Horizontal Pneumatic Press

[Max]

Does anyone have any experience using larger horizontal pneumatic presses? I'm looking to scale up from 90L hydraulic presses to an 18HL pneumatic press I have in the winery. I know they are used occasionally in France, but I can't find much documentation. I'm assuming I would need to modify the press with a sock or mesh, perhaps rice hulls or additional drainage channels, but I figured I'd ask around before I start making a mess of things.

Thanks

[Bartek Knapek]

Not occiasionally, I would say.. Most of cideries in Normandy that I visited were using these.
I was told they are hydraulic, not pneumatic.

For some more photos see here: https://projektcydr.pl/blog/?p=6567

//Bartek

On 28/10/2025 7:23 am, Max wrote:

Does anyone have any experience using larger horizontal pneumatic presses? I'm looking to scale up from 90L hydraulic presses to an 18HL pneumatic press I have in the winery. I know they are used occasionally in France, but I can't find much documentation. I'm assuming I would need to modify the press with a sock or mesh, perhaps rice hulls or additional drainage channels, but I figured I'd ask around before I start making a mess of things.

Thanks

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[Bartek Knapek]

Sorry, my mistake - they told me these are pneumatic of course, you are correct!
//Bartek

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cider-workshop/d0afb5ef-34b5-45cf-99a8-6d0302280fa6%40knapek.pl.

[Claude Jolicoeur]

Well, many are in effect pneumatic, not hydraulic. I have seen them a lot in Brittany and Normandy.

[gareth chapman]

My friend has a Sraml one which takes about a ton of fruit, it us about 65% efficient.

It has braided channels to aid pressing.

It can still be a bit of a nuisance with really soft fruit, particularly very ripe pears.

But otherwise works well for bulk pressing.