Press Time

We've kept the juice on the skins for long enough - we think (about a month). Now it's time to press - basically separating the juice from all the other gunk in there (skins, seeds, a few stems, and all that spent yeast.

Last year, I figured we had a small enough batch, I'd just use a kitchen collander and cheesecloth. I mean how long could it take? After 2 hours, I wondered how I was going to get all of that juice off the skins. After 4 hours, I was getting a decent workout pressing through cheesecloth. After 8 hours I didn't think my hands would ever recover from being dyed purple - but at least I was done. Next day I couldn't move after all that pressing, squeezing - but we got some wine out of it!

In any case, it turns out they have equipment to let gravity and leverage help you - a wine press! We rented one from our local supply store and gave it a whirl.

First, we got everything washed, sanitized, and put the press together.

Next, we brought out our "primary fermenter" (=garbage can full of wine), and scooped the must (=grape juice, skins, seeds) into the top of the press. At that time juice starts flowing out the bottom. Wine snoots call this the 'free run' juice I believe; it's supposed to be good stuff; but I wonder if it has enough of the sludgey stuff that gives a red its tannins and other good stuff.

Anyway, once you fill it, you put a round circular wood piece on top, such that the grapes are pressed down evenly. Then you crank down as the juice stops flowing, getting all the juice off those skins.

I think actual winemakers know how much force to apply to the pressing process; we found that our 5-gallon carboy (=glass jug) was around half to one gallon low, so cranked as hard as we could to get that last half gallon to top off the jug - er, carboy.

Once it's pressed, you can do other stuff to it depending on what your wine to taste like. We want ours to taste like wine, so not sure what we'll do next. Actually I lie, I'll write something else about that soon.