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

I can agree with you one the nostalgia of using your Grandfathers equipment.

You can destem by hand but if you are doing very much you will probably only
do that one time and swear never to do it again.

I have never seen a stemmer without a crusher. One of these days I am going
to get just a crusher as it would be very useful with other fruit.

Ray

"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

I can agree with you one the nostalgia of using your Grandfathers equipment.

You can destem by hand but if you are doing very much you will probably only
do that one time and swear never to do it again.

I have never seen a stemmer without a crusher. One of these days I am going
to get just a crusher as it would be very useful with other fruit.

Ray

"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

On 7/28/2004 11:54 AM, Bonaquisti wrote:
> 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

Last year I used my uncle's crusher which we think originally belonged
to my grandfather. It hadn't been used for 28 years. It is also made of
wood with steel rollers. It cleaned up very nicely. It is powered by
an electric motor which is probably circa 1940 which I had rebuilt. It
worked very well. We were able to dump 42# boxes of grapes in and watch
them quickly disappear through the rollers. We crushed Cab and Zin.
We destemmed by hand, rubbing the grapes off the stems using a stainless
steel pan with 5/8" holes drilled in the bottom. The stems were very
clean and we did not have any drop through. We crushed and destemmed
1800 lbs of grapes in about 6 hours. The wine has exceeded my expectations.
The bonus was that my grandfather, who I never met, and my uncle, who I
used to help make wine when I was a kid, were both with me through the
whole process.
See also the "Destemming by hand" thread from early July.

Steve

On 7/28/2004 11:54 AM, Bonaquisti wrote:
> 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

Last year I used my uncle's crusher which we think originally belonged
to my grandfather. It hadn't been used for 28 years. It is also made of
wood with steel rollers. It cleaned up very nicely. It is powered by
an electric motor which is probably circa 1940 which I had rebuilt. It
worked very well. We were able to dump 42# boxes of grapes in and watch
them quickly disappear through the rollers. We crushed Cab and Zin.
We destemmed by hand, rubbing the grapes off the stems using a stainless
steel pan with 5/8" holes drilled in the bottom. The stems were very
clean and we did not have any drop through. We crushed and destemmed
1800 lbs of grapes in about 6 hours. The wine has exceeded my expectations.
The bonus was that my grandfather, who I never met, and my uncle, who I
used to help make wine when I was a kid, were both with me through the
whole process.
See also the "Destemming by hand" thread from early July.

Steve

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

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

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

"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??

Run the clusters through the crusher and fish the stems out of the must with
a rake and/or hands. You don't need to get them _all_.

Tom S

"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??

Run the clusters through the crusher and fish the stems out of the must with
a rake and/or hands. You don't need to get them _all_.

Tom S

Remove stems in the must with an oak plank that has non-galvanized,
non-aluminum nails pounded through it at opposing angles. Or a rake as Tom S
suggests or by hand or do as I did and leave them in through the entire
process. I've not tasted all my 2003s extensively but the few I've tried,
I've not noticed a stemmy, green or overly-tannic structure.

My musts tend to be very chunky and looking at pulling out the stems seemed
an exercise in futility as it all looked like stems before fermentation
began and opened everything up.

I don't think you have to be super, super clean and worry that you used
commercial oak or a rake that you've not soaked/cleaned every crevice as the
contact with the must will be minimal.

"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

Remove stems in the must with an oak plank that has non-galvanized,
non-aluminum nails pounded through it at opposing angles. Or a rake as Tom S
suggests or by hand or do as I did and leave them in through the entire
process. I've not tasted all my 2003s extensively but the few I've tried,
I've not noticed a stemmy, green or overly-tannic structure.

My musts tend to be very chunky and looking at pulling out the stems seemed
an exercise in futility as it all looked like stems before fermentation
began and opened everything up.

I don't think you have to be super, super clean and worry that you used
commercial oak or a rake that you've not soaked/cleaned every crevice as the
contact with the must will be minimal.

"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