Anyone Wax their Fruit Press Stakes?

[Rojoguio]

I'm thinking of waxing the stakes on my fruit press so the press bag slides easier, prevent the wood grain from lifting each time I use it, and to reduce the water absorption of the Oak. Anyone else wax their press wood?

 

[Sage]

No, and I don't use a bag either.

 

[Gravyo]

I'm thinking of waxing the stakes on my fruit press so the press bag slides easier, prevent the wood grain from lifting each time I use it, and to reduce the water absorption of the Oak. Anyone else wax their press wood?

Food grade mineral oil?

 

[ChuckD]

I would worry that a finish, even wax, can hold moisture in the wood. Raw wood is traditional. It gets wet and stains, but dries out

 

[Rojoguio]

I did a food grade mineral oil first. I have the purified bees wax pellets to make the next wood sealer. Cutting boards are sealed with the same treatment. The reason I'm doing it is so the bag slides down easier without raising the wood grain each time. Using a heat gun the wood will suck up the bees wax allowing me to burnish the insides of the basket with Scotchbrite smoothing & polishing the wood. I'm sure the woodgrain density of a Chinese press is of lesser quality than a American or Canadian made press. Cost was a factor, we got smoked by a tornado this year so fun monies are tight. I bought a Roots & Harvest wood press. They shipped it without a handle. I called customer service and one was sent right out. Very open wood grain in the Oak Stakes. Other than that it really works fantastic. I like the bag, lets me dump the skins in a fish head bucket I keep in the freezer I use to make block ice. When the garbage runs I dump the frozen skins in the trash and away they go. I was able to harvest 80-90 pounds of prime blueberries from my bushes this year, looking forward to using the press on them.

 

[distancerunner]

Bees wax pellets: Unless you've got the data to back it up, you should always suspect that "purified" bees wax pellets are contaminated with all sorts of bad stuff. The whiter they are, the more caution you should exercise.

If you're inclined to want to protect the staves from staining your best bet is food grade epoxy. Coat the staves and bolt them to the bands when cured. Just remember that after time some of the epoxy may flake off. While it is more or less inert it won't hurt the wine. But you'll need to touch up those areas to keep the barrier secure.

I rehabbed my big press last year. Powder coated the steel including the bands. New maple staves. Scrubbed them down before and after pressing. They took some stains. It'll probably be another four or five crushes before the staves take on the nice dark brown color we love so much.