What would be about the right volume or size for a
press to do 2 or 3 carboys of 23l of wine? I don't
mind doing multiple pressings for one 23l carboy but
I would figure 3 or 4 pressing would be pushing it.

Don

(Don S) wrote in message . com>...
> What would be about the right volume or size for a
> press to do 2 or 3 carboys of 23l of wine? I don't
> mind doing multiple pressings for one 23l carboy but
> I would figure 3 or 4 pressing would be pushing it.
>
> Don


If you use grapes as your fruits, a number 25 or 30 will be ok. With
a 30 size press, you can made 2 23L carboy if the press is completely
full and you made a good press. I normally made 2 18,9L carboy with
one press but the press is not completely full. If you intend to
increase you production, you are better with the 30. With the 25 size
you will probably be ok with one press per 23L carboy if you load it
3/4 full. Of course, it's an average as every grape variety give
different quantity of juice. Just for your information, if you don't
know what mean the number on the press, it's the diameter of the
basket in cm.

Séb

So 25 or 30 cm diameter on the inside? What would the usable
height be? I can calculate the volume and match it with a
square homemade one.

Don

> If you use grapes as your fruits, a number 25 or 30 will be ok. With
> a 30 size press, you can made 2 23L carboy if the press is completely
> full and you made a good press. I normally made 2 18,9L carboy with
> one press but the press is not completely full. If you intend to
> increase you production, you are better with the 30. With the 25 size
> you will probably be ok with one press per 23L carboy if you load it
> 3/4 full. Of course, it's an average as every grape variety give
> different quantity of juice. Just for your information, if you don't
> know what mean the number on the press, it's the diameter of the
> basket in cm.
>
> Séb

(Don S) wrote in message . com>...
> So 25 or 30 cm diameter on the inside? What would the usable
> height be? I can calculate the volume and match it with a
> square homemade one.


My 30 size press measure exactly 11,5" inside diameter per 15" height
but 13" is about the maximum usable height because you need to add the
wood platen to press the grape. I don't know for the 25 but you can
probably calculate it with the same pourcentage ratio than the 30.

Séb

>
> My 30 size press measure exactly 11,5" inside diameter per 15" height
> but 13" is about the maximum usable height because you need to add the
> wood platen to press the grape. I don't know for the 25 but you can
> probably calculate it with the same pourcentage ratio than the 30.
>

Thanks Seb. Switching to metric and using pi x r**2 x h:

3.14 * 11.5/2 in * 11.5/2 in * 13 in or:
3.14 * (14.6 cm) * (14.6 cm) * (33.02 cm) = 22.1010256 liters

which doesn't quite jive with your saying, that you get 2 x 23l
carboys with one pressing.

Incidently, if you go to google and type this directly
into the search string:

3.14 * 14.6 cm * 14.6 cm * 33.02 cm in liters

you will get the above result.

It's pretty neat for the conversions, you can do something like:

11.5 inches in cm

or:

3.14 * 14.6 cm * 14.6 cm * 33.02 cm in teaspoons

For a result of 4,483.94748 US teaspoons

Don

"Don S" > wrote in message
om...
> Switching to metric and using pi x r**2 x h:
>
> 3.14 * 11.5/2 in * 11.5/2 in * 13 in or:
> 3.14 * (14.6 cm) * (14.6 cm) * (33.02 cm) = 22.1010256 liters
>
> which doesn't quite jibe with your saying, that you get 2 x 23l
> carboys with one pressing.

Sure it does. You just showed that the internal volume of the press is
almost the same as one carboy. Most of the must is liquid and most of that
runs right through the press when you fill it from the fermenter. You could
probably stuff _three_ carboys worth of solids in a single load in that
press - depending on the grape.

Tom S

> Thanks Seb. Switching to metric and using pi x r**2 x h:
>
> 3.14 * 11.5/2 in * 11.5/2 in * 13 in or:
> 3.14 * (14.6 cm) * (14.6 cm) * (33.02 cm) = 22.1010256 liters
>
> which doesn't quite jive with your saying, that you get 2 x 23l
> carboys with one pressing.
Don,

With my 30 size press i normally put four cases of 36lbs (crushed of
course )and sometimes i can/will put four and a half case of 36lbs in
the press ( they will be completely full ). This will give me two
18,9L carboy full ( 5gal. ). I don't think you can effectively use
maths to evaluate the number of liter a given press will give you. As
I said different varieties gives different volume of juice at the same
level in the press and the larger the press the more important the
difference is. The only thing you can evaluate is the number of grapes
in pounds that goes in a given press. For me i ferment in 81 L
fermenter with four to four and a half 36lbs cases per fermenter and i
load my press with each fermenter. All the juice that i get from the
four cases are calculate in my two 18,9L carboy ( including the juice
that goes from the primary to the carboy without going in the press ).
Some poeple are doing two and sometimes three press with the same
grapes to extract the maximum juice. I don't do that. I made one
slow press with lots of pause to let the juice run easely. Better to
be gentle and get less juice but a better wine than going for
quantity. If you whant more juice with better quality and faster go
with a bladder press if you can afford it.

Séb

Don, an other way to estimate the volume needed is to use the volume a
36lbs case of grapes will give. One 36lbs case will give you about
10L of juice. ( between 8 and 10L depending on the grapes variety and
technique/equipment use to press them ). If you whant i have at my
home all the capacity of 36lbs cases per size of press. As in my
example : a 30 size press = 4-5 cases = 40-50 L of juice.
I get two 18,9L carboy if I use 4 cases. So 2 X 18,9 L = 37,8 L wich
is very near the theory ( can vary slightly depending on how hard you
press the grapes ).

Séb

I use a "Mini Press' with a stainless steel basket and ceramic base and a
tilt top. I would guess the basket is 8x13. Going from pressing red grapes
from primary to secondary it will do twenty gal. (US) in 3 pressings. Of
course pressing fresh grapes for white wine would take more pressings. It
will also handle a 3 gal batch of other fruit. A problem with the bigger
ones is that they will not efficiently press small batches. I really like
the ceramic and stainless for cleanup.

Ray

"Don S" > wrote in message
om...
> What would be about the right volume or size for a
> press to do 2 or 3 carboys of 23l of wine? I don't
> mind doing multiple pressings for one 23l carboy but
> I would figure 3 or 4 pressing would be pushing it.
>
> Don

Don

Seb's dimensions work for me. volume = 3.1417 x Radius ² x D (height in
this case) This number has to be converted to liquid measure. (1 cubic
foot = 7.47 gallons) ....

I get about 6.7 gallons (25L) if it was filled to the top with grapes and if
there were no solids left over.
I have the next higher press and I typically get 62L per pressing.

Joe


"Don S" > wrote in message
om...
> >
> > My 30 size press measure exactly 11,5" inside diameter per 15" height
> > but 13" is about the maximum usable height because you need to add the
> > wood platen to press the grape. I don't know for the 25 but you can
> > probably calculate it with the same pourcentage ratio than the 30.
> >
>
> Thanks Seb. Switching to metric and using pi x r**2 x h:
>
> 3.14 * 11.5/2 in * 11.5/2 in * 13 in or:
> 3.14 * (14.6 cm) * (14.6 cm) * (33.02 cm) = 22.1010256 liters
>
> which doesn't quite jive with your saying, that you get 2 x 23l
> carboys with one pressing.
>
> Incidently, if you go to google and type this directly
> into the search string:
>
> 3.14 * 14.6 cm * 14.6 cm * 33.02 cm in liters
>
> you will get the above result.
>
> It's pretty neat for the conversions, you can do something like:
>
> 11.5 inches in cm
>
> or:
>
> 3.14 * 14.6 cm * 14.6 cm * 33.02 cm in teaspoons
>
> For a result of 4,483.94748 US teaspoons
>
> Don

> Sure it does. You just showed that the internal volume of the press is
> almost the same as one carboy. Most of the must is liquid and most of that
> runs right through the press when you fill it from the fermenter. You could
> probably stuff _three_ carboys worth of solids in a single load in that
> press - depending on the grape.

Pressing one volume of 22l of grapes give 2x23l or 46l of
must? How can 46l of must come out of one pressing of a
22l volume? Or am I missing something like adding more
grapes and considering that apart of the same pressing?

I think that's it because you mentioned three carboys worth
of solids. I was considering one pressing to be one load
or 22l worth of grapes completely pressed, no additions.

Don

(Don S) wrote in message . com>...
> What would be about the right volume or size for a
> press to do 2 or 3 carboys of 23l of wine? I don't

---snip
Last year I drew off 3liter juggs of the last part of our pressing
from the big press (I think #60) and did the same with a very little
one I just bought on Ebay that is stamped #20. What is worth noticing
is that both these wines are now quite repulsive. But by far the worst
is that from the smaller press. Which I think pressed the smaller
mass much harder and thereby created this bad tasting wine. After all
they both where filled from the same fermentor.

They always say to separate the pressings and after seeing this result
I would say you also should be extra careful of how hard you press
with a smaller volume since you really can squeeze out to the last
drop very easy and quick with a small press.

SG Brix

"sgbrix" > wrote in message
om...
> Last year I drew off 3liter jugs of the last part of our pressing
> from the big press (I think #60) and did the same with a very little
> one I just bought on Ebay that is stamped #20. What is worth noticing
> is that both these wines are now quite repulsive. But by far the worst
> is that from the smaller press. Which I think pressed the smaller
> mass much harder and thereby created this bad tasting wine. After all
> they both where filled from the same fermenter.
>
> They always say to separate the pressings and after seeing this result
> I would say you also should be extra careful of how hard you press
> with a smaller volume since you really can squeeze out to the last
> drop very easy and quick with a small press.

I've certainly noticed that the heavy press fraction tends to be more
_tannic_, but I wouldn't necessarily characterize it as "bad tasting".

You might find it interesting to make a small cuvée in proportion to the
yield of each, free run and heavy press, and let it bulk age for a couple of
years. The results may surprise you.

Tom S

> Seb's dimensions work for me. volume = 3.1417 x Radius ² x D (height in
> this case) This number has to be converted to liquid measure. (1 cubic
> foot = 7.47 gallons) ....
>
> I get about 6.7 gallons (25L) if it was filled to the top with grapes and if
> there were no solids left over.
> I have the next higher press and I typically get 62L per pressing.

Seb posted:

"My 30 size press measure exactly 11,5" inside diameter per 15" height
but 13" is about the maximum usable height"

so pi x r**2 x h, 11.5/2 = 5.75 in x 2.54 = 14.6 cm, 13 x 2.54 = 33.02 cm

3.14 x 14.6 x 14.6 x 33 = 22,087 cubic cm = 22.09 liters

Don