I should have my new bladder press soon, and I would like to test it out but
have nothing to press at this time. Can it be run without a load just to
check the operation?

Also, how well does this type of press deal with partial loads? Is there a
minimum percentage of full load required in there for it to work properly?

Brian

Brian Lundeen ) wrote:
>I should have my new bladder press soon, and I would like to test it out but
>have nothing to press at this time. Can it be run without a load just to
>check the operation?

>Also, how well does this type of press deal with partial loads? Is there a
>minimum percentage of full load required in there for it to work properly?

>Brian


You can inflate it without any load, but don't press the bladder up
against the slats.

And yes, you can do as small a load as you like. You just need to
partially infolate the balloon before loading the press, so that the
balloon inflates evenly when it does inflate to press. That is, you
don't want empty space at the top of the basket, so that the balloon
would inflate like a mushroom.

Dave
************************************************** **************************
Dave Breeden

"David C Breeden" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> You can inflate it without any load, but don't press the bladder up
> against the slats.

If by slats, you are referring to a wooden basket, mine doesn't have that.
It has the s/s basket. Should I still not go right to the basket?

>
> And yes, you can do as small a load as you like. You just need to
> partially infolate the balloon before loading the press, so that the
> balloon inflates evenly when it does inflate to press. That is, you
> don't want empty space at the top of the basket, so that the balloon
> would inflate like a mushroom.

Oh good, an exercise in equating different volume shapes. ;-)

How many pounds of grapes does it take to fill up the 80 liter size basket?
I guess maybe that question has to be split into two parts, for freshly
crushed white grapes, and for red grape skins coming out of the fermenter,
although I would still like the latter in terms of the original weight of
the grapes, not the weight of the skins, which of course I wouldn't measure.

TIA
Brian

Brian Lundeen ) wrote:

>"David C Breeden" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>
>> You can inflate it without any load, but don't press the bladder up
>> against the slats.

>If by slats, you are referring to a wooden basket, mine doesn't have that.
>It has the s/s basket. Should I still not go right to the basket?

I gnerally try to to touch the balloon with anything, much, except
grapes. I wouldn't push it up against the basket.

>>
>> And yes, you can do as small a load as you like. You just need to
>> partially infolate the balloon before loading the press, so that the
>> balloon inflates evenly when it does inflate to press. That is, you
>> don't want empty space at the top of the basket, so that the balloon
>> would inflate like a mushroom.

>Oh good, an exercise in equating different volume shapes. ;-)

>How many pounds of grapes does it take to fill up the 80 liter size basket?
>I guess maybe that question has to be split into two parts, for freshly
>crushed white grapes, and for red grape skins coming out of the fermenter,
>although I would still like the latter in terms of the original weight of
>the grapes, not the weight of the skins, which of course I wouldn't measure.

Dunno. My presses, which are about 3 1/2 feet high and maybe 3 feet
in diameter (I'm lousy at estimating that kind of thing--sorry),
hold about a ton of macerated reds, and I think half to 3/4 tons of
freshly destemmed and crushed whites. Closer to 1/2, I'd guess.

I like to inflate the balloon more than I think I'll need, fill the
press, and then deflate if necessary. It's easy to do that, but
hard to take the stuff back out if you've underfilled it.

In an emergency, you can use pumice from a previous press run to
fill the extra space.

Good luck!

Dave
>TIA
>Brian



Dave
************************************************** **************************
Dave Breeden

David C Breeden ) wrote:
>Brian Lundeen ) wrote:

>>"David C Breeden" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>>
>>> You can inflate it without any load, but don't press the bladder up
>>> against the slats.

>>If by slats, you are referring to a wooden basket, mine doesn't have that.
>>It has the s/s basket. Should I still not go right to the basket?

>I gnerally try to to touch the balloon with anything, much, except
>grapes. I wouldn't push it up against the basket.

>>>
>>> And yes, you can do as small a load as you like. You just need to
>>> partially infolate the balloon before loading the press, so that the
>>> balloon inflates evenly when it does inflate to press. That is, you
>>> don't want empty space at the top of the basket, so that the balloon
>>> would inflate like a mushroom.

>>Oh good, an exercise in equating different volume shapes. ;-)

>>How many pounds of grapes does it take to fill up the 80 liter size basket?
>>I guess maybe that question has to be split into two parts, for freshly
>>crushed white grapes, and for red grape skins coming out of the fermenter,
>>although I would still like the latter in terms of the original weight of
>>the grapes, not the weight of the skins, which of course I wouldn't measure.

>Dunno. My presses, which are about 3 1/2 feet high and maybe 3 feet
>in diameter (I'm lousy at estimating that kind of thing--sorry),
>hold about a ton of macerated reds, and I think half to 3/4 tons of
>freshly destemmed and crushed whites. Closer to 1/2, I'd guess.

>I like to inflate the balloon more than I think I'll need, fill the
>press, and then deflate if necessary. It's easy to do that, but
>hard to take the stuff back out if you've underfilled it.

>In an emergency, you can use pumice from a previous press run to
>fill the extra space.

Um, that's what I get for posting early in the morning. Make that
"pomace," not "pumice." "Pumice" is hard on the stainless steel.
>Good luck!

Dave
************************************************** **************************
Dave Breeden