# Punch Down Tools



## Boatboy24 (Sep 24, 2013)

I quickly realized last night that the spoon I've been using thus far in my winemaking career will be woefully inadequate for stirring my ~12 gallons of all grape must. I also realized that you can spend a small fortune on a punch down tool. I'm curious to know what people are using. Did you bite the bullet and buy a punch down tool, or are you more the MacGyver type?


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## cmason1957 (Sep 24, 2013)

MacGyver here. This is a picture of my wife using our punch down tool. Most people call it a rake. It is a fiberglass rake, not wood.


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 24, 2013)

Nice! Now, was that pic taken before or after the rake was used to dethatch the lawn?


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## vacuumpumpman (Sep 24, 2013)

I use a small wooden oar - works great


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## cmason1957 (Sep 24, 2013)

That rake never, never, never gets used anywhere but the wine area. And that is on purpose.


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## Poni (Sep 24, 2013)

I have an expensive punch down tool with a 4' handle and a 10" disc with four holes in it on the bottom.. did i say expensive? I meant free, because i got it made for me.. befriend a welder, awesome


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## ibglowin (Sep 24, 2013)

Is $17 too much to spend? Works perfect for Brute sized punchdowns. Morewine (of course)


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## Rogerm (Sep 24, 2013)

I think that's a great deal I paid about $40.


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## Tess (Sep 24, 2013)

What do you use a punch down tool for? Pushing down the Fpack?


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## jamesngalveston (Sep 24, 2013)

pushing down the cap when fermenting. (Tess)


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## cmason1957 (Sep 24, 2013)

More specifically, Tess. Red wines are crushed and destemmed then the whole mess thrown together into something along with yeast. The skins and stuff gets pushed up by the CO2. You have to mix it all back together. Punching the stuff down. I like the rake so that I get to the bottom and stir everything all together. At large wineries, they pump from the bottom to the top performing the same thing. Fermentation is done when the cap stops forming.


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 24, 2013)

ibglowin said:


> Is $17 too much to spend? Works perfect for Brute sized punchdowns. Morewine (of course)



I was eyeing that one last night. Wish I had thought of it last week when I ordered from them. I could have had it shipped free.


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## ibglowin (Sep 24, 2013)

I am on my second one. Love it. First one lasted a couple of years but I kept whacking it against the side of the Brute to get the grape skins off it. After a couple of years the weld gave away and it was toast. Don't whack it too hard against the Brute is my final answer....


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## tingo (Sep 24, 2013)

Ibglowin, what is the rough size of the disk?


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## ibglowin (Sep 25, 2013)

Height is 24 3/4". Base is 6" diameter. The weld area is sealed so no juice gets up into the handle behind the weld making it easier to keep clean/rinse.


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## sjo (Oct 1, 2013)

I use a canoe paddle.
SJO


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## jswordy (Oct 2, 2013)

Take a wine bottle and fill it halfway with water. Add k meta and cork it. Use the bottom and the length of the bottle to punch down the cap while holding it by the neck. EZ to sanitize before each use, too.


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## jamesngalveston (Oct 2, 2013)

i use a boat paddle, cut off to be manageable. and drilled about 30 holes in the bottom part.


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## vacuumpumpman (Oct 2, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> i use a boat paddle, cut off to be manageable. and drilled about 30 holes in the bottom part.



I thought I was the only one using a boat paddle - looks like several of us use them as well. I like how i can control the must alot more considering I dont have alot of room to push down without making a mess


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