This morning, I drove out to Woodland Hills and picked up my crusher-destemmer.
All stainless steel parts with aluminum adjustable-gap crusher rollers.
This was a floor model with some minor scratch-and-dent but it looks like it will do. The stand was also discounted.
As with all Italian wine equipment, there is no manual. Afterall, everyone knows how to turn a crank, right?
Well, not so fast, cowboy.
There are a few things to know – like general cleaning and maintenance and how and when to adjust the gap between the crusher rollers.
Luckily, John Daume gave me a quick crash course once we put the unit into the back of my Murano.
This unit is manufactured by Pillan. Their website does not have schematics or manuals for download, so the above links are to info on comparable equipment.
For storage, I bought an $18 BBQ cover at Big Lots.
Not a snug fit, but it’s cheap and will keep the unit free of larger debris.
Along with a hanging scale I picked up on eBay, fruit collection bins and an assortment of buckets, I have the core of my harvest and crush equipment assembled.