Plasitc wrap your press basket

Ray -

I like the plastic wrap answer, but I've solved it a different way. Ever since a very bad experience with Niagara pulp-bodies shooting all over a front step, I've used the large nylon mesh bags in my press. I put two of them in, one on each side of the center post, and fill them up. When it comes time to press, fold in the tops and press away. Haven't had a squirter since (been about 4 years now).

It takes a little work to clean them up, but a little soak in water, hose 'em off, then invert and hose again seems to work.

Ray Calvert wrote:

Cheesecloth also works quite well, and can be adapted for any size press.

Bryan

I went to a fabric store and bought 2 yards of "sports mesh". It's normal use is lining sports clothing but works great in a press basket. It is a nylon type fabric that is resistant to tears and stretches nicely and I highly recommend it.

The large nylon paint straining bags found at Home Depot are also useful in a small basket press. Ray - I've been using the plastic wrap solution to squirters for a few years. I have my wine in the basement for fermentation and those squirters caused a nasty clean up mess. I still make a mess but it's not all over the walls now.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

Chambourcin.

Hi Ray, I use a small Vaslin horizontal press, and these presses are notorious for producing squirters. Here is my solution. (1) Stand back. (2) Wash the floor as soon as pressing is complete. Works for me. Lum Del Mar, California, USA

Two nice things I noted about the plastic wrap is that

1) You can see through it. (not important but I like to see it) 2) When finished, throw it way.

It's amazing how many people have a solution for this little problem (other than Lum's solution of cleaning it up) and yet I have not seen many (any) posts on it. Then again maybe I missed them. I am sure some of the others out there have solutions to other little problems that the rest of us have not thought of. Let's post them!

Ray

Are the straining bags food grade? If not you might leach out something undesireable.

Bryan

The ones I use are - I get them from the local homebrew store. Where they are in the store, I expect they're actually for beermaking.

Rob

Nylon screen from the hardware store placed on the interior of the basket. I'd love to say it's food grade but I know better. I could do Al screen but that's only slightly better, although useable for many, many years...

I also have food grade straining bags, although the ones I have are not large enough to line a press. My concern was about the ones that Bill bought at Home Depot.

Bryan

That's why I use cheese cloth -- it's food grade. It also eliminates the cleaning part -- just throw it away when done. :-)

If anyone knows of a source for food-grade mesh or screen, please post it!

Bryan

Jake Speed "That's why I use cheese cloth -- it's food grade. It also eliminates

Bryan- Try

Lots of choices there for stainless steel screen. As far as nylon Home Depot straining bags go, they don't concern me. The wine is in contact with the nylon for a moment. It's not sitting there extracting for a prolonged period. They certainly work well.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

Bryan, I have bought and used those nylon strainer bags at Home Depot, with no problems. Like all nylon strainer bags, they do not last for long. After three or four uses in a press, it's time for the trash can. To get the most out of a white wine must, I crush and destem once, crush again, then press. I have a 13 inch basket press. I put the crushed grapes in three strainer bags, which I arrange around the bottom, evenly as possible. Press, getting as much juice as possible, release, then remove the strainer bags and jumble up the remains (in the strainer bag) inside, then return to the press, and press again. A bit involved, I know. But it helps to be able to go through, by hand, and get those last little grapes and squeeze them by hand and then press them. I have not had any problem with painter's strainer bags. Then again, I tend to drink my white wines sooner than my reds. I use one painter's strainer bag per red wine to strain off the seeds, etc. when racking to a carboy. No problem there, either.

Joanne

"Jake Speed" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I'd tend to agree with Bill here, wrt the contact time with the nylon. I'd actually expect a lot more in terms of extractables/plasticisers from anyone using PVC in any way or urethane racking tubes, food grade or not. No proof for that thought, just experience with plastics. The saran-wrap solution is probably good, even if you used packaging wrap instead of the standard leftovers-wrap at the grocery store.

Rob