Paul - I have a crusher without destemmer. Mine has rubber rollers and
sometimes I pass the grapes through more than once since some with tough
skins pass intact. After crushing I destem by rubbing the crushed
grapes/stems over a two mesh SS screen (two holes per inch). I built a
frame, which the screen is attached to, that fits over a 32 gallon trash
can. Works well and I remove most if not all the stems. Crushing takes
minutes, destemming takes a few hours but I only make wine a couple of times
a year.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas USA

"Bonaquisti" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
>
> I would like to use my Grandfathers grape crusher for this years crush.
It is
> pretty old, and made of wood with steel rollers. It looks like it will
clean
> up nicely, and i like the nostalgia of using my Grandfathers crusher and
press.
> However, it does not have a destemmer, and since I am making Cabernet
this
> year, want to make sure I get most/all of the stems out.
>
> My questions: Does anyone have experience with a crusher only? Will it
work
> well enough? How can I get rid of the stems??
>
> Thanks for ANY help!
> Paul