In autumn there comes a time when wine makers start working. To process a large number of grapes, you 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 power. In this article we will understand what constitutes a crusher, how it works and the criteria for its selection.
Appointment and description of the device
In the modern world, where they are trying to automate all the work, it is inexpedient to use primitive manufacturing methods. For the preparation of grape juice using crushers. 
They are intended for grinding berries and the formation of a mixture for further distillation of wine. These devices are used for processing grapes both on an industrial scale and at home.
The shredder 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 fixed on a wooden frame, and the rollers are rotated using a system of gears and a handle.
Some designs may also have a container for chopped berries. Although you can use a wooden vat or a plastic barrel.
How crusher works
After harvesting the grapes must be processed as soon as possible. Berries are poured into the hopper. The grinding rollers are located at a distance. Thus, when the grapes fall between them, the berries are crushed, and the bones remain intact. 
Important! If the gap between the rollers is minimal, then there is a chance to crush the grape seed. In this case, tannins that are contained in it, fall into the juice or wine and give them bitterness and viscosity.
Turning the handle, the rollers come into motion. The system of gears is designed in such a way that, when set in motion, the rollers rotate in different directions. The 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 mash tank.
Types and selection criteria
For large volumes, using a hand crusher would be impractical. So let's see what types of crushers and their selection criteria are. 
Mechanical and electrical
Mechanical or manual, as it is also called, is widely used for manufacturing at home or in industrial production of small volumes. This installation should be serviced 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 efforts exerted on the lever, as well as on the bunker loading speed. Most often they are used for crushing grapes of no more than 500 kg. 
Unlike mechanical, electrical 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 triggers the crushing mechanism.
The advantage of this 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-scale production.
The device, which performance does not exceed 500 kg / hour, can be used in home-made wine production. In large companies for the production of wine products crushing plants with a capacity of 10-15 t / h and even 40-70 t / h are used. 
Power crushing devices with an electric drive averages 0.75 kW for performance up to 2000 kg / h and 1.5 kW for the processing of grapes of 2000-2300 kg / h.
Types of shredders
Crushers by their design are divided into roll and centrifugal. Roller received the most widespread, as they best meet the technological requirements of the manufacture of raw materials for wine.
Learn how to make wine from grapes at home, as well as which grape varieties are best suited for making wine: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Krasnothop Zolotovsky, Tasone, Kesha, Amursky, Valiant, Zilga, Isabella, Riesling.
The principle of operation of such shredders is based on the use of two or more rolls of various shapes. Mostly used corrugated, paddle or smooth shape. Using this type of crusher produces high quality wort.
Centrifugal crusher uses a rotor with a high speed. In this case, the grapes are crushed as a result of the blows of the rotor. 
Using a crusher allows you to get the maximum amount of coloring matter. It is used to make wort from red grapes.
The red grapes include "Sensation", "Early Gourmet", "Zaporozhye Kishmish", "Super Raspberry", "Radiant Kishmish", "Nesvetnaya Dawn".
Manufacturing material
The modern market offers a variety of crushers, which differ in shape, size, performance and, of course, material. So, depending on the material used, the crushing plants are wooden, plastic and made of painted or stainless steel.
Important! The main requirement for the material from which the crusher is made, resistance to oxidation, because grape juice has a high acidity.
The most common for home production received a wooden chopper. And for the production most often entrepreneurs choose stainless steel crushers, which are presented in a large assortment. 
Download type
On the modern market are shredders with different types of loading. There are designs with vertical and horizontal hopper.
Most often, these types of loading relate to a centrifugal crusher or, as it is also called, CDG. Roll shredders are available with a vertical loading type.
The size and weight of the device
Available in various designs of shredders, 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 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 bunker volume has a weight of 35 kg and dimensions of 1120 * 460 * 580 mm with the size of the hopper is 460 * 760 mm.
Mechanical crusher with a bunker 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 size of hopper 1000 * 500 mm.
Electric crushers also have various sizes:
- the grinder with a productivity of 1200-1500 kg / h has dimensions of 1210 * 600 * 690 mm and weight of 51 kg;
- the chopper, processing up to 2000 kg / h, weighs 50 kg, and its dimensions are 1,330 * 570 * 610 mm;
- crusher with a capacity of 2000-2300 kg / h has dimensions of 1180 * 680 * 900 mm and weighs 94 kg.
Presence of comb separator
The taste of juice or future wine depends on the amount of tannins contained in it. They can get into the composition of the pulp when crushing the stone or grinding the crests of grapes.
Since the ridges ripen longer than grapes, they contain a large amount of tannins. If they are not removed, then the wine will be more tart, and with their high content it can even taste bitter. To eliminate them, use shredders with a comb separator.
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 are fed for further processing on a pair of crushing rolls, and the ridges fall into a separate container.
Crushers of this type are used in the production of white wines. When separating the ridges, it is necessary to take into account the variety of future wine and grapes used. 
For example, in the production of Bordeaux, only ¾ ridges are removed from the Verdot grape varieties, and ½ from the Merlot and Malbec grapes are removed.
Did you know? In the production of red and white wines in Argentina and Chile, they use crushers without comb separators, and since the ridges do not separate, the difference between these wines differs only in the duration of the pulp fermentation.
In the production of muscat wines, it is impossible to use a crusher with a comb separator, since the grapes are harvested when the berries are dried and wilted, and the combs are difficult to separate from such berries.
From grapes, you can also make raisins, vinegar, juice, champagne from grape leaves.
How to make a simple crusher for grapes do it yourself
In order to assemble a grape chopper, you will need the following items:
- loading capacity;
- plywood case;
- rolls - 2 pcs .;
- gears - 2 pcs .;
- washers - 2 pcs .;
- metal frame;
- a pen.
Loading capacity is made of stainless steel, it is shaped like a truncated trapezoid. For the manufacture of the hopper using steel with a thickness of 1 mm.The body is made of plywood with a thickness of 12 mm, and its size depends on the size of the rollers that will be placed in it.
Plywood is fixed so that one side is removable. For example, the side where the handle and gear system will be mounted. The removable side allows you to easily disassemble and wash the crusher after using it.
Inside the plywood case have a drive roller. They are made of glued plywood, which is ground on a machine, installed on an axis of 12 mm and sits on the 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, which allows you to clamp the lathe.
They must be installed in such a way that the gap between them is 3 mm. With this arrangement of shafts grape seed will remain intact. After fixing the rollers in the frame on the outer side, two washers are installed on the axles, and on top of them are two gears with a diameter of 85 mm.
On one of the gears mounted handle, made of iron pipe size 15 * 15 mm. For convenience of work, a tube is used as a handle that will rotate around its axis.
The crusher body is installed on a frame of 15 * 15 mm pipes connected by steel strips of 20 * 2 mm. The metal frame is made in such a way that the crusher can be installed on the capacity for the mash. 
All wooden parts of the crusher are varnished in 3 layers to protect against caustic grape juice. Such a simple design crusher is useful in the economy of any novice winemaker.
You will also be interested to know how to prepare plum wine, black currant wine, rose petal wine, raspberry wine, apple wine.
What can replace grape crusher
In the production of wine, the use of a grape grinder not only accelerates, 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 7000 UAH.
In this regard, let's look at other ways that you can chop the grapes and create pulp.
The easiest option is to grind grapes with your hands, especially if its amount is insignificant. But if you have a large number of grapes, it will take you almost all day. 
You can use the method of Adriano Celentano from the film “The Taming of the Shrew”, but in our latitudes autumn days are rainy and cold, and treading grapes with bare feet can adversely affect your health.
There is a faster way to grind grapes without harm to health. For this you need to buy a new construction corolla. The use of the corolla, made on the basis of steel rods, will easily and effectively break the grapes, while grinding the stone will not.
To crush the grapes in this way, pour a small amount of grapes into the bucket and beat with a whisk. In 2-3 minutes you will get ready pulp. Using this method of crushing grapes is also convenient because after its grinding, you can easily remove a certain number of scallops. 
But this will have to be done manually. Prepared pulp is poured into a container, where it will stand for the time of fermentation.
Grape Crusher is a quick and convenient way to make mash during the process of making wine. 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 criteria there are for choosing crushers and how to make such a product at home. Have a nice winemaking!
