Homemade wine press I made

[wood1954]

Here’s one I made last year out of scrap that was laying around. Well, organized scrap... LOL. The most expensive parts were the new buckets. Less than $10 total. I have to add more holes to the outer bucket and go much higher up, spacing them further apart for continued strength. There are zip tie straps to the inner bucket to help pull it apart from the outer one. Maybe next year I’ll splurge for metal... it looks quite medieval but it works! Oh I used an Aluminum baking tray underneath to catch the juice.

View attachment 65661View attachment 65662

Looks effective lot less work than mine

 

[Rice_Guy]

Fun project, everyone needs a press!
I would use a Teflon coated aluminum tray BUT not bare metal. As @wood1954 did there are lots of plastics as dish washing tray/ cafeteria tray/ polyethylene buckets (I use) and stainless restaurant grade so why use a low redox potential metal?

Here’s one I made last year out of scrap that was laying around. Well, organized scrap... LOL. The most expensive parts were the new buckets. Less than $10 total. I have to add more holes to the outer bucket and go much higher up, spacing them further apart for continued strength. There are zip tie straps to the inner bucket to help pull it apart from the outer one. Maybe next year I’ll splurge for metal... it looks quite medieval but it works! Oh I used an Aluminum baking tray underneath to catch the juice.

View attachment 65661View attachment 65662

 

[Djshotokan]

Absolutely Brilliant. Is this your first one?? Where did you get the plans and ideas for it or is this staight from sight?? Id love plans like these! Wait, are there any do it yourself plans in our group??

 

[David Violante]

Looks effective lot less work than mine

Very effective... but it does not look nearly as polished or finished. I should also mount the jack so that I don’t have to keep putting it in place each time. Have you tried yours yet? The lever idea is very good~

 

[David Violante]

Fun project, everyone needs a press!
I would use a Teflon coated aluminum tray BUT not bare metal. As @wood1954 did there are lots of plastics as dish washing tray/ cafeteria tray/ polyethylene buckets (I use) and stainless restaurant grade so why use a low redox potential metal?

The Mrs. was not happy about me eyeing the serving tray. I’ll have to look out for something at a yard sale.... I was thinking of a stainless pasta setup to which I could add a spigot.

 

[wood1954]

My must started fermentation Sunday So I’ll be trying it out in a few days

 

[David Violante]

My must started fermentation Sunday So I’ll be trying it out in a few days

Cool - Can't wait to see how it works!

 

[David Violante]

@wood1954 I was just looking at the design of the opening on your press where the juice will flow out from the black container into a catchment bucket. Is there a lip of some kind underneath so that the juice doesn't make it's way all around on the underside of the black plastic container? It may do that if the hole is flush. It may be easy enough to cement a very short PVC tube in place or thread a small bulkhead fitting or drain plug into the opening. I looked for an example online and Lowe's has a 20" plastic water heater pan with drain plug. Maybe use a drain plug idea like that in the bottom of yours? I think I may pick up one of those pans for my press...

 

[Steve Wargo]

My neighbors have lots of locust, I hope to get a dozen post size for my vineyard, I’ve made furniture out of it as well it takes stain really well.

Wow that's great, making furniture. A few of the people that took some of the black locust wood were going to use it for furniture. I read that some farmers will grow a row along their property line and once they reach a certain size will cut/top them for posts. They grow like weeds. I've made a few cool looking walking sticks, dense wood. Maybe I'll let some grow thick enough to make posts out of them.

 

[wood1954]

@wood1954 I was just looking at the design of the opening on your press where the juice will flow out from the black container into a catchment bucket. Is there a lip of some kind underneath so that the juice doesn't make it's way all around on the underside of the black plastic container? It may do that if the hole is flush. It may be easy enough to cement a very short PVC tube in place or thread a small bulkhead fitting or drain plug into the opening. I looked for an example online and Lowe's has a 20" plastic water heater pan with drain plug. Maybe use a drain plug idea like that in the bottom of yours? I think I may pick up one of those pans for my press...

View attachment 65772

That is a concern I’m still thinking about, probably fasten a part of a funnel or something I find at the hardware store

 

[crushday]

That really looks nice!! Very well thought out and should be a breeze to load, operate and clean, nice job! Looks like you can get pretty good press force on the must with the length of the lever/handle, and as others have said, holding the pressure on mechanically would probably be beneficial.
One question, the back end of your handle attaches to a 2x4 sized vertical member, which will be in uplift force, how is that member attached to the unit? It’s hard to tell if it penetrates the table top and is fastened below to the frame, or just has L brackets holding it in place. If it’s the latter, that connection may be suspect.
Very nice workmanship, really like the looks of it!

John, this was one of the first things I noticed upon first look. Still waiting for the answer...

 

[sour_grapes]

John, this was one of the first things I noticed upon first look. Still waiting for the answer...

See post #15.

 

[crushday]

See post #15.

Ok. I actually read that but didn’t connect it with John’s question. Thanks!!

 

[Michael Roberts]

Yup, I've made one like that too! There are several plans available for such presses on youtube.

 

[Rice_Guy]

That is a concern I’m still thinking about, probably fasten a part of a funnel or something I find at the hardware store

you can limit the problem by slopping the press to that spot
I have a nylon 1/8 NPT barb fitting with a rubber washer, nylon nut and tubing on mine, this means I created a void volume which is fixed by periodically tipping forward. The tubing also acts as a simple valve, raise=off / down=open.
,

 

[wood1954]

That setup looks very effective

 

[Rice_Guy]

Well, ,,,, It has evolved every year, ,,, as the rubber bands holding big paper clips for holding the press bag up for filling or last year I put a plastic sheet (poly cutting pears) with holes under the press basket or using several diameters of tube as a press basket or the first try was a horizontal design

That setup looks very effective

but then I have a traditional wooden one to use if a modification is bad, ,,,,have wanted to start replacing parts on it with stainless.

 

[wood1954]

Pressed my wine today. The press worked great. I used a coarse mesh bag in the basket and a paint strainer bag below. Got a fairly dry press cake, much better than the yellow bucket. I should have made the bed longer it wanted to tip if I put too much pressure on the lever.

 

[David Violante]

Looks great nice job!

 

[E-man]

Just finished and used my homemade press and it worked like a champ. You can’t see from the pictures but in the outer bucket is a 5 gallon with many holes Drilled into it and a clean paint straining bag folded over over the skins under the press plate. Also there’s adjustable feet under the legs to allow angling for the just to run towards the valve on the rubbermaid. This creates Lots of pressure from the jack between the top and section so if you make one use lots of reinforcement strappings, L brackets, gussets, etc. between to joints so they don’t flex/separate, learned that after the first use.