press, crusher or both

[reisjdmd]

we'll be making wine this fall for the very first time, about 10 decent vines worth. i'm buying equipment. do you think i need both of the aboveor just a crusher or just a press?? any thoughts appreciated.

 

[AlFulchino]

not for ten vines.....but toys always make it more fun!

heck you dont even need the press...for what it would take to clean before and after ( the equipment) you can process ten vines in the same time and have some fun doing it...BUT....


if you want to get the ambiance and take some pictures to hang on the wall...or get the feel of an old time tradition...get the toys!

 

[reisjdmd]

10 vines this fall, but with any luck up to 40 total in the next year or two. does that change your answer?? i mean that could possibly be 700-900 pounds of grapes if all goes excellently. and, i do not want to stomp them and get purple feet.

 

[AlFulchino]

yes it does change my answer ( more info usually does )
go for the toys with an eye for your expansion down the road...and your gonna want totake pictures..so make sure you have a camera...there is *nothing* like making wine yourselfwhat varieties are you growing?


ps purple feet are fine...if the person has the right looking feet !


ppswhen getting the crusher destemmer..look for the ability toaccomodate for berry size.......i prefer to crush and destem with hardly breaking the berry...it makes for a longer fermnet start up...but i believe you achieve a finer outcome.Edited by: Al Fulchino

 

[grapeman]

You could start out with the crusher/destemmer if you can't get both. That way you can crush the grapes and get rid of the stems too. Then after they are fermented you can at least get free run juice to finish up. If you just get a press, you don't get a good yield from whites and you would have to destem all the reds by hand- a lot of work! You could save money and just get the crusher for a couple hundred bucks, but then you have that hand destemming job again!