Bladder press question

[JoP]

Hello fellow winemakers
I have a 40 liter Speidel bladder pres used first time this season.
I have not used one before and it turned out to be a positive experience for me with some exception.
I pressed two full baskets and I didn't expect that removing the cake is so difficult and time consuming.
It took long time reaching, dislodging and scooping by hand and it was messy.
When you have multiple loads to press, This in my opinion is a bottleneck in a process that otherwise is a pretty smooth operation.
Do any of you have some suggestions on how to make this process easier and more practical?
I'm thinking about some way to contain the cake in some sort of double bagging setup.
Thanks,
John

 

[Mac60]

Did you use a mesh bag? We are using 120 liter but this model tilts, we tilt it take the cover off and pull out the mesh bag.

 

[JoP]

Did you use a mesh bag? We are using 120 liter but this model tilts, we tilt it take the cover off and pull out the mesh bag.

Yes, I do use the mash bag and I can remove the basket, but I was afraid that when I lift the bag, the whole thing would collapse and make a big mess
Perhaps I should try to do that anyway.
Thanks

 

[bluecrab]

@JoP I have a smaller bladder press. After pressing, I lift the basket with mesh liner intact. I set the basket on top of a sanitized bucket and pry the liner from the basket. The grapes and liner fall into the bucket, where it’s easy to remove the rest of the grapes from the liner. Most of the mess ends up in the bucket. It takes one or two minutes.

 

[mainshipfred]

I did my first 40 liter bladder press recently as well. I chose not to use the bag because I just didn't want to mess with it. It took longer but I was told to press at .2 bar increments. By the time I got to 1 bar the skins were dry enough not to squirt through the openings and took it to the full 3 bar. Since I wasn't reusing the skins I just lifted the cage (or whatever it's called) and put it over a brute and scraped the sides with my stirring spoon. Had some weight to it since there were skins from 150 lbs of grapes but otherwise pretty painless.

 

[JoP]

I did my first 40 liter bladder press recently as well. I chose not to use the bag because I just didn't want to mess with it. It took longer but I was told to press at .2 bar increments. By the time I got to 1 bar the skins were dry enough not to squirt through the openings and took it to the full 3 bar. Since I wasn't reusing the skins I just lifted the cage (or whatever it's called) and put it over a brute and scraped the sides with my stirring spoon. Had some weight to it since there were skins from 150 lbs of grapes but otherwise pretty painless.

Were you able to lift it alone, or did you have a buddy to help?
Thanks

 

[mainshipfred]

Were you able to lift it alone, or did you have a buddy to help?
Thanks

Lifted it by myself. I could probably have gotten 200 lbs worth in and that would have been a bit more than I could have handled alone. The 200 lbs will probably be tested this weekend.

 

[CDrew]

I have a 40L bladder press as well, and can handle the basket/grape skins alone. I lift the whole thing from the bottom, then up and into a waiting brute. In the brute I pull the basket off the bag and then the bag off the grape skins. It's a bit heavy, and it made be glad I got the 40L press and not the 90L press which was my original intent.

 

[mainshipfred]

I have a 40L bladder press as well, and can handle the basket/grape skins alone. I lift the whole thing from the bottom, then up and into a waiting brute. In the brute I pull the basket off the bag and then the bag off the grape skins. It's a bit heavy, and it made be glad I got the 40L press and not the 90L press which was my original intent.

I originally thought the 40 would be too small but for the quantities of the varietals I'm making it is the perfect size. The 90 would probably require 4-500 lbs+ to fill it.

 

[CDrew]

I agree the 40L seems to take about 200 pounds of fermented grapes at a time roughly.

 

[Neb Farmer]

I use a 40 L Lancman bladder press and I find that most of the pomace/cake will stay stuck to the mesh bag liner , and that I can usually get most of it out by slipping the bag up and out, or picking the cake off the bag chunk by chunk and disposing it in a bucket or wheelbarrow. It usually does not take too long , in my opinion , and the time and ease of the actually pressing more than makes up for a little bit of cleaning up between presses. If you end up pressing 'hard ' ( which you may or may not elect to do ) the pomace is almost dry, which helps in the cleanup.