Destemmers, what do you have?

Cellar Rats (ITB)
1

We’re looking for a new destemmer/crusher. We process four to five tons a day, 30-40 tons total. What brand do you have and what do you like about it? What are it’s weaknesses? Any recommendations?
Does anyone destem all red varietals? If not, what do you crush and why.

2

Don’t use one very often ( [dance2.gif] ), but when we do, we have a classic - Delta E1. We process about the same per day as you, maybe 5-7 on huge days. It’s great at what it does, doesn’t kick a lot of jacks down into the tank and has a two-sided cage with different sized holes, which we switch around when we switch from syrah to pinot and vice versa. Couldn’t tell you about the crusher part of it, we tore that out and threw it away.

3

We have 2- a Delta and a new Vega from Carelson & Assoc we got last year. We couldn’t turn down the speed on the Delta enough for our smaller lots, so we got the smaller Vega.
They have some new ones with plastic cages that are supposed to be a lot more gentle, but the Vega kicked out mostly whole berries.

4

I work with two Puleo Vega 10 destemmers, one in SF and one in Sebastopol. No crusher at either location. It was an option for $2,000 extra, so we opted not to get it. Many strengths to this machine, especially how you can adjust the speed to increase/decrease whole berries and jacks. One weakness is the weight of the stainless basket and that it’s somewhat difficult to put back into the destemmer solo after cleaning it. I should probably look into plastic baskets. Otherwise, it’s incredibly easy to clean.

I think the Vega 10 is more gentle than the Delta E2. We tried a Delta E1 one harvest, but we didn’t like the way the basket was stationary. That led to the build up of grapes and stems inside the basket as the holes got clogged, and fruit would end up getting pushed out the end where the stems are supposed to go out. Very frustrating to have to stop destemming in the middle of just a few tons, take the basket apart, unclog the holes, and restart again.

5

weakness? ya just gotta know how to finesse it… [berserker.gif]

6

Thanks Ed, This is the type of info I was looking for. Sounds like the Vega is a pretty nice destemmer.

7

Anyone ever worked with a CMA Laguna from Prospero? Rotating basket, rubber paddles, adjustable stand on casters, for destemming right over Tbins and 48’s. Me likey! [good.gif]

8

That’s what we have, and we crush right into Tbins. Works great. I’m probably going to try to get a new cage/basket… maybe something with graduated holes (if they makeone) so that we get less jack-stems.

9

This is slightly off-subject but related nonetheless. Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but when it comes to reducing stars and jacks, the rate at which one feeds clusters into the destemmer is paramount.

Elvis

10

Brian,
I think they now have a basket that begins with 22mm holes, goes to 20, then 18mm for the last third. This seems like it would minimize jack pieces. The plastic basket also sounds good, not sure if they make that with graduating hole size. Not a bad price on it either.

11

Other than the non-sequitur about Elvis, David is right on here. I think you have to size up a bit when getting a destemmer. You’re far better having too much destemmer that you feed below capacity than to cram a destemmer with more than it can handle.

12

Prospero is now offering a pastic basket with graduating square holes for all Lugana models. I think I’m sold.

13

We have a CMA Lugana at Harrington Wines in San Francisco (no crusher attachment). Got it last summer. Works great, not too tough to clean, pretty gentle on the fruit. Our basket is stainless steel and has all the same size holes, but we get way more whole berries and less jacks than what we were getting before.

Bryan Harrington was looking at one of those Scharfenberger Euroselect destemmers that’s on an incline and has little rotating fingers that knock off the berries (Breggo in Anderson Valley has one), but it looks like it would be a real bitch to clean. And since I’m the one who ends up cleaning the destemmer it I’m really happy he didn’t get one of those!

14

Agree, Ken. I worked with one of these for '06 harvest. Really gentle on the fruit, but a bitch to clean. And a LOT of pinch points.

15

What do you mean by “pinch points”?

16

There were just a lot more places and ways to get fingers caught or lost. I didn’t lose any fingers, but I did get them pinched a lot!

17

Bryan Harrington was looking at one of those Scharfenberger Euroselect destemmers that’s on an incline and has little rotating fingers that knock off the berries (Breggo in Anderson Valley has one), but it looks like it would be a real bitch to clean. And since I’m the one who ends up cleaning the destemmer it I’m really happy he didn’t get one of those!


Agree, Ken. I worked with one of these for '06 harvest. Really gentle on the fruit, but a bitch to clean. And a LOT of pinch points.

Can anyone out there name a destemmer that’s worse to clean–and takes longer–than the Healdsburg??? Now there’s a test of anyone’s resolve, particularly in 3AM after a working twenty hours straight. I prefer the IndustrialStrengthScorchedEarthTakeNoPrisoners model.

Fact is, this destemmer works pretty well with Bordeaux varietals. However, there are alternatives in this day and age.


El Rey

18

We had an old Healdsburg at Fresno State. It was in our equipment museum, thankfully.

19

R.I.P.

20

John, used Vega from Carlsen for last 3 harvests.
Stud engineering, vari-speed HUGE factor, old basket locked in to one hole size was the only drawback. Evidently different baskets or stepdown hole size available now. Jon at Carlsen could answer that question.
As for the heavy basket, only take it out once a week or so. Pull the fingers out, drop the side panels and of you use it, pull out the crusher… piece of cake to clean, only takes one beer.

As BIG a factor as hole size, vari-speed is for control of jacks… super ripe anything with stems starting to slightly lignify is going to drive you crazy with debris.

AND don’t pick on the Healsburg or the old Valley Foundry beasts, they have accounted for more tons for more years than you could DREAM of!

Is that Jeff Brinkman out there? Former Huschian?