How to crush grapes on wine: do-it-yourself squeezing rules at home

The process of making homemade wine includes several stages. One of them is considered to be kneading berries to obtain a large amount of juice from the fruits. The procedure must be carried out correctly. Any mistakes will lead to a deterioration in the aroma and taste characteristics of the finished drink. Therefore, beginners in the manufacture of the product often wonder how best to press the grapes on the wine. This can be done in different ways.

Methods of pressing grapes

Squeezing grapes is allowed in different ways:

kicking;
manually;
presses or crushers.

How to crush grapes at home

To mash grapes and get delicious wine as a result, you should follow certain rules.

We press with our feet

Grapes were crushed with their feet even before the advent of mechanical devices. For this, the fruits were put in wooden vats, after which they were kneaded with their feet. This process could take up to 10 hours a day.

It was believed that it was easiest to squeeze out the maximum amount of juice with your feet. This method helps to crush the berries, release the nutrients from the peel and peel the pulp.

You can feel the whole fruits and cold areas that negatively affect the fermentation with your feet.

However, nowadays this method has lost its popularity. The main disadvantage of the procedure is the lack of hygiene. The method is used by small manufacturers or amateurs.

Presses and presses

To process a large amount of raw materials, it is worth choosing special devices. The mechanism of operation of devices is based on the movement of shafts that rotate in different directions. They squeeze the fruits, which leads to the release of juice.

There are different versions of crushers, each of which has certain features:

With destemmer. This detail allows you to completely separate the fruit from the brush. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid getting tannins from the combs into the drink. Destemmers vary in design.
Without destemmer. The use of such a crusher slows down the process of obtaining juice, since raw materials require preparation. Before carrying out the procedure, it is worth separating the fruits from the stem.
Roll destemmers. Such devices help to process grapes in the same way as it is done in a production environment.At the same time, the shafts squeeze the juice from the fruits, after which the must is filtered by means of a destemmer. The distance between the shafts is adjustable. It is determined by the grape variety. The standard option is considered to be a gap in the size of the bones.
Impact-centrifugal devices. They can be horizontal or vertical. The mechanism of operation is based on the impact force of the motor. It makes 300-400 revolutions per minute. In addition, the crusher has a comb separator that cleans the pulp from the juice.

Do not use juicing devices for wine. Under thermal influence, the structure of the substance is disturbed. As a result, it will not be possible to make wine.

Hand tools

If there is not much raw material, it is permissible to squeeze it out with your hands. Hand tools are also allowed. If you plan to carry out the procedure with your hands, they should be washed well and put on gloves.It is recommended to knead the berries slowly. In this case, the hands should be near the bottom of the container.

It is desirable that the juice does not come into contact with the metal. The exception is stainless steel. Otherwise, there is a risk of deterioration in the taste of the drink and the occurrence of oxidation processes.

It is also permissible to use a wooden rolling pin to prepare the grapes. A pestle would also be a good option.

To speed up the recycling process, use a drill or screwdriver with a mixer-shaped nozzle. This method does not require any additional equipment. However, in such a situation, it is not possible to break all the grapes. Small fragments of combs penetrate into the pulp with fruits.

How to make a do-it-yourself grape press

Presses make it much easier to make juice for wine. The device includes a frame, a barrel, a pallet. It also includes a pressing device, a mesh with small holes and a power screw.

To make a device, it is worth taking 2 pipes that will play the role of racks. Their diameter should be 22 mm. Then, by welding, attach a profile to them. It should have a U-shape. Its height should be such that the nut fits well inside. A clamp should be placed on the base of the pipes. With its help, the press is easily attached to the windowsill.

To make a frame, you should use wooden blocks. Their cross section should be 4x10 centimeters. The length of the product should reach 60-70 centimeters. The size of the rollers affects the width of the fixture. The suitable parameter is 20 centimeters.

The spacing between the bars must match the length of the rollers. For the press it is worth using corrugated rolls. Their depth should reach 3 centimeters. Rolls should be directed to the axes in a helical way.

With an interval of 10 centimeters, it is worth making shifts. They should be 2 centimeters. After that, the device is fixed with bearings to the frame. The rollers spin at different speeds. Because the gears must be different in diameter.

It is recommended to load berries into a bucket. It should be pyramidal in shape. It is recommended to put the bucket on the cross rails. The interval between the bucket and the roller is kept to a minimum. It should not be more than a centimeter.

At the base of the press there should be a vessel for the accumulation of juice. For proper fruit compression, the gaps must be manageable. They help to keep the bones intact, which allows you to get a delicious wine of high quality. Damaged bones make the drink bitter. This is due to the large number of tannins.

The basket is made of stainless steel. Its thickness should be 2 mm. Portions of raw materials are recommended to be separated by spacers. They are made from 2 discs of steel and fixed by spot welding. They make holes measuring 3 millimeters.