Automatic Horizontal Pneumatic Membrane Presses
Membrane pressing is a relatively new process, having only been patented in the 1950’s. Unlike previous press designs that rely on high pressure from a relatively small pressing surface, a membrane (or “bladder”) is a large, expanding surface that forces must outward to the inner edges of the basket, rather than downward to the basin. This reduces the amount of pulp and skins that the wine travels through and requires significantly less pressure than other pressing methods with similar yields. The result is a fresher and cleaner juice, ideal for making white wine.
So, how do you get high-quality red wine from a membrane press?
Simple. Larger pneumatic membrane presses have a horizontal drum, rather than the vertical perforated cage of the smaller bladder presses. Within the drum, there are limited drain channels, typically with ports that can be opened and closed as desired. Between pressing cycles, the drum rotates clockwise and counterclockwise, allowing the extracted wine to mix with the pulp and skins before it is drained from the press.
