wood protection - cider press

[luis.ga...@gmail.com]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering which has the best was to protect a cider press wood component? I have seen people using varnish and also other wood protection coating like the EZ-Do polyutethane gel.

What's the best way? Is a normal water-based floor varnish ok (it's inexpensive, dry fast and doesn't smell bal like an oil-based varnish)?

I must mention I an near pressing season and I would like to be sure the product I will apply is food safe and that it won't taint cider.

Thank you everyone!

Louis

[Max]

Hey,

I have used Linseed oil (from the art shop) - it is used for oil paint. After application the oil should be dried in the sun for day or two.

It is 100% food safe.

[Handmade Cider]

Why does the wood need protection?

Some of the racks on my old press were pretty much a pile of splinters when I bought the press and due to financial constraints and the size of my racks I could not replace them. These racks have been in use since maybe the 1940's and their worst enemy in my opinion was the pressure exerted by the press and not the effects of the juice. There was no varnish or oil on the racks when I got them.

I believe that my yeast lives on my racks and cloths (on broken racks there was a thick layer of yeast on the mating surfaces of the rack) and I am happy to leave the yeast to their home!

Denis 

Denis France   www.handmadecider.co.uk   07590 264804  Company. No. 07241330

White Label – Champion Farmhouse Cider, Bath & West Show 2015.

Spring Surprise - Cider of the Festival Chippenham Camra Beer Festival 2015 & 2014

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[Claude Jolicoeur]

Le lundi 3 octobre 2016 09:37:17 UTC-4, Handmade Cider a écrit :

Why does the wood need protection?

Depends on the type of wood...
If for example racks or tray use plywood in the construction, then I would certainly recommend sealing with an adequate varnish.
Claude

[Mike Rose]

I put four coats of EZ-DO on my press — sanding after each coat. It goes on very easy and appears to be very durable and waterproof. I'll probably skip coating again this season due to time, but I would think it would only need a touch up coat every other year — really depends on the use/abuse I guess though.

The only downside to EZ-DO (and probably most protective coatings, like linseed) is the you need time on your side.

It took a while (~3-4 days if you have the room to lay out everything at one time) to put on 4 coats and sand between each coat. It gets a lot easier to apply after the second coat. First few coats really get absorbed into the wood (I was using baltic birch).

You also want to give it maybe a month after the final coat to fully dry and lose it's odor. 

All that said, if you have the time (and money) I would highly recommend EZ-DO.

— Mike

[eaglewolfff]

I agree with Denis. My racks - along with everything else to do with my cider (including the apple trees and the cider itself) are untreated. If I wanted a load of infernal chemicals and whatnot I'd buy supermarket cider. But I don't.

[Llanblethian Orchards - Alex]

I used polyurethane varnish on the marine ply parts my first press were made out of and it  lasted for a decade. As others have said it depends on the type of wood. The wooden racks in presses were often made out of types of wood that did not rot when damp such as acacia

Alex

[Seva Nechaev]

 My racks - along with everything else to do with my cider (including the apple trees and the cider itself) are untreated. 

Can you share you racks design? I used untreated planks of wood for racks, and that were pretty thick racks, 3cm. Rendered a lot of space dead.  Now I use stainless steel sheets, and space in no longer a problem, but they are slippery as a road down to Hell.

[eaglewolfff]

My racks are made from hardwood strips half-inch wide by a quarter-inch thick. They are sixteen inches long. I laid out twenty-two strips about a quarter-inch apart and then twenty-two on top at right angles to the bottom layer. The top strips are all pre-drilled at each end and then screwed to the bottom strips with half-inch stainless steel screws. I then flipped the rack over and pre-drilled and screwed the bottom strips to the top ones, every third strip.

[Seva Nechaev]

среда, 5 октября 2016 г., 10:40:58 UTC+3 пользователь eaglewolfff написал:

My racks are made from hardwood strips half-inch wide by a quarter-inch thick.

That's quite thin, I was unable to find such thin planks at the time.

 

They are sixteen inches long.  I laid out twenty-two strips about a quarter-inch apart and then twenty-two on top at right angles to the bottom layer. The top strips are all pre-drilled at each end and then screwed to the bottom strips with half-inch stainless steel screws. I then flipped the rack over and pre-drilled and screwed the bottom strips to the top ones, every third strip.

I used pretty much the same design, its natural I guess. What type of screws do you use to hold in quarter-inch wood?

[Handmade Cider]

I and many other in this group would advise that you do not use screws as the constant compression/relax cycle will eventually rip the threads out of the timber.

Most people use stainless steel rivets, I use copper nails (which were traditional) hammered right through the slats which are then cut off with about 8mm still proud of the rack and then hammered over.

Denis

Denis France   www.handmadecider.co.uk   07590 264804  Company. No. 07241330

White Label – Champion Farmhouse Cider, Bath & West Show 2015.

Spring Surprise - Cider of the Festival Chippenham Camra Beer Festival 2015 & 2014

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[luis.ga...@gmail.com]

I finally ended up using Livos, a natural product that is pretty espensive but that is 100 % food safe.