# Build small wood crusher



## salmon4u (Nov 12, 2015)

Home build Crusher Plans?

I would like to build my own crusher for my small (20lbs) grape harvest for next year. I have looked at some images on computer, but there are limited plans available that I can understand. Pictures would be helpful with major steps.

I do not have a wood lathe, so hard to make the rollers. I was thinking about stacking wood (gluing), and off setting each piece by 1/4 inch to form crushing rail. Another idea is to use 2 kitchen roller pins and attach rails to each pin by glue and screws.

I know you can buy crusher for $200, but seem too much for what it does. Does anybody have any plans or ideas for a wooden crusher, gears, hand crank, and hopper? They built crushers in the past for home use, so I think I could build one today with my limited tools.

Never to early to start think about next year while my 5 gal batch sits.


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## Boatboy24 (Nov 12, 2015)

For 20lbs, just destem by hand and lightly crush with a potato masher.


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## heatherd (Nov 12, 2015)

salmon4u said:


> Home build Crusher Plans?
> 
> I would like to build my own crusher for my small (20lbs) grape harvest for next year. I have looked at some images on computer, but there are limited plans available that I can understand. Pictures would be helpful with major steps.
> 
> ...



I agree with Jim, you can crush 20# by hand easily.


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## NorCal (Nov 13, 2015)

I wanted a gallon of petite verdot for blending purposes next year and snagged a 6 gallon bucket full of grapes from my neighbors vines. It was about 20 lbs worth. It took a lot less time to strip the grapes by hand then to set up and clean the destemmer/crusher. The wine actually turned out real nice.


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## Thig (Nov 13, 2015)

I made a crusher that works well for me like this. Take a 4x4 about 4ft long, cut a round disk of wood about 5 inches in diameter, try to radius the sides to match the radius of the bucket you are going to crush in. Attach the disk to the bottom of the 4x4. Then I cut paint roller screen (cost $3 at Home Depot) to match the disk and attached it with screws. The wire helps hold the fruit so it doesn't slip out from under the disk.View attachment 25742


Be sure sanitize before using.


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## berrycrush (Nov 13, 2015)

Thig said:


> I made a crusher that works well for me like this. Take a 4x4 about 4ft long, cut a round disk of wood about 5 inches in diameter, try to radius the sides to match the radius of the bucket you are going to crush in. Attach the disk to the bottom of the 4x4. Then I cut paint roller screen (cost $3 at Home Depot) to match the disk and attached it with screws. The wire helps hold the fruit so it doesn't slip out from under the disk.View attachment 25742
> 
> 
> Be sure sanitize before using.



It would be great if you can post a photo or video of your crusher in operation.


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## Thig (Nov 13, 2015)

I will post a pic later today when I make it down to the basement but this is for small batches only. I just put the fruit or muscadine in a large primary and mash with the 4x4, sort of like you were digging a post hole, just pump up and down.

It is all manual, no automation. It works ok up to about a 10 to 15 gallon batch.


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## salmon4u (Nov 13, 2015)

Thanks for your suggestions. I think I under estimated the amount of grapes I mash by hand. I guess 20lbs is per bucket, so I harvested about 4 buckets. My back gets tired bending over to mash grapes in colander which is in sink.

The 'screen' method by Thig looks interesting. I assume the screen is smaller than grape, because picture shown looks too large. So do you 'press' grapes through your paint screen? Or are you using the screen as a giant masher? If you could provide picture of set up and steps involved, that would be helpful.

I still would like to build 'traditional' wooden roller crusher, but would be open to building some other type of manual crusher. The hardest part is making the 'rollers' without a lathe. Thanks for your help and not just saying go buy a $200 crusher.


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## sour_grapes (Nov 13, 2015)

salmon4u said:


> Another idea is to use 2 kitchen roller pins and attach rails to each pin by glue and screws.



I think this is a fine idea to get your crushers. I see rolling pins on Amazon for less than $5.


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## JohnT (Nov 13, 2015)

Another alternative (for 20 pounds).. 

Place grapes in bucket. 

Wash feet and Sterilize feet with k-meta solution.

Squash grapes with feet. 

Take squashed grapes and pour through chicken wire to catch stems.

Done....


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## Rocky (Nov 13, 2015)

sour_grapes said:


> I think this is a fine idea to get your crushers. I see rolling pins on Amazon for less than $5.



This is what I was planning to do when I considered making my own crusher but I was going to use a round end router bit and a jig to rout channels longitudinally in the rollers so that they meshed when assembled into the crusher. This could be accomplished by attaching gears to the ends of the rollers so that when the gears meshed, the "high" on one roller's channel would mesh with the "low" of the other roller's channel. I was going to allow for a clearance of about 1/4" so as not to crush too many seeds.

I did come to my senses, however, and gave up the idea of getting back into fresh grapes!


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## Thig (Nov 13, 2015)

berrycrush said:


> It would be great if you can post a photo or video of your crusher in operation.




This is the pic, simple but it works for me. View attachment 25752


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## wineforfun (Nov 13, 2015)

@Thig So you just crush them into a waste basket, etc. like in your pic? If so, how do you separate the skins, etc. from the fruit..........scoop them out? or do you have holes in the waste basket that drain the juice out?

Also, have you used the one in the pic, that looks brand new.


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## Thig (Nov 13, 2015)

I clean it good after each use with a kmeta solution, so yes I have used it. In another post I explained that I ferment with the skins, pulp and/or fruit in a primary and then I take a mesh bag stretched over another primary and pour through it. That strains out the skins, seeds and pulp that did not disintegrate during the fermentation.


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## wineforfun (Nov 13, 2015)

Thig said:


> I clean it good after each use with a kmeta solution, so yes I have used it. In another post I explained that I ferment with the skins, pulp and/or fruit in a primary and then I take a mesh bag stretched over another primary and pour through it. That strains out the skins, seeds and pulp that did not disintegrate during the fermentation.



I gotcha, thanks.


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## Arne (Nov 15, 2015)

JohnT said:


> Another alternative (for 20 pounds)..
> 
> Place grapes in bucket.
> 
> ...



John,

I was going to try this method once. For the life of me, I could not talk Kathy into washing her feet with K-meta. What is your secret?? LOL, Arne.


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## salmon4u (Nov 16, 2015)

JohnT:

I think mashing grapes with feet would be kind of fun, but not sure anybody would want to try my wine knowing my feet. I am trying to go with the mechanical approach, since I build press using bottle jack and stand.

I am still looking for some type of spindals or rollers, then attach 'ridge bars or rails'. There are lots of images of wood mechanical crushers, but not many plans. Maybe the local salvage/recycle store might have some old bed post the I could cut down.

Thanks all for the ideas, and if I ever get started, maybe I can post some pic's. I like to 'talk' about my plans first, hoping some one has a better idea, so I do not waste time and resources ($$). Any more ideas?


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## JohnT (Nov 17, 2015)

Thig said:


> This is the pic, simple but it works for me. View attachment 25752


 
Thig.. 

Please tell me that this is not pressure treated wood!!!!


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## JohnT (Nov 17, 2015)

salmon4u said:


> JohnT:
> 
> I think mashing grapes with feet would be kind of fun, but not sure anybody would want to try my wine knowing my feet. I am trying to go with the mechanical approach, since I build press using bottle jack and stand.
> 
> ...


 

The solution is simple.. don't tell them until AFTER they drink some.. you will get either a smile of a spit-take! 

Each year, as a part of crush, we sort through all of the grapes and those last few lone berries at the bottom of each box is collected. These grapes are then "crushed in the traditional way" by some unfortunate (or unfortunate) attendee who becomes the latest member of "the purple foot club". 

The rule is this.. Last year's "purple foot club" inductee gets to pick next year's inductee. It is a lot of fun and we always seem to get a good laugh out of it... 

We usually end up with enough for a 5 gal batch. The wine is fermented separately and is then divided up. I end up getting 6 bottles, and the "stomper" gets the rest.

Here are the inductees from the last several years...


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## Thig (Nov 17, 2015)

JohnT said:


> Thig..
> 
> Please tell me that this is not pressure treated wood!!!!



I honestly don't know but to be honest it did not work well so I did not use it. It packs the fruit /grapes rather than crushing it.


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## JohnT (Nov 17, 2015)

OK, 

If the wood looks green, or if you know that it is pressure treated, do not use it! 

Used to be that they treated the lumber with arsenic. I am not sure what they use today but I am sure it is nothing that you want to consume!


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## Thig (Nov 18, 2015)

Been giving this thread some thought. I wonder how it would work if you built say a 12" x 12" wooden box about 12 inches tall. Cover the bottom with a stiff expanded metal screen. Then pour the grapes into the box and somehow force then down through the screen with a plunger. Having a bucket under the box to catch them as they come through. Has anyone tried something similar to this?


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