Tool for making nut milk.

June 6, 2012 8:16 AM

I'm trying to find a picture of how one would use a stick or handle to more easily twist a straining bag or nut milk bag.

My friend has to make almond milk for her work and it kills her wrists. I was trying to explain (over the phone) how she could wrap a short stick (or two) around the top of the bag and then turn that in a larger circle to give her a mechanical advantage... but a picture is worth a thousand words.

My gFu is failing me. All the pictures I can find show people wringing out the bags by hand, which is what kills her. Could anyone come up with the right combination of words that could conjure up an image I could send her? (The timelier the better, she has to make some later this morning.)

posted by BleachBypass to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

something to do with helicopters. Since that's what the stick would look like on top of the bag.
posted by royalsong at 8:20 AM on June 6, 2012

If time wasn't an issue I'd say go to the library and look through books under the category of wine making or beer brewing. Ditto for jam or jelly making but the thing is that for all of these things I think squeezing the bag is considered bad form because it can be detrimental to the clarity of the finished product.

That said, I have an older (read: 1950s or so) book of winemaking for the british homemaker that It think has the exact picture you're looking for. Doesn't help much, but couldn't help relating.

I did a google image search for the following terms with limited luck (nothing definite for you): beer, brewing, mesh, bag, mash, strain, clarity, squeeze

That's about all I could think of.

What's keeping you from taking a garbage bag, a broomstick, and a digital camera and doing a quick tutorial yourself?
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:27 AM on June 6, 2012

Is it a bag, or is it a square of cheesecloth or something similar? If it's square, tie opposite corners together like a bindle and insert the stick through a loop. If it's a bag without handles, just tie together opposite edges of the bag.

Can't find a picture, sorry.
posted by supercres at 8:27 AM on June 6, 2012

Here's one.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 8:29 AM on June 6, 2012

Look for pictures of tourniquets; it's the same concept. Something like this or this, maybe?
posted by specialagentwebb at 8:30 AM on June 6, 2012

There's a picture (and description) in this article on latke-making.
posted by supercres at 8:30 AM on June 6, 2012

Ah, supercres has a good point, the older stuff I've seen assumed squares of cheesecloth. Your maneuver should be doable with either bag or square though.

Ah ha! I thought about this, how about a quick search for Furoshiki as a lead in? If we're talking squares that is.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:31 AM on June 6, 2012

Awesome. Sent and sent! I think I got it out to her before she had started, so the timeliness is very very appreciated! Good lateral thinking on the tourniquet, too!
posted by BleachBypass at 8:40 AM on June 6, 2012

Or you could be fun and direct her towards this classic scene from Shanghai Noon.

underrated, I tell you! underrated!
posted by Think_Long at 8:42 AM on June 6, 2012

"windlass rod" - I cannot truthfully say this was anywhere near the tip of my tongue.
posted by BleachBypass at 8:46 AM on June 6, 2012

Piss shirt bend bar! :)
posted by BleachBypass at 8:48 AM on June 6, 2012