# Fruit Press for crush and strain



## cryptobrian (Jan 22, 2012)

Do some searching for "Honey Press" ... you'll find some interesting approaches, including some homemade presses using scissor jacks (like for your car) to do the pressing. I've seen similar setups in use for apples with good results, I don't see why it wouldn't work just as well with honey ... but then again, not sure how much benefit it offers over crush and strain except perhaps it is quicker?


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## Myron Denny (Sep 27, 2009)

I think what you have is a lard press. I have one, I thought I would use it as a cappings press but I just let the cappings drain until I tired of looking at them and let the bees clean them up.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I think it would be best if you used a bag to hold the wax and honey. They sell them at homebrewing suppliers for one place. A place that sells fruit presses might also or would know where to get one.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

The key to apple juice is the scratter (thing that chews up the apples before the press). I would think it would be the same on this. Put the cheese cloth under the scratter the same as with apples.


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## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

I read an article about a co-op in Africa, that uses fruit presses and cheese cloth. They didn't even have to crush the combs.
They just wrapped and twisted them in the cloth whole.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Why not just crush and let it drip. It will mostly drip off the wax. Just will take longer.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I'm sure it would work well. If you already have one it would be worth using it. If you don't, I'm not sure it would be worth buying one just to do honey when two five gallon buckets work pretty well...


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## slickbrightspear (Jan 9, 2009)

I have a screw type fruit press that I used before I got an extractor it will work just fine. the bag is a good idea as when you don't use one you get a block of wax stuck to the bottom of the press and it takes a while to break it loose to put the next batch of comb in.


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## gjd (Jan 26, 2011)

If you haven't seen this already:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDn3DnjpY1A&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
If the link doesn't work, search youtube for "heathland beekeeping - 7 - Harvest of Heather Honey in a Skep Apiary"

Crush and strain worked surprisingly well for me, once I figured out NOT to help it along by squeezing-- well-crushed comb drained better when loose. I'm guessing the squeezing is all-or-nothing.


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## flyingbrass (Jul 2, 2011)

i am in the restaurant business and have a tuna press. What about a tuna press? We don't use it anymore because our tuna comes in bags now. I think a tuna press would work well, especially since it cost a few hundred bucks and I ain't getting to use it for anything. Would a tuna press work ok?


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## slickbrightspear (Jan 9, 2009)

can you post a picture of a tuna press i have no idea what one looks like. but if you can press the comb solidly and it has a place for the cappings to drain into it will probably work. it may be hard to get the wax back out of it wax mashed into a good solid lump is harder to remove than you think.


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## Nabber86 (Apr 15, 2009)

It's amazing to me how much the honey flows out of a mesh bag all by itself. I usually let the bag drain overnight and then give it a good wringing out with my hands (rubber gloves on hands) in the morning. I get just about every drop of honey this way. I cant see why anyone would want to use a press. 

I guess a press would be good if you have so much comb that it will not fit in a 5-gallon bucket, but then you should probably be looking at an extractor instead. 

I did get a new stainless steel vertical sausage stuffer for Christmas (looks like an old Enterprise fruit/lard/sausage press). It would probably work as a honey press, but I doubt I will try it because cleaning it out seems like it would be a big mess.


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## zippelk (Sep 1, 2010)

slickbrightspear said:


> I have a screw type fruit press that I used before I got an extractor it will work just fine. the bag is a good idea as when you don't use one you get a block of wax stuck to the bottom of the press and it takes a while to break it loose to put the next batch of comb in.


+1 from me.


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