Wine press question

[GreenEnvy22]

I picked up a used wine press a while ago. It's a ratcheting style wood basket press.
It has 2 half circle wood blocks with handles, 2 half circles without handles, 2 small half circles, then a bunch of blocks.

When I used it yesterday, I found as I was applying pressure, the blocks and even the basket were trying to spin on me.

My old press had a metal bearing you put below the ratchet and the first block, so the spinning motion wouldn't be transmitted to the blocks.
Is it likely this new press would have had one of these before, or is that not common? What do your presses have?

Also for the 4 large half circles, I'm assuming the ones with handles go on the bottom for easy removal, but then not sure where the other 2 large ones would go. If I put the 2 without handles on the bottom I could then put the ones with handles right above it to reduce how many grapes get past it, but then will be hard to get the bottom blocks out. Thoughts?

 

[stickman]

The ratchet needs some lubrication on the moving parts, especially between the main body and the center disk, as well as the main threaded post. The wooden blocks should be wet during use, this prevents them from slipping. Most presses I've seen have two half circles made like a lattice to allow drainage, these sit on the bottom plate, the must is loaded and the half circles with handles go on top of the must, the solid blocks go on top of that.

In your case it might be that the circles with handles goes on top of the must, then the small curved blocks, then the two half circles without handles, then the regular blocks.....just a guess.

 

[Bubba1]

I have a basket press and all I do is back off the ratchet then split the basket to remove the half circles with no problems.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I have a basket press and all I do is back off the ratchet then split the basket to remove the half circles with no problems.

that works if everything fits in on the 1st pressing, but with two batches I did yesterday I had just a bit more than I could fit in without squishing it a bit first, and then adding the rest after. I wouldn't want to try to open it and then reclose the basket again.

 

[Bubba1]

that works if everything fits in on the 1st pressing, but with two batches I did yesterday I had just a bit more than I could fit in without squishing it a bit first, and then adding the rest after. I wouldn't want to try to open it and then reclose the basket again.

Sounds like your inline for an upgrade.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

Sounds like your inline for an upgrade.

Lol, I just downgraded size wise to this one, old was was twice the size but a pain to store and move around.

 

[mainshipfred]

Maybe I'm a little confused but the ones that fit most closely fit the diameter of the cage go on the skins. I see you are using smaller half circles on the top. I don't have or use them. Sometimes you have to make sure there is enough pressure to start with to keep everything from moving, this is done by turning it by hand. FWIW once you do your initial press remove the skins, fluff them up and repress. It's amazing how much more wine you get without pressing too hard.

 

[Rocky]

Interesting. I had never had this experience so I went down to the cellar and looked at my old press which, as one can see from the pictures, has not been used for many years. I took photos of the parts and the two parts that are germane to this discussion are on the far right. One closeup shows their orientation in use and the second close up shows the underside of the part that contacts the wood blocks (not shown). One can see that the underside is cross-hatched to "grab" the wood on one side with metal to metal contact on the other. The greater friction of metal to wood vs. metal to metal keeps the rotation from transmitting to the blocks, the semicircles and the basket.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I used the press again this week and figured it out. I can now just ratchet it tighter without it imparting rotation to the wood blocks. I think it was just sticking with age and non-use for a long time.

 

[jsbeckton]

I’ve always put the 4 half circles all on top never knowing that 2 are supposed to go on the bottom but it still worked!