Press & Crusher Recommendations - Small Batches

[we5inelgr]

Hi all,

I'm looking to purchase our first Press and Crusher. They will be used exclusively for grapes.

Ever hear of a micro vineyard? Well, we have a nano vineyard (perhaps an angstrom vineyard). In any event, we anticipate somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 pounds of grapes for the next few years, and then around 240 pounds when some additional vines mature.

I don't want to spend a fortune (I know, this is relative) on something like a bladder press, but I also don't mind spending for the right equipment, new. With this small volume, I also don't mind manual ratchets/cranks/turns, etc.

With that tiny amount in mind, would this Weston Fruit and Wine Press and Weston Apple and Fruit Crusher be adequate? They are currently $374.29, total, with free shipping.

My main concern is the fruit crusher. It appears to be made more for hard fruits in mind. Does anyone here have any experience using this (or similar)with grapes? Would that crusher do a fair job at de-stemming as well?

Perhaps there is a different Press, or a different Crusher & D-stemmer you would recommend? We would like to keep the total, for both, under $450-$500.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kraffty]

I've been thinking of buying this for a bit. Made just for grapes and de-stims also.
Made my own press.
Best of luck,
Mike
http://morewinemaking.com/products/italian-crusher-destemmer-manual-painted.html

 

[Boatboy24]

I've been eying the same crusher/destemer as Kraffty. I have an 18L press and it has been great for my 100-200lbs of grapes. I'm upping the amount this fall, but expect it'll still be fine. I got mine very slightly used on Craigslist for $135, but they can be found for about $250, new (I think).

 

[JohnT]

As far as that press....

If it is ok, I would like to do a little math...

The press's capacity is 4 gallons

240 pounds of grapes will produce roughly 16.66 gallons of finished wine. I would count on roughly 20 gallons of must (juice and skins).

This means that you will need to do 5 pressings.

This might be fine, and would certainly work. I know that you are on a budget, but the difference in price between a small press and one that is larger is surprisingly small. For just $75 or $100 more you can get a much larger press. I would seriously consider going a bit bigger just in case you decide to do even more wine in the future.

I say this because I started out with just a 5 gallon press and have "scaled up" 4 times. Since there really is no market for used wine presses, I took a financial hit each time. I just think of how much cheaper it would have been if I only got a bigger to start with.


As far as a crusher/destemmer, I completely agree with the others on that hand crank model. A motorized model would be overkill.


Presses and destemmers last forever if properly taken care of. I have had the same destemmer for 25 years and the same press for 18. If you go with quality equipment, you should be able to hand it down to your children.

Here is one thing to consider. I do not know where you are located, but why not take a long drive and pick the equipment up? you would be saving a fortune in shipping and use that money for a bigger press.

 

[Rocco]

Get stainless not painted. Spend the extra $100 now, if you don't you will regret it when paint chips come off in your must and you have to keep re painting it.