the center of the piston and secured it to the press. We attached the press to the table, placing washers under the screws. True, they had to make holes in the table, but they didn’t come up with another option.
And they began to squeeze the juice from the grapes. The effort, as it turned out, needs to be made unfeminine. At the same time, juice splashes through the holes in the press cylinder when the grapes are crushed, and even grape seeds shoot out, falling into the pan with juice. As we found out later, to prevent this from happening, you need to put the grapes in a canvas bag and then squeeze the juice out of it.
Lowering the piston to the very end, when the handle of the press touches the body, you realize that this is not the very bottom. That is, what remains is a “pancake” of grapes 4.5 cm high. And in these 4.5 cm there are even whole berries. And there is a lot of juice left. We tried to take this “pancake” apart with our hands and squeeze it out again. But even after the second squeeze, we simply squeezed out another half liter of juice with our hands, wrapping the remains in gauze.

The press could not stay on the screws and came off after some time. I had to re-screw it and make more holes in the table.

And since we pressed the juice on the street, about three dozen bees flocked. I had to stop and clean everything up. We continued when the bees lost interest in us. Again, not for long.

But in the end they came to the conclusion that if you adapt and take into account all the features, you can press the juice quickly and good quality. And make a grape juice press your good friend.

I live in a house where grapes have been growing for over 40 years and I don’t know what to do with them (they have seeds, so I don’t eat them very much). I also have a great basement and project room and this year I decided to try making wine. Having tried to make grape jam last year, I realized that using a potato masher is inconvenient and ineffective.

I visited a local winery and asked about the brewing process and basic materials. The store manager said that 50 kg of grapes can make 35-40 liters of wine. From what I remember last year, we took about 7 kilograms of grapes (including stems) and got about 3 liters of juice after 45 minutes of rubbing and squeezing through a cloth. If we want to process all 50 kg, we need a more efficient processing method.

My basic crusher plan was to use a car jack to push a disc into a perforated pot to press the grapes. A little later you will see drawings of what I got and how to make a grape press with your own hands.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

I didn't want to spend too much on a grape press, since you can buy a juicer in a store for good money.

Materials:

• Large saucepan - 700 rubles.
• (2 pcs.) 50x100 boards that you found on hand - free.
• (2 pcs.) Pieces of plywood 30x30 20mm thick, which were on hand
• (2 pcs.) Plastic kitchen cutting boards - free.
• 1 meter floor plinth- 150 rubles.
• Nails - 60 rubles.
• 6 cm Locking bolts and washers - 300 rubles.
• 5 cm Screws - free.
• Car Jack - Borrowed from a car
• Plastic sheet 0.2mm - 500 rubles.

Note. I used flimsy cutting boards because they were cheap and I had them. If I had some old thick plastic cutting boards I would use them. They are needed to create a layer between the disc and the grapes.

Tools:

• Saw to cut boards
• Circular saw for cutting plywood
• Jigsaw to cut a disc from plywood
• Hammer and nails
• Grinder (if necessary)
• Cutting board scissors

Step 2: Making holes in the pan

You need to make holes in the pan. I thought I'd have to drill them, but it turns out all I needed for the aluminum was a hammer and a nail.

Step 3: Cut out the piston disc

Now that I had the pan and knew its dimensions, I needed to make a disk that would fit tightly to the edges and distribute the force of the jack throughout the grapes. I had some old cutting boards, so I used scissors to cut a circle out of one to the size I wanted.

I then used it as a template for a plywood disc which I cut with a saw. The disc wasn't perfect, but after a few adjustments and sanding it fit well (if you're a perfectionist, use a shape saw).

Step 4: Build the Frame

Now that the disk was ready, I needed a sturdy frame for the pan and jack. The frame must withstand the load both above and below - the force of the jack, pushing away top part frame, and a pot full of grapes that holds Bottom part frames.

I knew that the pan was just under 35 cm in diameter, 25 cm high, and that the range of motion of the jack was between 20 and 40 cm. So, inner part The frame will be 35x35 cm and 50 cm high to accommodate the jack, piston disc, pan and some space to spare. To support the jack from above, I made a cross from 50x100 mm boards, and placed a plywood base underneath.

I cut plywood to form the frame frame and nailed pieces of baseboard on three sides. If everything goes according to plan, then when the juice flows out of the pan, it will fall on cutting board 30x30 cm (which stands at an angle), and will flow into a plastic bath.

I sawed 50x100mm boards to size for the frame, pre-drilled holes for the bolts, and bolted it all together. Where necessary I used locking bolts as I didn't want the fastener to be a weak part of the structure. Even though I thought that for crushing grapes might car jack which can lift 1 ton will be sufficient, it turned out not an easy task. I also built supports to keep the jack from jumping off the boards above and off the disc.

Step 5: Final Design

Here you can see a finished manual grape press.

To use it, put the grapes in a pan and rinse them, then put in a round cutting board, 0.2mm plastic (to create a waterproof barrier between the grapes and the disc), the disc itself, and then a jack. We will turn the screw on the jack, which will place the disc into the pan, squeezing the grapes and allowing the juice to run out of the holes into the tub.

The disc descends slowly, so liquid should not shoot out of the holes. This tells us that the grinder is configured correctly. If things don't go to plan, we can always wrap the frame in 0.2mm plastic to contain the mess.

In theory homemade device For squeezing grapes, you can press any fruit you want. The only limitation is the amount of pressure our frame can withstand. In a fight between a jack and a frame, the first one will definitely win, but I don’t know what kind of fruit would require such strength.

Since most of my project was assembled from materials I had on hand, these instructions can be considered more of a guide than a guide. step by step plan. Your version may use different materials and methods, so experiment! If you decide to go all out, weld the frame out of metal and use a hydraulic jack!

Processing the harvest of berries and fruits is one of the most important tasks that not only farmers, but also owners of personal plots have to solve. TO technical devices, which greatly facilitate this process, is a juice press, which allows you to quickly and without significant physical effort turn fruits and berries into tasty juice rich in vitamins. There is a wide variety of such devices on the modern market, but those home craftsmen who want to save money on purchasing them can easily make such a press with their own hands.

Operating principle and types

All presses for squeezing juice from various berries and fruits can be divided into four main types:

• mechanical devices;
• hydraulic presses;
• electrohydraulic models;
• pneumatic type devices.

The most common due to its low cost and simplicity of design is a mechanical press. manual type. One of the main elements of its design is a perforated basket, into which crushed fruits (pulp) or berries are placed to extract juice. Fruits and berries are squeezed in such a device using a piston, the lowering of which (and the creation of the required pressure) is carried out by rotating the handle that drives the screw mechanism of the press. The juice formed during the pressure of the piston flows through the holes in the basket into a special tray, from where it is then poured into another container.

To make a basket into which the raw materials for squeezing the juice are loaded, stainless steel sheets or hardwood (for example, beech) can be used. In the second case, the design of such a basket is a drainage grid consisting of two equal parts connected to each other by metal hoops.

Modernized and, accordingly, more efficient version hand-held device is a hydraulic press that can be used to extract juice from apples and berries. Instead of a perforated container, the design of such a press uses several drainage frames made of hard wood. The crushed raw materials from which it is necessary to obtain juice are placed in fabric bags and placed between such frames, on which significant pressure is applied from above (1–5 tons), created by manual hydraulic jack. Using such a squeezing mechanism, you can obtain up to 70% of the juice from the total mass of the processed crop.

A hydraulic press does not necessarily involve the use of a jack as a mechanism that creates the required pressure. Thus, in one of the designs of such presses, this mechanism uses an elastic barrel-membrane, which expands under the influence of water supplied to it under a pressure of 1.5–2 atm from a regular water supply network. Expanding, such a press membrane acts on fruits and berries placed in a perforated basket, squeezing out juice from them, which flows through holes in the walls of the basket into a storage tray.

A pneumatic press for squeezing juice also works according to the principle described above. The only difference is that the expansion of the membrane barrel, also present in its design, occurs not under the influence of the water filling it, but under the pressure of compressed air supplied from the compressor.

Because the individual species The raw materials from which the juice must be extracted are loaded into presses in crushed form; it is necessary to mention devices that help bring it into this state. The design of the simplest grinder is a steel drum, the walls of which are made in the form of a grater. Such a drum, which turns the raw materials loaded into it into fine crumbs, is placed in a casing with a loading neck. This simple and effective mechanism is activated by rotating a special handle. There are also more efficient and productive models of such units that are driven by an electric motor.

If we talk about the productivity of mechanical presses for squeezing juice, it is quite small and can be in the range of 10–30 l/hour. However, this performance is quite sufficient for devices used for domestic purposes.

In order to increase the percentage of juice yield from squeezed fruits and berries, as well as improve its quality, two methods are used:

• raw materials are loaded into presses in fabric bags that act as filters;
• The juice is squeezed out using drainage grates made of wood or using stainless steel “pancakes”.

The use of drainage grids or “pancakes” ensures that juice is squeezed not only from the upper and lower parts, but also from the middle part of the compressed volume. The bags, as mentioned above, act as filters and allow you to immediately clear the pulp from the squeezed juice.

In cases where the productivity of a hand press for obtaining juice is not enough, electrically driven devices are used. An electric drive can be seen in a screw press for squeezing juice and in screw-type units that operate on the principle of a conventional meat grinder. In the first case, the press drive is a pair of “electric motor – hydraulic jack”.

In screw presses, which are structurally reminiscent of a conventional meat grinder, the drive electric motor is directly connected to the working element - the screw. This press is used for squeezing grapes; it is also an excellent press for fruits, berries and squeezing juice from tomatoes. It works according to to the following principle: the loaded raw material is crushed by means of a screw and pressed through a sieve that has a conical shape. This form of the sieve allows not only high-quality extraction of juice, but also the removal of seeds. It should be borne in mind that grape or any other juice obtained from such a press has a large amount of pulp.

Prices production models juice presses depend on several factors:

• loading basket volume;
• device type;
• material of manufacture;
• press productivity in terms of juice obtained per unit of time.

Naturally, the cheapest option is a small-capacity home press operating on the screw principle. The cost of a hydraulic juicer is slightly higher. Next in the price category is a press juicer for processing apples and other raw materials, operating using compressed air. The most expensive ones on the market today are membrane-type hydraulic presses.

DIY juice presses

It is quite possible to make a juice press with your own hands, the main thing is to find operating diagrams and drawings of such homemade products, which will not be difficult. Many of those home craftsmen who already have experience in making such equipment are happy to share photos of their devices and even videos showing the process of their manufacture and the principle of operation in detail.

Most often people want to make presses with their own hands. screw type. Meanwhile, it should be borne in mind that it will not be possible to make a powerful screw for such a device without the involvement of a qualified turner. It can be made without third-party specialists if you replace the screw mechanism with a conventional jack (mechanical or hydraulic), which is in the arsenal of every car enthusiast.

Main load-bearing element a press for squeezing juice made by yourself is a frame. Its strength should be given special attention. To make a frame into which the jack will rest and create the required pressure, you can use a square metal pipe with a cross section of 40x40 and a wall thickness of at least 3 mm. Calculating the height of your frame homemade press, you should take into account the total thickness of the drainage grids, linings and bags of raw materials, as well as the height of the jack. The width of the frame can be chosen arbitrarily - the main thing is that a storage tray for collecting the squeezed juice is placed in the opening created.

When creating a press for apples or grapes with your own hands, you should pay special attention to its stability. For effective solution For this task, three pieces can be welded to the bottom of the frame square pipe, which will serve as legs and ensure the stability of the unit. A stand made of boards or wood board on which the pallet will be placed.

Drainage grates, complete with which your apple, grape or any other press will work, should be made only from hardwood (oak or beech). The thickness of the planks from which such gratings will be made must be at least 20 mm.

The press basket is made of oak planks (you can buy parquet planks), tightened with corners with small gaps and secured with stainless steel screws.

The bags in which apple pulp or other raw materials for squeezing juice will be placed can be made from various fabrics (the main thing is that such fabric is highly durable and the bags that are sewn from it do not tear under the influence of high pressure created by the jack). As such fabrics, in particular, you can use ordinary burlap, jute, cotton and linen fabrics, chintz and synthetic materials.

At first I planned to purchase a 76-liter Italian basket press, but then I wanted to make a press myself. I started looking online for photos of antique grape basket presses to take a closer look at the design. Also, I carefully read wine blogs. As a result, in Denis Rudenko’s blog there is an article Wine press - from cave to hi-tec winery and on Vladimir Tsepelik’s Facebook I found what I was looking for. Then it's easier. We make a drawing, then draw in isometry and lay out the elements. Now you need to find where to buy dry oak and a workshop in which to process it. I was lucky - in the first woodworking shop where I went and where they sell dry oak, I met the owners. They turned out to be “garage winemakers”, and even specializing in the production of brandy, i.e. they make dry wine, then distill it into grape alcohol and age it in oak barrels. Then we came to an agreement. I give them a huge THANK YOU! for your help.

1. it all starts with a drawing

2. fuganim - that is, we align two of the four sides


3. sawing


4. I do abs :-)


5. drawing


6. Resmus allows us to make the necessary parts given thickness identical


7. cut the dies for the basket


8. having lunch (away)


9. trim the parts to the size we need


10. trim


11. first result! now all these parts should take shape, they just need to be assembled according to the diagram


12. measure right angles


13. drill and tighten


14. Assembling the frame

Why do we need wine presses, what problems do they solve, what are they, and how to use them correctly? Today's lesson at the School of Crafting is dedicated to this topic. It is important not only to choose a suitable design, but also to understand how and why to use it. The bell rang - let's start the lesson.

This is how grapes were pressed in sultry Italy

Squeeze it dry?

The very name of the equipment makes it clear that it is used to extract moisture from crushed raw materials. You can squeeze both juice and wort in a press, depending on the technology you use to prepare the wine.

How long should the pressing pressure be? The pulp is squeezed out until the juice stops flowing from it. In some cases, it is possible to carry out a secondary extraction, but for this the mass is crushed a second time. Sometimes a small amount of water is added to it to “revive” the pulp. The resulting juice or second-press wine will be inferior in quality to the first.

Preparation for pressing

It is very important to properly prepare the material for pressing. Only crushed material is pressed. Even if you are going to make wine from soft berries, you need to crush them into pulp, and only then put them under pressure.

Why crush the berries at all?

• To squeeze out more juice.
• In order not to break the press. If you put in whole berries, then in an attempt to squeeze maximum amount juice can break the device.

If you press the pulp, then before the first pressing it is not processed additionally, but for the second and subsequent pressings the pulp also needs to be crushed.

Stages of pulp pressing

I’ll say right away: the technologies for making red and white wine differ from each other. If you have the time, desire and inspiration to make real, proper red wine, you will have to work a little harder.

• First you need to make pulp and put it on fermentation along with berry peels and skins.
• After fermentation is complete, the pulp sinks to the bottom of the container with the wort.
• Part of the wine is drained by gravity, and the remaining pulp is unloaded from the container for pressing.

Pressed wines are richer in tannins, minerals and have a brighter color. To obtain pressed wine of good quality, the wort must be constantly stirred during fermentation for better aeration.

The simplest option is to crush the berries, squeeze out the juice and put it on fermentation. This is what they do when you want to get homemade wine with minimal labor.

Separation of wort by gravity

From the very beginning of draining, the wort flows under gravity rather than under pressure. Gravity in Bordeaux is called “big wine”. It differs not only in the method of production, but also in its characteristics. It balances sugar and acidity. The taste is more subtle and soft due to less tannins. At the same time, the product has a weaker color and a reduced amount of anthocyanins, which are responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of wine. Gravity separated wines are more susceptible to developing yeasty and sour odors. That's why they are mixed with pressed wine to add depth of flavor and color.

First pressure wort

After the wine has been drained or siphoned off, we need to press the remaining must. The wort is removed from the vat or bottle, moved to a press and pressed. The result is pressed first-press wine. It contains a reduced alcohol content and an increased sugar content, but there is no excess sugar content. The first pressure wort has a brighter color and a more tart taste due to the increased content of anthocyanins and tannins. There is no malic acid in it, the taste qualities are bright.

The wort can be blended (mixed) with “big wine” immediately after the end of pressing. This is how young table wines are produced.

Second pressure wort

But the first pressing does not completely free the pulp from the wort. Therefore, a second and even a third spin is acceptable. Before each subsequent pressing, the residue is further crushed in order to achieve a greater degree of grinding of the material. Naturally, repeated crushing causes the destruction of the pulp material, releasing more bitter and astringent fractions. Second-press wort contains sugar, malic acid, and has a high tannin content. It is not blended immediately, but is allowed to mature separately, and only after that it is put into production. The second pressing must is used to produce dessert wine.

Third pressure wort

We grind the pulp again and put it under the press again. As a result of the third pressing, we obtain a wine with high acidity, high tannin content, but the level of sugars in it is minimal. The anthocyanin content decreases, as does color saturation. Third pressing must is not added to young wines. It is used to produce vintage wines, as well as strong red wines.

If you continue pressing the wort, the resulting raw material can be used to prepare grape alcohol.

Living wood or cold steel?

No matter what technology you use to prepare wine, you still can’t do without a press.

What to prefer - a press made of wood or metal? For the manufacture of presses and their individual elements, hardwood is used. Beech is most common, as it is hard and relatively available material. It must be said that today presses made of solid wood are becoming less and less common, and they are expensive. The most common option is a combination of materials, when the frame is made of metal and the basket is made of wood.

If you come across a press made entirely of wood at a price below 6-7 thousand, then do not rush to grab your wallet, but check the material of manufacture. Most likely, the device is made of plywood and will quickly become unusable if exposed to moisture.

Metal presses have many advantages, which is why they are very popular. They are characterized by ease of maintenance and operation, they are sold in a huge range of volumes and prices. The main condition is that the metal for the press must have protective covering, which protects against rust formation. Stainless steel presses are not at risk of corrosion.

As a rule, we choose material for the press based on taste preferences and capabilities. In addition, if you are looking for productive automatic presses, the vast majority of them are made of metal and other lightweight modern materials.

Basic design of wine presses

The general structure of a wine press is well described by its colloquial name: a crusher.

There is a place for storing crushed raw materials, and there is a tray for draining the liquid fraction. Pressure is applied to the plate or drainage grid, which is in direct contact with the pulp, using various mechanisms. For a screw press it is a screw, for a hydraulic press it is a hydraulic jack or a membrane. Liquid is squeezed out of the pulp under pressure. It flows into the pan, and from there into the prepared container.

There are other designs, for example, barrels with a membrane, popular in hydraulic and pneumatic presses. Expanding, it crushes the pulp, and the liquid is squeezed out of the barrel, flowing down the outer walls into the pan. The cake remains on the walls.

Even the simplest screw hand press turns out to be an order of magnitude more effective in squeezing than manual labor. If we talk about automatic or mechanical presses, then in them the spin takes place, literally, “with one left hand.”

The main rule for the safety and security of the press is to add only crushed raw materials, since the pressure must be uniform. Adding unchopped fruits or berries is fraught with failure of the pressing mechanism.

Types of wine presses

As I said above, the types of presses are very diverse in terms of their operating principle. All of them are actively represented on the market and are intended to make the work of winemakers easier. Let's talk about the most popular and common types.

Mechanical hand press

Its structure and principle of operation will seem familiar even to those who have never dealt with pressing. Here are the main structural elements.

• Perforated basket for storing pulp.
• Cover or bag to prevent splashing.
• Screw mechanism.
• Pressing plane.
• Bed with receiving tray.

The pulp is loaded into the basket. Manual rotation activates a screw mechanism that lowers the plane onto the pulp. The descending piston creates the necessary force for pressure; under pressure, the liquid flows into the receiving pan, and from there into the collection container.

Design advantages.

• Easy to manage and operate.
• Cheapness
• Compact dimensions
• Variability.
• Relatively high productivity, higher than that of the same juicer.
• Maximum gentle and high-quality spin.
• It can be made of wood, which ensures the most natural taste of the future drink.
• Does not require additional water or electricity consumption.

One of the disadvantages is the need for significant muscular effort.

It is best suited for small volumes of pressing, for example, for seasonal wine from the harvest of a private farm. Easily allows you to get from 4 to 15 liters from one batch of raw materials, depending on the model. The cheapest and most economical press option.

Pneumatic press

In the design of this press, the force is created using compressed air.

The principle of operation is simple. The pulp is loaded into a barrel or basket. The membrane acts as a press, which is activated by compressed air. Under air pressure, the membrane expands, squeezing juice out of the pulp.

Advantages of a pneumatic press.

• High performance.
• High efficiency.
• A minimum of effort - even a woman can work with the press.

The downside is the rather high cost, which increases the need additional connection compressor as a source of compressed air.

A pneumatic press is suitable for those who plan to engage in winemaking on a relatively regular basis or create a family business. Of the mechanical and manual presses, it is the most expensive. Even higher are the prices for pneumatic membrane presses.

Hydraulic Press

As the name suggests, pressure is provided by a hydraulic mechanism. This may be a hydraulic jack, as in some hand presses. Or maybe an expanding membrane.

Among hydraulic devices, there are designs that use drainage frames rather than a plate or membrane. Between them are placed raw materials packed in fabric bundles or bags. Using a hydraulic jack, the device is driven, developing great force and showing excellent efficiency.

Advantages of a hydraulic press.

• Efficiency.
• High performance.
• Does not require electricity, which means there are no additional costs for it.
• Presented in various options, so you can choose what you need.

The downside is the rather high price, water consumption, and placement of some structures, for example, a hydraulic drainage press, requires quite a lot of space.

The hydraulic press ensures high productivity. Many models yield 30–40 liters from one pulp. Suitable for trying your hand at craft winemaking on an ongoing basis. Costs less than pneumatic models, but more than manual screw models.

Electro-hydraulic press

A productive and powerful device that is used in cases where the power of mechanical and, especially, manual models is not enough. The design of the device resembles a hydraulic screw press, which is driven by an electric motor.

Among the advantages, I note high productivity, ease of operation, and spin efficiency.

The disadvantages include the high price and additional costs for electricity. The electro-hydraulic press is heavy. It cannot be transported like a conventional hand-held device. But it saves your energy and time as much as possible. Its use is justified in cases where you want to make your own wine on an ongoing basis. Well, or if you are a champion of ergonomics and want your every movement to bring maximum effect.

What to look for when choosing a wine press?

What criteria should be used as the basis for choosing a press?

Mounting location: floor or tabletop

For large rooms, it is logical to choose a floor press. As a rule, such devices have a large capacity.

If the size of the room is limited, you need to place the equipment compactly and conveniently, then opt for tabletop presses, especially since among them there are capacious models for 8–10 liters of the finished product.

Volume

The press has two volume characteristics - loading (basket volume) and output.

The basket volume shows how much raw material the press can accept at one time. The second is how much juice or wine the press produces in one cycle of operation with a full load.

Thus, a press with a 20 liter basket produces 8–12 liters of product. Equipment for 10 liters of raw material loading will produce 4–6 liters of juice.

The choice depends on what volumes you expect to work with. Take the press not “for growth”, but based on real needs.

Draw your attention! It is impossible to achieve the same juice yield for all types of raw materials. If it is said that a press allows you to get 4-6 liters of juice from 10 kg of product, then this is an average figure. Pressing, say, grapes will give you this volume, but from currants there will be much less juice. Therefore, I give average figures for the output volume.

Automatic or manual

I have already spoken about this above. The greater the volume of raw materials for processing, the more work. Therefore, to obtain wine from your own grapes or apples, you can use a hand press. If you have plans to process hundreds of kilograms of fruit and berry products, then it is worth investing in a productive automatic press.

Material of manufacture and price

Depends on your tastes and capabilities. Moreover, the majority modern models they still have a stainless steel working part.

Practical part

To reinforce the theory, watch the video, which will help you understand the issue.

Homework

Send me a photo of the press you use or the one you have planned for yourself. Explain why you like this model.

In this lesson we got acquainted with wine presses, learned about different types presses, what tasks they solve, how to use them correctly and understand the intricacies of pressed wine.

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