Fruit Press from 20 ton shop press

[JonClayton]

Is anyone else using a shop press as fruit press? I purchased a press over the weekend and I am looking for ideas on how to build the catch basin and press racks.

 

[Turkeyshot]

Might not be exactly what you are looking for but here is how someone did it with a simple bottle jack for a press.

http://www.orionhomebrewing.com/2012/06/build-diy-apple-cider-press-basket-for.html

 

[DaMonkey]

Is anyone else using a shop press as fruit press? I purchased a press over the weekend and I am looking for ideas on how to build the catch basin and press racks.

Yea. Initially I used stainless steel commercial cooking pans but as you can imagine they bend and dent. I was thinking of getting a stainless steel basis but due to the fact I don't weld and stainless steel is expensive; I am going to use wood. I will probably enforce the wood with some type of metal. I will coat the wood in polyurethane. I am obviously going to do this closer to apple season.

For the racks I have seen these plastic bread racks cut up and used. I will be ordering a few of them.

 

[JonClayton]

Thanks Everyone.

The bread racks seem to be a good idea. I listened to Reverend Nat's 2013 cidercon talk here and he specifically recommends these bakery trays http://www.dacocorp.com/plastic-wire-containers/hand-held/bakery-trays.html

The only thing is, they are large enough that shipping is expensive so I am trying to find them locally.

I think for the moment I am going to try a bus boy box on the bottom with HDPE cutting board for racks. This should get me through my initial batches of berries this spring. I want to have something more robust in place by apple season.

BTW, if you check out the presentation, look at the mods he did to his HF 20 ton press. I will eventually have a friend do the welding for me when I go larger scale. For now I am just looking to run small batches at home.

 

[Silentdrinker]

I bought one on sale for like $100 or $150 and then got an air over hydraulic 20 ton press on sale for about $50

I copied this: http://youtu.be/__oel_2GyaA

 

[JonClayton]

Silent, thanks! That is the press design I am going for long term but had not seen that particular video. That video clears up some questions I had about the welding.