Winery DIY (Do It Yourself) Projects

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My wife got a new kitchen upstairs and my winemaking went into the garage downstairs. I haven't completed the project yet but had a double utility sink already and now I attached a piece of the counter top from upstairs plus a large cabinet along that same wall for my winemaking chores. I will post pics later.
 
For many years on my "to do" list was renovating my press pan and putting it on wheels. I finally did it.

I really like DIY projects. Especially renovating old equipment or creating new solutions to old problems.

So I hope this topic encourages others to post their DIY projects. :D

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Great idea! Might have to do same. My old press is heavy( i mean 80-90lbs.) and bitch to move. this is an exelent solution ! Thanks for posting.
 
2 years ago I used palettes from my grape order to construct a base for my press, which resembles @balatonwine's. I used the best wood from 3 palettes and built it tall enough that I can get a 7-8 gallon bucket under the spout. My cost was a few dozen screws.

I need to build a new one this fall, and love the idea of casters!
 
For many years on my "to do" list was renovating my press pan and putting it on wheels. I finally did it.

I really like DIY projects. Especially renovating old equipment or creating new solutions to old problems.

So I hope this topic encourages others to post their DIY projects. :D
Looks great. I have two questions;
1. What paint did you use? I used a Presque Isle paint (food grade) but it still came off when I pressed. Maybe I didn't let it cure long enough - I thought a month would do.
2. How do you keep the press from rolling/scooting if locking casters/tipping over? My #35 is a beast and will tip over if not screwed down to a platform or concrete.
 
1. What paint did you use? I used a Presque Isle paint (food grade) but it still came off when I pressed. Maybe I didn't let it cure long enough - I thought a month would do.

Paints have varying regulations, so what I used may not be available where you are. If you live in Europe, I recommend Jansen Kelterlack. If you live in the USA, then Rust-Oleum 8400 might be an option (but I have not used this paint as it not available for consumer purchase in much of Europe, and not legal to sell at all in some US States .... like I said... regulations to keep the consumer from cancer causing chemicals and major brain damage because some of these paints, while food safe when dry, are not healthy to apply). If you live in an area with strong regulations, then a press paint renovation may need to be done professionally.

That being said, I certainly did scuff off some paint moving around the very heavy baskets. So I will simply touch up the damaged paint at the end of the season.

Not sure if paint should come off simply by pressing and passing wine over it... That does not sound good. Did you use a primer coat? Did you key the primer before applying the cover coat? How many cover coats did you use (I used two).

2. How do you keep the press from rolling/scooting if locking casters/tipping over? My #35 is a beast and will tip over if not screwed down to a platform or concrete.

I do not do a hard press. Only a gentle press. Hard press can get you a bit more wine, but it can also crack seeds and cause bitterness in the wine. Even off wheels, and on hard concrete, the press would try to tip if I try to press too hard. The holes in the feet were designed to bolt it to a concrete base to really be able to ratchet down on the wine. There is actually an attachment on the press that acts to increase the lever force a great deal that I simply do not use, as I do not press that hard. That is, I do not do as the statue in Napa:

Figure-16%E2%80%931-The-Grape-Crusher-Sculpture-on-the-road-to-Napa-Valley.jpg


The press does "rock" a little bit on the casters, which it never did on the hard concrete, which might first seem concerning, but in the end it was not -- as long as I maintained my normal light pressing. Which has a rhythm. That is I press, then wait a few minutes. The "cake" becomes soft again, then I press again, more juice flows. Then wait a few minutes, then press again. I repeat this till the cake feels stiff between a wait period. Then I stop.

If you want even more juice from a gentle press, you can then remove the cake, put it into a bin, "fluff it" a bit and break it up a lot, let it rest covered a few hours, put it back in the press, and you can get more juice. I did this once. It does work, but was a lot of work, and I have enough grapes that it was not worth my time. But those with fewer grapes may find it worth while to try.

I hope this helps.
 
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Not sure if paint should come off simply by pressing and passing wine over it... That does not sound good. Did you use a primer coat? Did you key the primer before applying the cover coat? How many cover coats did you use (I used two).
I bought the press from a winery and they had pained the pan with the same paint. I gave it two coats. I don't know that the paint came off so much as was stained by the juice. It was odd.

Thanks for the advice. Glad it is working out.
 
I bought the press from a winery and they had pained the pan with the same paint. I gave it two coats. I don't know that the paint came off so much as was stained by the juice. It was odd.

That is odd.

For what it is worth, I took my press down to bare metal with an angle grinder and a poly abrasive disk before priming and painting.
 
Would powder coating be a good option for a press? Not that your average Joe could DIY that at home, but I wonder if it would be a more durable (and hopefully safe) alternative. Certainly not as cheap as a can of Rustoleum though.
 
Would powder coating be a good option for a press? Not that your average Joe could DIY that at home, but I wonder if it would be a more durable (and hopefully safe) alternative. Certainly not as cheap as a can of Rustoleum though.
Would powder coating be a good option for a press? Not that your average Joe could DIY that at home, but I wonder if it would be a more durable (and hopefully safe) alternative. Certainly not as cheap as a can of Rustoleum though.

I think AJ priced powder coating his and it was outrageous.
 
Would powder coating be a good option for a press? Not that your average Joe could DIY that at home, but I wonder if it would be a more durable (and hopefully safe) alternative. Certainly not as cheap as a can of Rustoleum though.
I contacted a local powder coater for my press (nope, still not done) and he wanted nothing to do with it. To be fair, mine is entirely cast iron and weighs a ton. Others have powder coated though to good effect.
 

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