straining question...

[JDL]

Just wanted to see what others would do. I was bottling my blueberry shiraz and had everything to start a strawberry chocolate port wine and wanted to start it since everything was sanitized already.

I did not have a fermentation bag though so I just dumped the 15 lbs of crushed strawberries in and decided I will strain it later. Anyone have any known methods that work for straining the fruit out when fermentation is done?

I have a large strainer and was going to put two layers of cheese cloth on it and just strain it through and then put it in another bucket and let it finnish fermenting before I siphon it out to the carboy.

Any advice would be great...

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Tom]

Go to a good paint store or home center and get 5 gallon Paint Strainer bags

 

[JDL]

Great idea, thanks alot for that...did not think of that idea..

I just soak it in the sanitizer and then pour it in? I have an extra bucket so I can just transfer to a different bucket...

 

[Tom]

YEP!. Next time put the fruit in the bag. If using 5-6# per gallon you may need 2 bags and 2 primaries. Leave the fruit in till gravity is around 1.015. Starting gravity should be 1.085 for fruit wines.

 

[surlees]

JDL,
Also, you can remove the majority of pulp by using a large kitchen strainer. You may need to extend the handle by attaching it to a stick, or whatever you have, so that it will reach the bottom of your fermenter.

Fred

 

[Tom]

JDL,
Also, you can remove the majority of pulp by using a large kitchen strainer. You may need to extend the handle by attaching it to a stick, or whatever you have, so that it will reach the bottom of your fermenter.

Fred

Fred,
Nice looking African Grey

 

[surlees]

Thanks, Tom.

She's 3 years old. She calls our dogs and scolds them if they bark too much. She will imitate the phone ringing, answer it by saying "hell--ooo" and carry on a coversation with the pretend person on the other end.

There is never a dull moment with her around!

 

[Tom]

My daughter has one and a Jardan (sp). When she moved back in I had to tell my neighbor that the bird does a "cat call" and that it was NOT me !!!
They do have quite a vocabulary.

 

[bladeofthemoon]

i kinda use a nice clean cloth(thin material) if nothing is available at hand. just make sure its been well washed and dried.

 

[Wade E]

I use a fermenting bag but do have a stariner that I also have just for beer and wine.

 

[Old Philosopher]

I second Tom's suggestion about the paint straining bags. He turned me on to them, and I picked up a package of 2 five gallon bags for $5. They are nylon with elastic tops. Just the right mesh, and very durable.

 

[arcticsid]

jeff, this conversation comes up often, and the general concensus is the paint straining bag. Believe it or not nylon stockings will work too! But at least with the paint bag, it will be asier to clean before and after you are done with it. Keep in mind, however, just because the "gooodies" are in there, it will still float to the top. It is important to dunk this at least once, twice is better, each day, under the liquid. I use a sterilized potato masher, plastic kind, that has been sterilized first.

Hold that bag under the liquid until you "know" it has been dunked, nothing crazy, 30 seconds or so. Then leave it alone, and do it again when the time is right.10 hours, 12, ?


When it comes time to move your magic liquid to the secondary, wash your hands good! Don't use perfumy soap like irish spring etc. (gonna pee off the Irish now), just wash your hands good, then dunk your hands into a nice sanitizer solution. Like 3 TBLS potassium or sodium metabisulfite, in 1 gallon of water.

If you insist on drying your hands after this, make sure it is a CLEAN towel, or do the hand dunk again.

Anyway, after you have dunked your hands, then pull out the bag and let it drip for a second, than squuze slowly, then just squeeze it pretty hard.

I personally would allow it to settle down overnight, but it probably isn't necessary.

Toss the now dry bag of "goodies" in the sink, and transfer your wine as usuall into the socondary under an airlock.

Dont toss all that stuff in the bag, toss into your garden.

When it comes to cleaning the bag. A dishwasher would be okay, but it is better just to rinse it good in the sink, and dry it good. Next time you use it just start from step one. Make sure you sanitize it of course each time you want to use it.

Hope it all works well for you


Troy

 

[Old Philosopher]

The only thing I could possibly add to Troy's post is the technique I just came up with for "squeezing" the bag.
I had a bag (paint bag) filled with over 20 pounds of ground apples. Being lazy, and always looking for an easy way out, I didn't want to wrestle this bag around while trying to extract the juice. I grabbed the small block and tackle I use for hoisting game, and fastened it to a ceiling hook over the bucket.
After letting the enzymes do their thing, I tied off the top of the bag to the hoist and raised it to the top of the bucket. The juice ran freely. When it stopped dripping, I just took hold of the knot at the top with one hand, and slowly spun the bag around. As the empty part of the bag twisted up, it put pressure on the contents in the bottom of the bag. I'd hold just enough pressure on this to avoid bursting the bag. Then I'd let it unwind, and hang for a couple more hours, then repeat the process.
When I couldn't twist anymore juice out of the pulp, I fed the "squeezin's" to my chickens. Result? Lots of juice, clean hands, no hernia and happy chickens.

 

[arcticsid]

Although I share the philosophy, of the Philosopher, happy chickens may not be the best way to go.

I have never seen a drunk chicken, I have raised them and I am pretty much convinced I don't want to have one drunk. I dont really care what THEY do, I just always thought that if I was ever to lay an egg I would want to be sober for the whole thing!!! ROTFLMAO so hard ......LOL


A good chicken is one that sits on your shoulder like Freds Parrot. Although there vocabulary isn't that large,, a chicken can be used to scare off the neighbors, if trained young. I once had a nesting pair of Geese that even I was afraid of, no need for an alarm there!!!!!!

However, train your chickens young and noone will ever bother you again, except perhaps the" Associano de Polo Italiano". Pretty tough outfit there.

Some people take their chickens to seriously.

Go Figure.

I never have had a problem with women and guns. It is the chicks with guns that scare me.

 

[Old Philosopher]

How cold is it up there, Troy? I think you might have froze something vital.
That picture reminds me of the my turkeys when they were chicks.
And the apple mash I fed them hadn't started to ferment. Pay attention! There's going to be a quiz later.

 

[arcticsid]

HeeHee P, gotcha.! Not to bad yet somewheres around -25, not to scary, but I assure you If it was gonna freeze, it's already been done froze man!!!! LOL

 

[Old Philosopher]

Well, just to make you feel bad, I'm sitting here in the northern Rocky Mountains, on Januay 2nd, and it's rained all day! (?!)

 

[arcticsid]

It is Saturday 1:22 am. The official temp at the airport...-35.3F !! Just not fair.

 

[Old Philosopher]

Been there...done that... So I came to Montana. Ha! Everybody thinks it gets cold and snowy here. I'll keep perpetuating the myth, just to keep people away.

 

[Luc]

I did not have a fermentation bag though so I just dumped the 15 lbs of crushed strawberries in and decided I will strain it later. Anyone have any known methods that work for straining the fruit out when fermentation is done?
Thanks,
Jeff

Nylon stockings are the best.

Rinse them in a sulphite solution, use them once and throw away.
Nothing beats that in my opinion.

Another option I use more frequent is the bucket sieve.
That sieves more finely as the stockings do. It uses a double cheesecloth as a sieve. You can find a simple, anyone can do it, DIY project here:

http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/03/bouw-een-emmerzeef-building-bucket.html

Luc