Using a Press for the First Time

Ed,

Rachet presses can produce high pressures and high pressures can extract too much bitter materials. Many home winemakers fill the basket, slowly apply as much pressure as possible and then discard the pomace. This technique minimizes the effort work. But, it does not dry out the pomace well and it does not produce the best quality wine.

Here is pressing technique for obtaining dry pomace and good quality wine. Unfortunately, considerable effort is required. (1) Fill the basket with crushed fruit. Add the top plates, the blocks and the press head. Apply a small amount of pressure until a steady flow of juice is produced. (2) When the flow almost stops, increase the pressure by a small amount and wait again. Large amounts of foam between the basket slats will oxidize the juice, and the foam is an indication that pressure is being applied too rapidly. (3) Continue increasing the pressure in steps until no more liquid can be obtained. (4) Disassemble the press by removing the press head, blocks, top plates and the basket. (5) Remove the pomace cake from the press. Place the pomace in a shallow container or on a clean concrete floor and crumble the cake with a shovel. (6) Replace the basket on the press. Refill the basket, reassemble the press and start the next pressing cycle.

Many red grape varieties will produce 150 - 170 gallons of wine, but three or more press cycles are usually required.

Good luck pressing, lum

Thanks Lum - I will definitely apply pressure in small increments, and try to minimize foam coming out. You mention doing three or more press cycles, but how do you decide when you've done enough? Isn't there a point where you're just extracting tannins and other bitter elements that won't help the wine?

Thanks again.

Ed

Ed, The amount of work required is just about the same for each press cycle, but less wine is produced each cycle. For example, with a 1/4 ton press, you might get about:

28 gallons the first cycle, 7 gallons the second cycle, 2 gallons the third cycle and 0.5 gallons the forth cycle. So, deciding when to stop is easy. You wont extract very much bitter material if you keep the pressure to less than 30 - 40 pounds per square inch. lum

Thanks Lum, that's a good explanation - I guess just keep the pressing light (I'm not sure how to determine 30-40 pounds/sq. in. without a meter of some type).

Ed

P.S. I had the pleasure of flying business class on Delta to Spain last month (thanks to frequent flyer miles), and in the menu they give out for dinner there was a section about making your own wine and they cite your on-line book as an excellent resource - so you're advise is flying high these days!

Wow, congrats Lum! So, you're getting courted up by the big corporate whigs! JK...

Ed, I do recommend using fiberglass screening in the basket. I suppose it's dependent upon the slat spacing but you can easily blow a grape out between the slats and lose a fair amount of juice that way.

Breaking the cake down and repressing is time-consuming but worth the juice you gain. I don't separate free run from first press or even second press, but I do keep the third press separate just because I thought they would be highly tannic but do not yet taste so.

Patrick,

How to you prepare the screening to be used? Just wash and spray with sulfite solution or what?

Thanks,

Ed

Yep - just rinse with water and soak/clean with a sulfite solution. Run the screen along the inside of the basket, leave a little on the bottom and fold the top over the must before adding your press halves.