# New wine grape press



## tmf

This is my new grape press for squishing grapes into wine.. I am to cheap to drop $400 on a commercial press so this is my solution. The grapes or fruit are mashed and put into a bag inside the white bucket. the arm is lifted and the bucket is placed under the hammer for a better word. the arm is lowered and a weight is placed on the flat spot on the arm gaining a mechanical advantage( cinder block ) the juice is squeezed and drains through a hose that goes directly into the carboys for fermenting. Way less air is added than a regulay press would add making for a better wine.
The hammer is made from baltic birch and the wine does not affect it or it the wine. I made a crusher from all Baltic birch and it is many years old with now issues at all. Baltic birch is a marine type plywood but the juice really only gets the parts wet once a year so how long should it last?


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## stevepeterson

Hi tmf,

Can you explain how it works? Do the grapes go into the middle section, so you get some leverage to increase the force?


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## Minorhero

The middle part of it is a platform for the rectangular bucket and the plunger is currently resting on the plat form. The lever is lifted up, then you put the bucket in place filled with grapes, the plunger comes down and squishes them. You probably sit on the lever to make it go in deeper.

Did you use any finish on this? I would assume not since you wouldn't want to get any odd flavors in with the grapes… but then do you expect the plunger part to be replaceable?


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