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How to make a wood grape crusher. Types and manufacture of do-it-yourself grape crushers

In autumn, the moment comes when winemakers get to work. To process a large number of grapes, you will need a special crusher. This device is used both in large production and in a private winery. After all, it saves not only time, but also energy. In this article, we will understand what a crusher is, how it works and the criteria for choosing it.

Purpose and description of the device

In the modern world, where they try to automate all work, it is not advisable to use primitive manufacturing methods. Crushers are used to make grape juice.
They are designed to grind berries and form a mixture for further distillation of wine. These devices are used for processing grapes both on an industrial scale and at home.

The grinder has a fairly simple but effective design. The simplest device consists of a loading hopper, at the bottom of which there are two parallel rollers. The bunker is mounted on a wooden frame, and the rollers rotate using a system of gears and a handle.

Some designs may also have a container for crushed berries. Although you can use a wooden vat or a plastic barrel.

How a crusher works

After harvest, the grapes must be processed as soon as possible. Berries are poured into the loading hopper. The grinding rollers are located at some distance. Thus, when the grapes fall between them, the berries are crushed, and the seeds remain intact.

Important! If the gap between the rollers is minimal, then there is a chance of crushing the grape seed. In this case, the tannins contained in it will get into the juice or wine and give them bitterness and viscosity.

By turning the handle, the rollers begin to move. The gear system is designed in such a way that when set in motion, the rollers rotate in different directions. Grapes that fall between them are crushed.

Their skin bursts and the pulp with juice is released, and the rotation of the rollers pushes them into the pulp vat.

Types and selection criteria

For large volumes, using a manual crusher will be impractical. Therefore, let's figure out what types of crushers are and the criteria for their selection.

Mechanical and electrical

Mechanical or manual, as it is also called, is widely used for home production or in industrial production of small volumes. Servicing such an installation is necessary in pairs.

So, one person rotates the handle, starting the mechanism, and the other fills the hopper.

How quickly the grapes will be processed using such a crusher depends on the effort applied to the lever, as well as the speed of loading the hopper. Most often they are used for crushing grapes with a volume of not more than 500 kg.
Unlike mechanical ones, electric ones are more convenient to use and can be serviced by one person. According to the principle of operation, they are identical, and differ only in the use of an electric motor that starts the crushing mechanism.

The advantage of such an installation is uniform crushing.

Electric crushers vary in grape processing capacity. So, there are crushers with a capacity of 500 kg / h, 700 kg / h, 1500 kg / h and 2000-2300 kg / h, which are used in small production.

The device, whose productivity does not exceed 500 kg / h, can be used in home wine production. In large wine production companies, crushing plants with a capacity of 10-15 t/h and even 40-70 t/h are used.
The power of crushing devices with an electric drive is on average 0.75 kW for a capacity of up to 2000 kg/h and 1.5 kW for processing grapes with a volume of 2000-2300 kg/h.

Types of grinders

Crushers according to their design are divided into roller and centrifugal. Rollers are most widely used, as they meet the technological requirements for the manufacture of raw materials for wines to the maximum.

The principle of operation of such shredders is based on the use of two or more rolls of various shapes. Corrugated, lobed or smooth shapes are mainly used. The use of this type of crusher allows you to get a high quality wort.

The centrifugal crusher uses a high speed rotor. In this case, the grape berries are crushed as a result of the impacts of the rotor.
Using a crusher allows you to get the maximum amount of dyes. With its help, the must is made from red grapes.

Production material

The modern market offers a variety of crushers that differ in shape, size, performance and, of course, material. So, depending on the material used, crushing plants are made of wood, plastic and made of painted or stainless steel.

Important! The main requirement for the material from which the crusher is made is resistance to oxidation, since grape juice is characterized by high acidity.

The most common for home production is a wooden chopper. And for production, entrepreneurs most often choose stainless steel crushers, which are presented in a large assortment.

Download type

On the modern market there are shredders with various types of loading. There are designs with vertical and horizontal loading hopper.

Most often, these types of loading relate to a centrifugal crusher, or, as it is also called, CCH. Roll shredders are produced with a vertical type of loading.

Device size and weight

Various designs of shredders are offered for sale, which also differ in their dimensions.

Manufacturers offer mechanical crushers of various designs, but their dimensions are clearly standardized.
For example, a chopper with a loading hopper of 15 kg and dimensions of 650 * 470 mm has dimensions of 1000 * 390 * 490 mm and a weight of 18 kg, a chopper with a comb separator for the same volume of the hopper has a weight of 35 kg and dimensions of 1120 * 460 * 580 mm with bunker dimensions in 460*760 mm.

A mechanical crusher with a hopper of 25 kg and dimensions of 1000 * 630 mm has a weight of 29 kg and dimensions of 1210 * 620 * 400 mm, and the same chopper with a comb separator will have dimensions of 1210 * 520 * 690 mm, weight of 40 kg and a hopper size of 1000 * 500 mm.

Electric crushers also come in different sizes:

  • the shredder with a capacity of 1200-1500 kg/h has dimensions of 1210*600*690 mm and a weight of 51 kg;
  • chopper, processing up to 2000 kg/h, weighs 50 kg, and its dimensions are 1330*570*610 mm;
  • crusher with a capacity of 2000-2300 kg / h has dimensions of 1180 * 680 * 900 mm and weighs 94 kg.

The presence of a destemmer

The taste of juice or future wine depends on the amount of tannins that it contains. They can get into the composition of the pulp when the bones are crushed or when the grape ridges are crushed.

Since the ridges ripen longer than grape berries, they contain a large amount of tannins. If they are not removed, then the wine will be more tart, and with a high content of them, it may even be bitter. To eliminate them, grinders with a comb separator are used.

The principle of operation of such crushers is to use an additional shaft, when passing through which the ridges are separated from the berries. The berries go for further processing to a pair of crushing shafts, and the ridges fall into a separate container.

Grinders of this type are used in the production of white wines. When separating the stems, it is also necessary to take into account the variety of the future wine and the grapes used.
For example, in the production of Bordeaux, only ¾ of the stems are removed from Verdot grapes, and ½ from Merlot and Malbec grapes.

Did you know? In the production of red and white wines in Argentina and Chile, crushers without destemmers are used, and since the stems are not separated, the difference between these wines differs only in the period of pulp fermentation.

In the production of muscat wines, it will not work to use a crusher with a destemmer, since the grapes are harvested when the berries are already raisined and withered, and it is difficult to separate the ridges from such berries.

How to make a simple do-it-yourself grape crusher

In order to assemble a grape chopper, you will need the following items:

  • loading capacity;
  • plywood case;
  • rollers - 2 pcs.;
  • gears - 2 pcs.;
  • washers - 2 pcs.;
  • metal frame;
  • pen.

 The loading tank is made of stainless steel, it is shaped like a cut trapezoid. For the manufacture of the bunker, steel with a thickness of 1 mm is used.

The body is made of plywood 12 mm thick, and its size depends on the size of the rollers that will be placed in it.

Plywood is fixed in such a way that one side is removable. For example, the side where the handle and gear system will be attached. The removable side allows you to easily disassemble and wash the crusher after use.

The roller drive is located inside the plywood case. They are made from glued plywood, which is turned on a machine, mounted on a 12 mm axis and sits on glue. In order for the rollers to have the shape of gears, grooves must be made on them. The diameter of the rollers is 80 mm, and their length depends on the maximum possible size that the lathe can clamp.

Install them in such a way that the gap between them is 3 mm. With this arrangement of shafts, the grape seed will remain intact. After fixing the rollers in the frame from the outside, two washers are installed on the axles, and on top of them - two gears with a diameter of 85 mm.

On one of the gears is attached a handle made of an iron pipe measuring 15 * 15 mm. For ease of use, a tube is used as a handle, which will rotate around its axis.

The crusher body is mounted on a frame of 15*15 mm pipes connected by 20*2 mm steel strips. The metal frame is made in such a way that the crusher can be installed on the pulp container.
All wooden parts of the crusher are varnished in 3 layers to protect against caustic grape juice. Such a simple design of the crusher is useful in the economy of any novice winemaker.

What can replace the crusher for grapes

In the production of wine, the use of a grape crusher not only speeds up, but also facilitates the process of creating pulp. However, not every winemaker, especially a beginner, can afford to buy such a chopper, because the price of the cheapest device starts from UAH 7,000.

In this regard, let's look at other ways in which you can crush grapes and create a pulp.

The easiest option is to chop the grapes with your hands, especially if the amount is small. But if you have a large amount of grapes, then it will take you almost the whole day.
You can use the method of Adriano Celentano from the movie "The Taming of the Shrew", but in our latitudes autumn days are rainy and cold, and trampling grapes with bare feet can adversely affect your health.

There is a faster way to crush grapes without harm to health. To do this, you need to buy a new construction whisk. Using a whisk made on the basis of steel rods will easily and effectively break grape berries, while grinding the seeds will not.

To crush grapes in this way, pour a small amount of grapes into a bucket and beat with a whisk. In 2-3 minutes you will get the finished pulp. Using this method of crushing grapes is also convenient because after crushing it, you can easily remove a certain amount of scallops.
But this will have to be done manually. The prepared pulp is poured into a container where it will stand for the duration of fermentation.

A grape crusher is a quick and convenient way to harvest the pulp in the wine making process. The use of various designs allows you to process a large number of grapes and regulate the content of tannins in the future drink.

Now you know what are the criteria for choosing crushers and how to make such a product at home. Happy winemaking!

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After harvesting the grapes, many farmers begin the process of making wine. Home winemaking is a very complex and time-consuming process, but the result is worth the time and effort. Experienced winemakers who process a large amount of crops during the season know that they cannot do without special equipment for crushing grapes, in particular, they will need a grape crusher with a stem separator.

Working principle and application

Let's first understand what a mechanical grape crusher is, and what a grape destemmer is.

So, a crusher with a destemmer for grapes is a special device used for separating grapes from ridges. The device is distinguished by a simple mechanism of operation: such a crusher consists of a loading tank, a compartment for the accumulation of cake and a grinder in the form of two crushing rollers, which are located opposite each other.

Why is it necessary to separate the berries from the ridges, you ask? At the time of harvest, the ridges are still green, if they are not removed, then acid and tannins will enter the grape juice, which negatively affects the taste of the wine.

A mechanical or manual crusher is widely used both in home winemaking and in the production of wine on an industrial scale. However, for processing large batches of grapes, it is better to use an electric type crusher, the power of which allows you to process a large amount of the harvested crop in a short period of time.

How does this miracle device work? Grapes are poured into the loading tank, which are literally crushed by crushing rollers. We draw your attention to a small but very important detail: there should be a small gap between the rollers so that the grape seeds remain intact. If the rollers are so close that the pits will rub, we can assume that the wine is spoiled. Tannins, which are present in grape seeds, give the drink bitterness, viscosity and strength.

Types of crushers

Modern stores offer a wide range of crushers for processing harvested crops from vineyards. Crushers existing today can be classified according to several characteristics:

  • type of control (mechanical / manual and electric);
  • material of manufacture (wooden, plastic and metal);
  • loading type (horizontal and vertical);
  • with or without combing.

Crushers-stemmers for processing grapes are of two types: roller and impact-centrifugal.

However, if for some reason you do not like or do not like the available assortment, you can try to make such a device yourself. Do-it-yourself grape crusher is a simple design from a technological point of view. The manufacture of such a device does not take much time and does not require serious investments. At the same time, the effectiveness of a home-made crushing unit is no worse than factory equipment.

Necessary materials and tools

The success of any business depends on the degree of preparation of the "master". Before proceeding with the manufacture of a home-made crushing unit, you need to find on the Internet or draw drawings of such an apparatus yourself.

The next step is to prepare the necessary tools and materials. It is best to take a complete set of tools, so that later you do not waste time looking for a hammer or screwdriver.

So, what materials do we need to make a crusher? Focusing on the notes of those winemakers who have already made such devices with their own hands, we need to prepare:

  • oak boards for the hopper (you can also use plastic or stainless steel);
  • rollers - 2 pcs.;
  • gears of the same size - 2 pcs.;
  • bars with a section of 50x50 mm for a wooden frame;
  • lever;
  • pulp tank.

Step-by-step instruction

All the necessary materials have been purchased and prepared, a set of tools is at hand - you can get to work. Do not forget to take an early drawing that will be easier to navigate. So let's get started:

  1. From oak boards we make a loading bunker, which in shape resembles an inverted truncated pyramid.
  2. We take a roller and draw 6 longitudinal lines on it. Along the length of each line, we drill holes with a diameter of 10 mm and a depth of 50 mm. The distances between the holes should be about 50 mm. We repeat the same procedure with the second roller.
  3. From the bars we make a wooden frame, in the center of which we fix the rollers. Remember to leave a gap of 2-3 mm between the rollers.
  4. From the outside of the frame, we install gears on the rollers.
  5. We collect the entire structure. We fix a frame with rollers on the pulp collection tank, on which we install a loading hopper from above.
  6. We attach a handle to one of the axles of the rollers, which will power our apparatus.

The most primitive crusher for grape harvest processing is ready for operation.

Video "Homemade grape crusher"

In this video you will learn how to make a grape crusher.

Home winemaking is a complex, time-consuming, but at the same time interesting and exciting activity. Those who deal with large volumes of crops, in order to facilitate their work and speed up the process, resort to the use of various devices. The material contains information about crushers (crushers) of grapes.

Purpose and principle of operation of the crusher

Crushers are designed to process grapes and get a mixture from which wine is later made. These devices are widely used in industrial production and at home in the manufacture of wine products. They are purchased ready-made or made independently, using drawings and diagrams.

Among the components of the crusher:

  • loading compartment (bunker);
  • parallel placed rollers that crumple the grapes;
  • bag for collecting cake.

Did you know? The oldest winery known today is found in Armenia. It is attributed to 4100-4000 years. BC e.

The principle of operation of the unit is simple:

  1. Grapes are loaded into the loading compartment.
  2. The crushing rollers begin to move with the help of a mechanical or electric drive.
  3. As a result, pulp with juice is released from under the skin, and pulp is obtained, which is collected in a special compartment.
There is a gap between the crushing rollers, thanks to which the berries are crushed, and the bones remain intact. This is important because, when crushed, they will add bitterness to the drink.

As a result of the operation of the unit, it is possible to achieve the following results:

  • separate the juice from the pulp;
  • clean the pulp from the vine and seeds;
  • separate other parts of the plant (if necessary).

Varieties of crushers for grapes

Today there are several types of devices for crushing grapes. They can be manual and electric, with or without a destemmer. They are made of wood, plastic, stainless steel. The principle of their work is almost the same. Let's consider in more detail each of the varieties.

With and without comb separator

Thanks to the grape ridges, the wine acquires a rich and tart taste. However, if there are too many of them, it will spoil the quality of the drink - it can become bitter, unattractive in color, cloudy. If you are working with varieties that make red wine, then you can leave the combs. However, in the production of a white drink, this is unacceptable: the combs must be removed. Accordingly, when choosing a device for obtaining pulp, it is necessary to take this moment into account and opt for designs depending on the grape variety to be worked with and the type of wine.
Devices with a comb separator are of 2 types:

  1. Roller.
  2. Impact centrifugal.

Did you know? In Iran, jugs with sediment left from grape wine were found. They date from 5400-5000 BC. BC e. It is known that in those days the drink was prepared to preserve perishable varieties. Whether it was used in antiquity for intoxication is unknown.

Roll crushers

In this type of device, there are two or more parallel grooved, smooth or bladed rolls with four, six or eight blades. The distance between them can be adjusted. They revolve in different directions. This variety is the most popular among winemakers.

Impact crushers

Crushers belonging to this variety are made vertical and horizontal. The principle of operation is that the crushing of grapes and the separation of the ridges is carried out due to shocks during the rotation of the rotor. With the help of such devices, it is possible to achieve the pulp that is as clean as possible from impurities.

Mechanical presses

A mechanical or manual device for crushing grapes has a handle. With it, the crushing rollers begin to move. Such a unit must be chosen if the volume of processed products does not exceed 500–700 kg. Stainless steel designs are the most popular, as they can be easily disassembled and washed.

They can serve for a long time and do not add any extraneous odors to wine products. At home, wooden mechanical structures are often used. They are the easiest to make with your own hands.

Electrical

When using electric units, the process of obtaining the wort occurs with the help of a metal blade in the form of a screw or a rotor. When it moves, the clusters are pushed out, and the pulp enters a special compartment. The productivity of such devices can vary from 1200 to 2300 kg/h.

Advantages and disadvantages of using

  • There are a number of advantages to working with a crusher:
  • it is possible to obtain high-quality pulp without foreign impurities in a short time;
  • significant savings in time and effort;
  • the unit is simple and reliable in use;
  • the possibility of long-term use;
  • less pulp loss.

Disadvantages can be noted in mashers with a destemmer - they are not suitable for processing bunches of nutmeg varieties.

How to make a hand crusher with your own hands

It is really possible to make a mechanical wooden crusher with your own hands. It is advisable to resort to this process if the volumes of processed grapes are small, or when a person makes wine only for his own consumption.

Important! If there were no oak boards on the farm, the bunker can be made of stainless steel or plastic.

You will need the following materials:

  • oak wooden boards;
  • wooden beam (section 0.5 × 0.5 cm);
  • crushing rollers (suitable from a failed activator-type washing machine, used to wring out things, from rolling pins for rolling dough, purchased in a store) - 2 pcs.;
  • metal studs - 2 pcs.;
  • metal gears - 2 pcs.;
  • stainless steel mesh with cells 10–12 mm in size;
  • shaft with blades;
  • colorless varnish on wood;
  • handle for rotation;
  • pulp receiver.

The step-by-step manufacturing instructions are as follows:


Video: the process of making a separator comb for a grape chopper

So, a crusher for grapes allows you to significantly speed up and simplify the process of making raw materials for grape wine.

Important! The materials from which a homemade grape crusher is made must be resistant to oxidation, since the juice has an increased acidity.

It is easy to use, and it can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands, using the drawings and recommendations.

Kira Stoletova

Wine production begins from the moment the harvest arrives for processing. Previously, only manual labor was used to crush the grapes (more precisely, foot labor: in special vats, the grapes were crushed with their feet). The first grape crusher appeared in Spain at the beginning of the 17th century.

Now wineries use high-performance plants that can process tens of tons of delivered raw materials in an hour.

In the household, you can have a small device. But the production of small-sized machines was discontinued in the mid-80s of the last century. Therefore, growers are forced to create them with their own hands or seek help from familiar experts.

Device Features

Do-it-yourself crusher for grapes is made according to several schemes.

  • Roll device, two parallel rollers of a special shape rotate in it;
  • Crushers with a mechanism that performs reciprocating motion. With this sequence, portions of raw materials are crushed and moved to the accumulator;
  • Crusher of crushing action. In them, the activator rotates inside the mass of grapes, its blades actively affect the berries and break them;
  • Hammer-type installations have a shaft, it has a rotor. Axles are located on the periphery, and hammer plates hang on the axes. When rotating under the action of centrifugal force, the plates diverge in different directions. The incoming raw material is placed on a perforated deck in the impact zone of the plates. The berries are broken and in the form of pulp (crushed fruit and berry raw materials) are pushed into the drive;
  • Screw type machines. There is an auger with a variable pitch. The crusher of grapes compresses and moves the incoming mass, the clusters are squeezed, juice is released from them. In a crushed form, raw materials are squeezed out of the processing zone into the wine fermentation process;
  • Eccentric: consist of a cylinder inside which a second cylinder rotates. In a certain position, the raw mass is compressed, the berries are crushed, and the juice flows out. The resulting pulp is pressed through the perforated surface of the outer cylinder.

Important! For the manufacture of materials are used that do not enter into chemical reactions with the juice: stainless steel, plastic, glass or wood.

After processing a certain amount of fruit and berry raw materials, the plants are washed with alkaline solutions, and then rinsed with clean water.

Destemmers

An important option for a mechanical device is the destemmer. It separates the ridges (brushes) from the berries. The principle of operation lies in the fact that the size of the branches significantly exceeds the flow area of ​​the perforation holes.

Design options:

  • centrifugal type, the berries come off the ridges under the action of centrifugal force;
  • shaking action: the stalk of ripe grapes breaks easily, the bunch is divided into components;
  • blade type: the blades are located on a rotating shaft, while a translational movement is created (the entire mass moves along a cylindrical surface with holes, the pulp falls down, and the ridges are brought out in the other direction).

Step by step manufacturing instructions

Design development

To make a grape crusher with your own hands, you need to develop a sketch or drawing of a future product.

Of all the variety of designs, it is easiest to make a roll device: it actively presses the bunches.

In advanced designs, the distance between the rollers is adjustable.

Bunker

Crushers should have a hopper for 10-20 kg of grape mass. For manufacturing, you will have to use plastic, wooden shields or stainless steel sheets.

The bunker has a wide part at the top, and narrows at the bottom: this form makes it possible to press the product directed to the active working body.

Drive unit

A small homemade grape crusher is equipped with a handle: its axis is a continuation of one of the rollers.

For large-scale processing, an electric drive is needed. However, it should be borne in mind that the shaft speed should be no more than 3-4 rpm. A gear motor with a speed of 180-240 rpm is used. It will take a power of about 1-2 kW.

Container for berries

A homemade crush can be desktop, or it can be located on its own frame.

The container for the pulp is placed under the product. They use plastic buckets for food products, it is easier to transfer the semi-finished product to the fermentation tank in them.

Element manufacturing

Wooden rollers are installed inside. As a basis, rolling pins for dough made of birch or linden are used.

For the protrusions of the grape crusher, slats (glazing beads) are used.

  1. The length of the rolling pins is measured.
  2. Sawn off 6 glazing beads (12 in total).
  3. Cylinders (rolling pins) are marked into 6 parts.
  4. With the help of copper or brass nails, parts of the glazing beads are nailed in place - the rollers are ready.

Bunker elements are cut out of plywood 4-6 mm thick. Between themselves, the fragments are fastened with copper screws or nails. Finished parts are impregnated with hot drying oil or primer for outdoor use (double coat).

For a home-made grape crusher and the installation of rollers, closed bearings are selected, which are fixed on the outside of the bunker. Cases made of stainless steel or bronze are used.

Installation of an electric crusher

Assembly must be done on the frame. It can be made from wooden bars with a section (40x40 mm) or welded from shaped pipes (25x25 mm).

An electric grape crusher is equipped with a geared motor with a rotation speed of 180-240 rpm. A chain drive is used to drive the destemmer shaft. You can use sprockets from a bicycle.

Installation of a crusher with a comb separator

Such a crusher for grapes has a mechanism for separating the ridges, which is mounted below the rollers. It is a semi-cylinder made of stainless mesh with 15x15 mm cells.

The shaft is made from a birch cutting. Blades are made from a plate 0.8-1.5 mm thick (stainless steel). They are attached to the shaft with copper or brass screws. Installed so that during rotation, movement occurs in a horizontal plane.

A half-cylinder is bent from a stainless mesh. The distance between the blades and the wall is left no more than 5 mm.

Crushed berries fall through the cells, and the ridges are moved to unload.

Operating rules

The quality of the separation of the ridge part from the berries and the number of unbroken grapes are checked.

  1. A portion of grapes is prepared, usually 10-20 kg.
  2. A container for collecting pulp is installed.
  3. Grapes are poured into the bunker.
  4. The electric motor turns on.
  5. The prepared portion of raw materials is processed.

Now we need to analyze the results. The mass of ridges is weighed, and then the resulting pulp is weighed.

The sum of both masses is compared with the value of the mass of the feedstock. The lost mass is specified. Homemade crushers for grapes lose no more than 1-2% of the original mass.

Along the way, the number of ridges that fell into the pulp is analyzed. The hit of no more than 1% of the particles separated in the destemmer is considered satisfactory. If the result is outside the specified tolerance, the workflow is analyzed. Ways are being sought to improve efficiency.

The quality of the pulp is checked. No more than 3% of intact berries are allowed to pass through. You can increase efficiency by reducing the gap between the rollers. Some growers install a two-level roller system, where the raw material goes through double grinding.

Do-it-yourself grape crusher, crusher. crush tne grapes.

The simplest grape crusher / Home wine / 1st part

homemade crusher for grapes part number 1

  1. For grapes, a mechanical crusher is suitable, which uses a roller grinder.
  2. The electric drive will allow mechanizing the grape processing process.
  3. According to the test results, the efficiency of a small-sized grape crusher with a destemmer is specified.

The process of processing grapes is laborious, and one cannot do without special devices. To process a large amount of the crop, you will need a grape crusher, with which you can save time and effort. And if you make such a device with your own hands, then also money.

A crusher is used to make any grape drink. With the help of this device, grapes are crushed. If you want to process grapes on an industrial scale, it is advisable to use automatic devices. In the household, a mechanical grape crusher is used.

The use of such a device has several advantages:

  • the pulp has no extra components;
  • technological loss decreases;
  • the mixture is of high quality;
  • less time and effort is spent;
  • if the crusher is made of stainless steel, then odors can be avoided.

After the grapes are harvested, the berries are washed. Next, a grape destemmer is used to separate the berries from the stems. After that, the crushing process begins, as a result of which the juice is separated rapidly. An interesting point is that when processing grapes for pulp and must, at any degree of crushing, the bones should, if possible, remain intact. For light wine, the degree of crushing should be minimal.

Crushing is usually combined with the separation of the ridges, since if they are not separated, acid and tannins enter the juice. They give the finished wine an unpleasant herbal aftertaste. To do this, use a destemmer in the form of an additional shaft. In the process of destemming, it is strictly taken into account what kind of wine will be made.

Video "The process of a homemade crusher"

In this video you will learn how a homemade grape crusher works.

Varieties of crushers for grapes

Crusher with and without destemmer

Crusher with destemmer for crushing grapes - a device that not only crushes the berries, but also separates them from the ridges. This device has a simple device. A berry is loaded into the container, an additional roller is used to separate the grapes from the ridges. Then the berries are crushed using two crushing rollers located on opposite sides. The cake enters a separate compartment. Crushers with a comb separator are roller and shock-centrifugal.

Manual crusher with destemmer for Muscat grapes is not used. The grapes are harvested when the berries are slightly dried, and it is no longer possible to separate the ridges from them.

Mechanical crusher

There are two types of mechanical crushers on the market: vertical and horizontal. Most often this refers to the centrifugal crusher. This type of grinder works by centrifugal force, due to which the bunches hit the inner walls of the hopper with force. The berries are not only well crushed, but in the process they are saturated with oxygen.

These crushers are used to make red wine. In this case, a full-fledged wort yield with an increased amount of coloring phenolic substances is obtained. This apparatus, in parallel with the crushing of berries, separates them from the ridges.

The destemmer is a horizontal cylinder with helical blades that qualitatively and quickly separate the berries from the ridges. With the forward movement of the blades, the ridges are pushed out, and pure grape mass is already entering the crushing tank.

Grapes are loaded into roller grinders through a vertical loading hopper. In this apparatus, the ridges are separated from the grapes, and then the berries are crushed. The unit consists of a beater shaft, a perforated cylinder, 4 rolls made of food rubber, working in pairs. The distance between them is adjustable. Thus, depending on the grape variety, a gentle grinding mode can be used.

The industry offers various types of mechanical crushers with standard sizes.

hand crusher

You can replace the mechanical crusher with your hands. If the harvest is small, then it will not take much time. If there are a lot of grapes, then you have to spend the whole day. You can, of course, try to adapt the construction whisk of steel rods.

To grind, pour the grapes into a container and beat manually with a whisk. The device will effectively grind the grape masses, while the seeds will not be crushed. You will have to spend up to three minutes on the procedure. The method is convenient in that you can easily then remove the combs with your hands. The prepared pulp is left for fermentation.

A manual crusher is essentially a container with a stirrer, which, when turned, pushes the berries between the rollers. The manual crusher works on the principle of the good old meat grinder. The distance between the rollers is adjustable, depending on the desired degree of crushing.

Making a crusher with your own hands

Crusher drawings

If you are not ready to invest in a factory design, then a do-it-yourself grape crusher is a great way out. This will not require much time and material costs. The resulting unit, made by hand, will be no worse than the factory one. A natural question arises: how to make a manual grape crusher with your own hands.

The success of the case will depend on how you prepare. To get started, you should find drawings of a grape crusher on the Internet. You can draw them yourself.

Materials and tools

Before you get down to business, you should take care of the necessary tools and materials for manufacturing. You will need boards for making a loading container (you can take plastic or stainless steel), two rollers that will be used in the crushing process, two gears, bars for a wooden frame, a handle and a pulp tank.

Assembly instructions

From the boards (preferably oak) we make a loading container, shaped like a trapezoid. We draw six longitudinal lines on the roller, on which we drill 10 mm holes 50 cm deep and at a distance of 50 mm. We act identically with the second similar product. We make a wooden frame, in the center we attach the rollers at a distance of 2-3 mm from each other, we fix a gear on the outside of each.

Now it remains to collect everything. To do this, we attach a frame with rollers to the pulp collection tank. From above we mount the container for loading. In order for the do-it-yourself device to be put into action, you need to attach the handle to the axis of one of the rollers. Our simplest apparatus for chopping grape berries is ready. As you can see, it is not difficult to make it.

A do-it-yourself grape destemmer will simplify the process of separating the ridges from the berries. Whether you make your own grape crusher or use a factory-built one, this simple technique will speed up and ease the mashing process.