Straining out fruit chunks and squeezing the rest of their juices

Hi Adam,

Here's what I do with wine grapes if I have an average sized (3 or more gallon) batch, and I think it would work with cranberries. You'll need two nylon straining bags, a large funnel, and a spare primary fermenter. Leave the must alone for a day at the very end of the primary fermentation (quit punching down the cap). You should then have a nice cap formed by the cranberry skins floating at the top of the primary fermenter.

Fit one of your nylon straining bags into the spare (sanitized) primary fermenter. Take a pyrex measuring cup and transfer the cranberry skins into the straining bag, holding the cup against the side of the fermenter so most of the juice runs out of the cup.

Fit your other nylon strining bag into your large funnel, put the funnel into the mouth of your carboy, and have some brave soul hold that still for you. Then, pick up your primary fermenter with the wine in it, and pour it, carefully and slowly, into the funnel, stopping to lift up on the nylon straining bag as yeast sediment and seeds will tend to stop it up. As your wine should still be actively fermenting at this point, the danger from oxidation is less since the wine quickly surrounds itself with a protective layer of carbon dioxide.

I've only made cranberry wine once, but as I recall cranberry skins can be quite bitter, so I don't recommend any mashing. You could maybe gently squeeze your nylon straining bag in the other fermenter, or better yet just let it sit for a while, pull out the bag, and pour any juice left behind in the fermenter into your carboy.

Jon Check out my winemaking homepage