This manual crusher/destemmer will fully prepare your red grapes for fermentation or white grapes for immediate pressing with minimal effort. Through gentle pressing and near elimination of all the stems, your white wine will ferment nearly tannin-free, and your reds are totally tannin controlled (by actually placing 10% of the stems back into the fermenting must). This particular model has an all-stainless upper and lower body, which is both sanitary and won`t corrode!
How does it work?
Once grapes enter the hopper, they are gently crushed by the rotating crush wheels and passed to the destemmer. Remaining grapes are removed from the stems by paddles which also project the stems down a tube, ejecting them into a vessel of your choice.
The manual crusher is controlled by a hand crank at the far end of the machine.
Selecting the proper Crusher/Destemmer
Crusher/destemmers are chosen by power type and material.
Manual crusher/destemmers are controlled by a hand crank at the far end of the machine. If you are a one-person operation, the manual crusher is great for processing up to 20 cases of grape; beyond that quantity will require a considerable amount of effort.
Alternatively, electric crusher/destemmers can process an unlimited amount of fruit with minimal effort. They are much faster and more convenient to use. You may even spend more time cleaning an electric crusher for next season than actually performing the crush!
Materials matter too. Painted crusher/destemmers are fabricated from steel and painted with a food-safe enamel. Proper care is necessary to avoid scratching all surfaces, which can lead to rust. In contrast, stainless crusher/destemmers are nearly effortless to maintain.