Homemade press ideas?

[bramptonbrewer]

I have been making wine from juice only for a while, but I would like to make a small batch (5 gallons) from grapes this year. I really don't want to invest in a press until I know it's something I will get another of use out of. Do any of you guys have any ideas how I can press the grapes without a press or a cheap diy that will get me through atleast this batch. If it works out I probably will invest in a press in the future.

 

[JasonKH]

I have been considering making one also, i have seen ones made from steel pots with holes drilled through the bottom then using a hydraulic jack to do the grunt work. I have just been running my fruit through a juicer and placing the pulp into my cloth bag, no pressing needed.

 

[bramptonbrewer]

I have had that suggested to me, but I don't think that would be a great idea with grapes. The cloth idea could work, but I would be leaving a lot of juice in the skins. I've seen someone use 2 buckets. Drill holes in one and place the must in a nylon bag. Put the bag in the bucket with holes. Then fit the other bucket inside the first bucket and use either a car jack or hydraulic lift to press. I guess that could work in a pinch.

 

[shelly_belly]

I put my grapes in a 1 gallon baggie, freeze and then thaw. I then crush them in the baggie with a rolling pin. I can crush 35-40 pounds in 30 minutes. I've never had a bag leak.

 

[bramptonbrewer]

I put my grapes in a 1 gallon baggie, freeze and then thaw. I then crush them in the baggie with a rolling pin. I can crush 35-40 pounds in 30 minutes. I've never had a bag leak.

It's not the crushing I need help with, it's trying to figure out how to press the grapes without investing in a press right now.

 

[shelly_belly]

After 4 or 5 days on the skins I pour the contents through some cheescloth or paint strainer bag then squeeze the remaining juice out by hand. Very little juice is left behind.

 

[bramptonbrewer]

I have thought about that, but it might be a little too much. I want to do either a 5 or 10 gallon batch. Preferably 10. At this point it's either going to be the bag method or two buckets method. I will be buying and crushing the grapes this weekend and I will have to press them next weekend.

 

[brewingmeister]

**** man, go old school and use your feet.

 

[bu_gee]

I think you could just let gravity do the work. Start with the idea of two buckets, one perforated with some kind of a bag inside holding the grapes. Put something heavy on top for 24 hours and see what you get.

I use this method for straining yogurt just on a much smaller scale.

 

[fbird55]

I just juiced a bunch of watermelon in an old pillow case. Boiled the case for half an hour or so before to sterilize. Just folded the top end of the case over the rim of the bucket as you would do with a trash bag in a trash can. Worked like a charm, and you can really twist on it hard without fruit squeezing through. The watermelon flesh came out pretty dry after a good squeeze, not much if any fruit bits squeezed through.

 

[WinterWarrior]

I saw this the other day. It may be more work than you had in mind, but seems to be a lot lesser expensive to build than most of the presses I've seen the plans for.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

check out the book - Homebuilt Winery, the author Steve Hughes is a fellow wine maker that has built most all of his wine making equipment.

 

[abeekeeper]

I hated the juicing part so I ordered a Mehu Liisa steam juicer from amazon all these home made juicers or cool and all but looks too much like work to me just add what you want juiced turn on the stove let steam 1 and 1/2 hours tops and you have 100% juice to use for what ever you want. well we are all here so we know what we want this pot has made my life as a novice wine melomel cider cyser and a few other's much easier.

 

[ncredneck]

Bucket and a 4x4 will juice anything.

 

[scarekrow]

Rental yards do carry apple presses ( or called cider presses) for making apple cider. It's the same for pressing grapes. Good luck.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

I have been making wine from juice only for a while, but I would like to make a small batch (5 gallons) from grapes this year. I really don't want to invest in a press until I know it's something I will get another of use out of. Do any of you guys have any ideas how I can press the grapes without a press or a cheap diy that will get me through atleast this batch. If it works out I probably will invest in a press in the future.

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

 

[Honda88]

I have a breville juicer that I do apple wine with. The first time I did it, I didn't use the pulp during fermentation but if I had to do it again I would probably sink the pulp in the fermenter inside a bag. so I get more tannins that way.

 

[bramptonbrewer]

I just found " the ultimate fruit press " not going to help me this year but will be great next year. I should be able to make 3 or 4 different small batches without a lot of trouble and it was a fraction or the cost of a wine press

 

[HighOnLife]

I made this press from three 5 gallon buckets, one 2x6 and a $40 Trailer Jack. The bottom bucket has a spigot in it. The middle bucket has about 50 holes in the bottom and holds the fruit in a large brew bag (to keep it from squeezing through the holes). The top bucket is pressed down onto the fruit.

I just made 20 gallons of perry with it from a friends asian pear farm.

 

[liquiditynerd]

This was my solution.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTAlXuuTz7o&list=UUXtCzAlhjCCX6iVK_aL344g[/ame]

or youtube search Home Made DYI winepress. about to press some barbera right now, well in a minute. trying to calculate where I want my abv