🍇 Pressing Calculator
Estimate juice yield from free run, light press, and hard press cycles
Grape & Press Information
White grapes typically yield more juice than red grapes
Typical: 1 free run + 2-3 press runs
Results
Enter your grape information and click Calculate
Understanding Wine Pressing
🍷 Free Run Juice
The juice that flows naturally from crushed grapes without pressing.
- Quality: Highest quality, least tannic
- Yield: 50-60% of total juice
- Color: Lighter, more delicate
- Use: Premium wines, often fermented separately
🔄 Press Run Juice
Juice extracted through mechanical pressing of the grape skins and solids.
- Light Press: Moderate pressure, good quality
- Medium Press: Higher pressure, more extraction
- Hard Press: Maximum pressure, highest tannins
- Quality: Decreases with each press cycle
📊 Typical Yields by Grape Type
- White Grapes: 150-180 gallons/ton (65-75%)
- Red Grapes: 140-160 gallons/ton (60-70%)
- Riesling: High yield (170-180 gal/ton)
- Pinot Noir: Lower yield (140-150 gal/ton)
- Cabernet: Moderate yield (150-160 gal/ton)
⚙️ Press Types
- Basket Press: Gentle, traditional, good for small batches
- Bladder Press: Very gentle, excellent quality, even extraction
- Hydraulic Press: Powerful, efficient, commercial scale
- Hand Press: Small scale, variable quality
🎯 Pressing Best Practices
For White Wines:
Press immediately after crushing. Use gentle pressure to minimize phenolic extraction. Separate free run from press run for quality control.
For Red Wines:
Press after fermentation on skins (7-14 days). First press run often blended with free run. Later press runs may be aged separately or used for blending.
Pressure Management:
Start with lowest pressure and gradually increase. Allow rest periods between cycles for juice to drain naturally. Stop when quality decreases noticeably.
⚠️ Important Notes
- Actual yields vary based on grape ripeness, variety, and press technique
- Over-pressing extracts bitter tannins and can cloud wine
- Commercial wineries typically target 150-160 gallons per ton
- Pomace (pressed grape skins) can be composted or used for grappa
- Always keep free run and press runs separate initially to assess quality