Post your crush/press day photos

[ceeaton]

Here is a shot of the dumpster (the day after).

You know you are a serious wine maker when you need a dumpster to clean up after crush!

 

[JohnT]

Here is another photo from the niece. Each year, at crush, I take a clean side of a lug and have everyone sign it. I miss the boat on this and passed it around after half the folks had already gone home. Chalk it up to having too good of a time!

I have been doing this for about 10 years. My plan is to decorate a wall in my cellar with them.

 

[mennyg19]

Still no pics of the actual crush. You know what they say John... "Pics or it didn't happen"

 

[JohnT]

Still no pics of the actual crush. You know what they say John... "Pics or it didn't happen"

My phone dies, so I could not personally take any pics. I did have others take them.

I will post once I receive them.

 

[the_rayway]

We did our apple crush again this year - good fun for my little family! We started with around 15-18 gallons of frozen apples, crab apples and ure pears. Ended up with a solid 10 gallons of juice. I did 16 Litres of pasteurized juice, apple syrup (x2), apple jelly (x2), and then gave away a gallon or 2. I'm currently fermenting the last 4 gallons with 20 pounds of fruit from the freezer: raspberries, peaches, nectarines, and tart cherries. No water, all fruit.

 

[Sage]

We did our apple crush again this year - good fun for my little family! We started with around 15-18 gallons of frozen apples, crab apples and ure pears. Ended up with a solid 10 gallons of juice. I did 16 Litres of pasteurized juice, apple syrup (x2), apple jelly (x2), and then gave away a gallon or 2. I'm currently fermenting the last 4 gallons with 20 pounds of fruit from the freezer: raspberries, peaches, nectarines, and tart cherries. No water, all fruit.

Could you post a little detail on the fruit grinder in the photos. I'm looking for something like that for apples.

 

[the_rayway]

Hey @Sage it's a rental unit that we got for the day. Electric plug in, and does a terrific job. Sorry, I don't know much else about it! Here is the link to the business we got it from (prob not much help, sorry!)

http://www.brewersdirect.com/specialties/rentals/grape-crusher/

 

[JohnT]

2016 is "in the can"!!!

 

[Kraffty]

Our Crush started odd but still came out great. Invited 5 people that all had something come up and couldn't make it so it was my mom, wife and me with 11 lugs and 12 gals of juice. Luckily I bought a crusher/destimmer this year, and for any one thinking about buying one, my advice would be...BUY IT!! Even with the hand crank, it took less than a minute for each lug, loading, unloading and cleaning took far longer but it did an awesome job. Kmeta, Lallzyme, OptiRed and OakChips Saturday night then a great bbq dinner. On Sunday I adjusted Sugar and PH, pitched yeast, cleaned up and plan on pressing next saturday. All in all looks like we're off to a good start this year.
Mike

 

[GreginND]

Those look a bit full. You might want to split those up into two fermenters each our get bigger brutes.

 

[Kraffty]

@GreginND, Thanks, you're right, I realized that as soon as the caps started forming and pulled about 5 gallons from each can.
Mike

 

[stickman]

Just a few photos from press day, 10 days on skins, 28gal free run sg .992, 8gal press wine at 1 brix, pH 3.55.

 

[Johny99]

Saturday, 455 lbs of Sangiovese. 22.5 brix, TA .85, pH 3.35. Sunday it was 245 lbs of Syrah, 27 brix, .66TA, 3.52 pH. No pictures from Sunday, I was too tired to walk up the hill for the phone

 

[kevinlfifer]

You guys make me look like I play with match box wine toys.

 

[ibglowin]

What in the world are you doing with a mortar mixer!

You guys make me look like I play with match box wine toys.

 

[Kraffty]

Cool destimming tool, is it a repurposed mixer of some kind?
Mike

 

[Kraffty]

I'm always 2 seconds Late...... maybe time zone thing....
m

 

[Masbustelo]

Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

[GreginND]

Probably the last of the grapes this year. Picked 900 pounds of King of the North from a neighboring vineyard to make our best seller, a sweet, grapey red wine we call Bison Tale.

 

[Masbustelo]

Greg When should your own grapes come into production?