Fruit/Grape Press?

[punkin]

Obviously some of you guys are using presses for your brandies?

Just wanna throw some ideas around, and wonder if people have stumbled across other sites (wine sites etc) with ideas for home made presses?
Don't think i'd have any trouble sourcing the bits, just wonder what works and what doesn't. I've seen the ones at brew shops on line that are made from wooden staves and i'm confident i could make one ok, but i was thinking the barrell out of a stainless washing mashine tub would save me a lot of work and expense.
Maybe machine (or grind) some slots down the sides to handle juice better than the little holes?

Any suggestions?
Links?
Piccies of your own setup?

Also information as to how to proceed to pulp a whole lot of fruit? I've read in posts here going back where it's easier to get the full percentage of juice by first freezing fruit/berries/grapes, but is there other tips on how to process em before stuffing em into the press?
Or is grapes the only ones that need pressing?


Whole lotta questions that hopefully can generate discussion rather than point and do answers.

[As-Ol-Joe]

There is an older fellow here that make his own wine was muscadines and grapes. He uses a tomato juicer that you buy from walmart. According to him it works really well at removing the seeds and skins. I'm going to try it when I get some grapes.

[goose eye]

dont be pressin grapes like cider get you a popper. after they poped put em in a sack. when you fermint itll eat everythang but skins an seeds. after bout 10 days lift the sack out an let it drain. breakin all them seeds gonna ruin wine
so im tole

[Tater]

Obviously some of you guys are using presses for your brandies?

Just wanna throw some ideas around, and wonder if people have stumbled across other sites (wine sites etc) with ideas for home made presses?
Don't think i'd have any trouble sourcing the bits, just wonder what works and what doesn't. I've seen the ones at brew shops on line that are made from wooden staves and i'm confident i could make one ok, but i was thinking the barrell out of a stainless washing mashine tub would save me a lot of work and expense.
Maybe machine (or grind) some slots down the sides to handle juice better than the little holes?

Any suggestions?
Links?
Piccies of your own setup?

Also information as to how to proceed to pulp a whole lot of fruit? I've read in posts here going back where it's easier to get the full percentage of juice by first freezing fruit/berries/grapes, but is there other tips on how to process em before stuffing em into the press?
Or is grapes the only ones that need pressing?


Whole lotta questions that hopefully can generate discussion rather than point and do answers.

If you had tried a search ya a found this http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... t=#6709592

[punkin]

dont be pressin grapes like cider get you a popper. after they poped put em in a sack. when you fermint itll eat everythang but skins an seeds. after bout 10 days lift the sack out an let it drain. breakin all them seeds gonna ruin wine
so im tole

Thanks Goose, but i'm interested in fruit brandies and Grappa. The bloke who told me about the grappa told me just like you said that i just had to 'bust' the grapes then ferment the whole lot together. Just figured a press would double up to do that, if pressed lightly. Whats a 'popper' look like?

Anyone seen a stainless drum in action?


Good on ya tater, if i'd done the search and found the thread, i coulda just re-raised my questions. The great idea thats in that thread is the hydraulic bit
I was gunna get the brass long thread bit out of a big old valve, but the $20 jack can't be beat.

I've read your threads on the mortar mixer chopper, mate, do you reckon it's a better way to go than a press for what we're trying to do with brandies?
Obviously i don't need a clear wine, just something thin enough to boil?
If i get apples or pears, would the chopper work then too?
I value your opinion as i can see you make a lot of the type of spirits i'm interested in.

[schnell]

an idea i haven't tried yet: use two nesting buckets that are the same size. drill out a few holes in the bottom and fill it with the fruit. place the other one on top and fill it with water.

[Tater]

I usually freeze all fruit and berries before using them . On peaches plums and berries I use sharpened morter mixer.On apples and pears I freeze run through grinder and use morter mixer.You can just put fruit in a sack and hold it under water in your fermenter but that takes longer.Ive also seen fokes put a garbage disposal on a old sink and use it to grind up fruit and berries.And have seen a wood chipper used to bust up apples.Main thing is to get the meat into a pulp and not the seeds.I ferment and single run on pulp so I like it with no lumps left in wash.Only time I run fruits more then once is when making brandy's with no added sugar.Ive ran them as many as 3 times.I do have a cider press that a friend gave me long time ago but have never used it.It will do a bushel of apples at a time.But its easier to buy the fresh cider from my buddy's at the apple orchard.I can usually buy the juice at the same price as buying the apples.And they already blended the different apples to get the cider.It makes good brandy but I prefer Using apples with the pulp and I do mix different kinds of apples that way also.Last I made was a mix of red and yellow delicious and fugie apples in equal parts.But best I ever made was with seven different kinds of apples that I had collected over time and had frozen till I had enough to do a few runs.What I like best about freezing fruits is that you can let it ripen till its just right and toss in freezer as ya go till you have as much as needed for wash and its all equally ripe.

[mtnwalker2]

I am so disallusioned. I always thought the process was you put the grapes into a tub about a foot deep, and all the ladies would descend upon you to stomp your grapes. OUCH. I always thought they would make sure one of them got tripped, so you would have your yeast.

Modern technology and machines have sure taken some of the fun out.

My mother always had a ceramic hanging in the bathroom, "Never bite the foot that stomps your grapes".

[blanikdog]

I always thought they would make sure one of them got tripped, so you would have your yeast.

You are so baaaaaaaad

blanik

[punkin]

Thanks tater, i'll get back to ya when i start running a few
Your advice is invaluable and has saved me building a press i think.
Just gotta get the paint stirrer and now i guess i'll have to buy a big drill to drive it

Can't wait to get up to the fruit belt, and might even visit some of the fruit shops round here. Reckon all their excess goes to the pig farmers, but might be able to talk some bruised/overripe stuff outa them. There's also an orchard and a few boutioque vineyards around that should keep me busy if i can get to em.

I'm excited....



LikeAHappyPuppyPunkin

[goose eye]

tater you runin pudin? how thick an how you keepin it from stickin

them boys is kinda partial to the sack when they can cause fruit aint gonna rot the taste gets out an it saves you a hole bunch of time strainin.
then if need be they wrap sack in chesse cloth an press. let it settle out then add back.
way to mess up a nite is scorch your ketle first off
so im tole



punkin hold a hand up an look at it. theres your grape poper it you aint got many.
pit your stone fruit for you start makein your mess

[Tater]

tater you runin pudin? how thick an how you keepin it from stickin

them boys is kinda partial to the sack when they can cause fruit aint gonna rot the taste gets out an it saves you a hole bunch of time strainin.
then if need be they wrap sack in chesse cloth an press. let it settle out then add back.
way to mess up a nite is scorch your ketle first off
so im tole



punkin hold a hand up an look at it. theres your grape poper it you aint got many.
pit your stone fruit for you start makein your mess

Nope no puddin goose little thinner then you would run a corn meal mash or thinner then apple sauce .I keep a few hand fulls of copper pieces in my still but other then that I run it like anything else. A bushel of fruit 20 lbs sugar in a 15 gallon barrel filled to around 14 gallons is my basic recipe.6 bushels of fruit and no sugar in a 55 gallon barrel filled to 45 gallons with added water Way I seen my dad and other kin do it and heard grand dad talk about doing it.Hasnt let me down yet

[punkin]

punkin hold a hand up an look at it. theres your grape poper it you aint got many.

Jeez, can see that takin a while for a big batch
The grape in a bucket stomp is lookin better.

Reading all you blokes say with great interest

[duds2u]

Punkin
Are you talking about hthe fruit belt just across the border?
If you are then look up Suttons Juice Factory and Berry Gardens while you are up there. He's just had a still made in Tassy so that he doesn't have to buy in alcohol for his liqueurs and it is going to be a show piece in his tasting room.

[goose eye]

punkin these boys modyfyed a ole cloths wringer to wood an added hoper.

tater yall usein somethin tween the fire an ketle

[Tater]

tater yall usein somethin tween the fire an ketle

Nope goose Use propane turkey fryer.Other then copper pieces in still theres nothing between bottom of keg and heat.I take 1 hr 45 minutes to bring 13 gallon wash to temp.Then cut back till tooth pick size stream to run. Take around 3 hrs to do run after heat up.Flame are close to bottom during heat up but are barley on during run. Only time Ive scorched anything stilling fruits this way was some pears I tried running that had some chunks still in wash.Long as Ive kept it to a thin no lump wash aint had any trouble.Cant say doing grain has worked as well when doing on grain distilling I use a unaltered keg and its hard to stir till temp is reached so I use a double boiler to do them until I rig up a small steam outfit.

[punkin]

Punkin
Are you talking about hthe fruit belt just across the border?
If you are then look up Suttons Juice Factory and Berry Gardens while you are up there. He's just had a still made in Tassy so that he doesn't have to buy in alcohol for his liqueurs and it is going to be a show piece in his tasting room.

Yeah, mate, travel through there,also goin to Gatton for a few days.
Googled it and i think i know wgere it is, we're goin straight past there, if i can i'll stop in. Sounds interesting.


Thanks Goose, as usual consice, fresh thinking.

[goose eye]

tater i rekon its all bout noin your outfit.
so im tole

[Tater]

tater i rekon its all bout noin your outfit.
so im tole

I reckin so

[punkin]

Had a great afternoon yesterday. Went to an orchard outside town to see about some cheap fruit for brandies. Spoke to the farmers wife, who showed me three full rows of big yellow peaches that'll be ready next week. She said they weren't doing anything with em, but let em rot on the trees, as they were pulling the trees next year.
There'd be a couplea ton of em on there, and she said to ring and check with hubbie, but she was sure i'd be able to just have em for nothin....
Also said he was talking bout starting up their big coolroom for the summer next week and there shouldn't be a problem with me having a corner of it to store some peaches....
Also said they had a problem with rabbits round the place and she was sure the farmer would be happy to have me out there hunting em with my high powered airrifle...

Gotta get me some 44 gal fermenters this week....

Tater, i've searched all the fruit stuff in this forum, and still have a couplea questions.
I've seen in some old posts where you reckon distillers yeast is ok for fruit and champagne yeast as well.
I have bulk supplys of whiskey yeast (danstill c) and would use that rather than buy red star champagne, do ya reckon it's 'as' good?

Also, how long is a peach ferment with sugar likely to take?
Is it a matter of 4-6 weeks or 4-6 days?
My motar mixer should be in the shop to pick up by today, looking forward to playing with all this stuff.
I also resurected the thread where y'all were talking about mixing corn whiskey and peach brandy for a unique spirit....would like to carry that on either here or in that thread.

[Tater]

Never used that yeast so cant say.Try a small amount and see. Long as wash tastes like wine should be fine.No added sugar ferment will usually go 4 to 10 days depending on yeast and temp.Sugar added can go 10 days to 6 weeks .

[goose eye]

forget how they look taste em if they got the sent an taste get you a press an set your mind to workin. chance like this dont come round much. winell keep.
so im tole

[punkin]

forget how they look taste em if they got the sent an taste get you a press an set your mind to workin. chance like this dont come round much. winell keep.
so im tole

Thanks guys, i spoke to the farmer last night and he said come out early next week. The timing couldn't be worse for collecting some bulk, as i'm going away for a week next Wednesday.
I'll have to go out tuesday arvo and pick a ute load.
I've got an empty 100 litre freezer in the shed, so that's a couplea boxes taken care of.
I want to get a couple of 44 gal food grade drums to use as fermenters, i wonder what the contents would look like if i just stored whole peaches in these for a week in my hot shed
The only other thing i can do is wrap some cases in large plastic bags or something? I just won't have the time to process em.
Hopefully there will still be some that are ok the week after. The farmer said they'll be letting em rot on the tree, but he said they won't be much good the next week cause of 'brown rot'....

[goose eye]

im gonna take my smoke pole to this machine oneday

pit em then do like tater do an beat em all to peaces an freeze what you
can. pit an beat to peaces an fill em in barel to 3/4 full an pour a sack of suger on top tie garbage sack to top for airlock. itll be standin tall when you get back. you wastein you time keepin em in boxs.
if you cant squeze pit out they aint ready but you do what you gotta do.
you mite be able to barter some out.
so im tole

[duds2u]

Punkin
Where did you get the bulk Danstill C yeast from?

[punkin]

Punkin
Where did you get the bulk Danstill C yeast from?

PM me.

[punkin]

Thanks Goose.
I've sat down and nutted out a recipe this morning.
Took Taters fruit wine post as a starting point and used my experiences with the DWWG and UJSM for fermenting strengths and times.

I've cut the sugar back from Taters recipe, how does this sound?

105 litres (3 bushels) Peaches,
Chopped up with my mortar mixer and strained as tater said
20 kg (44 pound) sugar
Converted with 1 cup lemon juice and made up to
150 litres (40 gallons) mash in a 205 liter (55 gallon) food grade steel drum with hose airlock.

I'm thinking of setting down two of these brews at once and not worrying about making grappa this year.
Figure a double distill and age on oak some while keeping some clear?

Estimating probably 30 odd litres low wines (65%) per brew?

[Tater]

If peaches are sweet you should get around 7 gallons tempered likker outta that recipe

[goose eye]

peach is a hard sent to hold. with all them peachs you got id use all peach. 3 bushel wont fill up a barel unles you addin water. go ahead an
fill it up to bout 50 gal. start with garbage bag for airlock then swich if you of the mind to
so im tole

[punkin]

Thanks guys, the 7 gals is around about where i'd thought i'd be...

So you don't reckon it'll rise too much, Goose?
That's all i was thinkin when i decided to leave so much airspace.

I'll see how much peaches i get, but it sounds like i shouldn't have too much trouble filling the drums up.

Got two 55 gal drums and my mud mixer attachment for the drill today, got the water tank outlet threaded fittings and ball valves for the drums, i spose brass won't react with the mash...