Crusher – De-stemmer

[Scott B]

I am so excited my new Toy has arrived!!!


a Crusher – De-stemmer from George!!!!
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Now all I need is some grapes. I cannot wait.

Side Note: No Peanuts! I feel shorted! HAHA!!!!

 

[ibglowin]

Sweeeeeeeeettttttttt! Which one is that?

 

[Scott B]

Hi Mike,


It is #8054 the Manual Crusher/De-Stemmer


I am planning to do 400 pounds of grapes at the end of the summer so I went with NO Motor.


Any way the Wife will be turning the crank while I load the hopper! Yea Right !! In my Dreams!! HAHA!!

 

[Rocky]

Really nice Scott. Looks like it would be very easy to adapt a motor to it. All you would need is an old washer motor, a couple of pulleys and a V-belt.

 

[ibglowin]

I think Appleman did just that so if you are interested down the road he has the knowledge for sure.

 

[grapeman]

Like this:

By the way, take the handle off the crank flywheel and put that back on for a guard.

 

[Rocky]

That is just what I had in mind. Looks likeabout a1/3 reduction in RPM. How fast does the motor run?

 

[Wade E]

If you are making as much as Rich is you will want a motor but this is the exact model I have and with no motor and its very easy to use as is. My son who is 6 can even do it while Im dumping the grapes in. I should have my Chilean Pink Muscat in any day now. I built a little rack that keeps this mounted against my ceiling in the basement so it doesnt take up any room on my work bench. You will want to get a big Rubbermaid Tote to put under it to collect all the grapes and juice. I have mine sitting on a pair of sawhorses but can see the stand would be w nice addition.

 

[grapeman]

I really don't remember what speed it turns at right now, but if you ever get ready to make one, I will check.

 

[Scott B]

Wade and Rich, how do you sanitize the machine? What do you use to clean and sanitize?

 

[grapeman]

I take a garen hose and wash it off the best I can. There is a guard ovre the desteeming cage and when you remove it you can get all the stuff cleaned out. I don't sanitize it. I figure the grapes aren't sanitized when they go through it. After crushing, the must is treated with metabisulfite, so that sanitizes the grapes so to speak.

 

[Wade E]

I do exactly as Rich with just hosing and wiping mine down, no sanitizer used ever.

 

[FL Steve]

As Rich said, pull out the cage and make sure you blast the water up under the rollers and under the lip of the lower frame. Grapes get caught in there and then you have a mess. No matter how hard I try I always miss something. This is apple country so when I was younger I worked on the clean up crew at the Duffy Mott plant near here, try doing that on a super big commercial scale.