Once you pick (or buy) your grapes and turn your thoughts towards wine, the first step is to destem and crush the grapes. For the home winemaker, using a milk crate as a grape destemmer and then stomping on the grapes to crush them are easy and popular methods to accomplish this. As our vineyard has grown, we decided that these methods were just not cutting it anymore. While you can buy a commercial grape destemmer, they tend to be larger and more expensive than what we would need for our small home operation.
Start with a Hand-Crank Grape Destemmer
What we needed was something in the middle: a smaller destemmer that also crushed. The problem is that these models tend to be hand-crank. Something like this would still be a significant upgrade to our cobbled-together milk crate operation, but I just can’t let something be manual if a more automated option exists.
So we scoured online marketplaces and came across an Italian-made Marchisio destemmer/crusher for just over $200. The price was right and it was within driving distance to go pick it up.
OK, so we had the destemmer, now how to automate it?
Automation is Key
I did a check online to see if a factory motor option existed, and indeed it does. With a price tag of $1500 and an “unavailable with unknown ETA”, that’s a big NOPE!
Luckily I did find a few pictures of this mythical motor mount and it was not too difficult to replicate it in 3D CAD using the original mounting location. My final mount was printed in PETG for strength. ABS would probably work too. If you want to try this yourself, then follow along!
Build of Materials:
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- A manual grape de-stemmer/crusher. I recommend trying to find a used one, but if you like your tools new and shiny, you can get one here.
- 3D-printed Motor Mount, Electrical Switch Mount, and Bushing. We sell the set here, or download the files here to print yourself.
- 48 frame 1725 rpm 1/4 HP (or more) motor – make sure it has the proper mounts from looking at the picture
- 1″ bore x 10″ OD pulley
- 1/2″ bore x 1.5″ OD pulley
- A40/4L420 V Belt – 1/2″ x 42″ OC
- Waterproof switch box (and attaching screws if needed)
- 9 ft. or longer 3 Wire 15 amp replacement cord
- 1 x hex bolt, 1/2″ x 9″ – motor mount to frame
- 1 x hex bolt, 1/2″ x 3″ – adjuster
- 4 x hex bolts 5/16″ x 1-3/4″ – motor to mount
- 2 x 1/2″ nuts, 2 x 1/2″ lock washers, 4 x 1/2″ washers; all covered by this set.
- 4 x 5/16″ nuts, washers, and lock washers; all covered by this set.
Attach the Motor to the Grape Destemmer
The motor bolts up to the mount using the 5/16″ nuts, bolts, washers, and lock washers. The whole mount is then bolted up to the built-in mount on the destemmer using the long 9″x1/2″ bolt with a nut, washers, and lock washers.
Mount the Switch Box Panel
To mount the switch box panel, the nut holding the hopper is loosened or removed, the panel is slotted into the hole (might need some force) and then the nut is reattached. Note that there are no holes in the switch panel for mounting because every electrical box seems different so those can be tapped for screws depending on the box. Or, even better, use self-tapping screws.
The remaining 1/2″ bolt goes through the bottom of the mount using two washers and nuts to hold it in place.
The switch is wired from an electrical cord, through the switch, and then out to the motor. Make sure that the ground is connected the whole way and not run through the switch so that there is always a ground on the motor.
Check the motor’s documentation for how to wire it up.
Install The Pulleys and Belt
The hand crank needs to be removed completely and then the large pulley installed on the lower shaft. The shaft diameter is 13/16″ but the only 10-inch pulley I could find was for a 1-inch shaft so I made up a bushing to fill the gap. A metal bushing would have been better, but the plastic one works OK. A longer set screw might be needed depending on what pulley you use.
Putting the belt on is simple. Make sure the adjuster bolt is most of the way “in” before trying to slip it over the pulleys, then tighten it up to be snug. The motor mount is plastic, so not too tight!
Time to Make Some Wine!
So how does it work? Perfectly! I couldn’t be happier with the results. What would have been hours of cranking turned into minutes of automated joy. That said, one certainly wants to be cautious when this thing is churning away. Those gears look mighty unforgiving while in action. For safety, I would not recommend standing near them!
While I would not recommend this mount for heavy-duty commercial use, it is plenty reliable for the backyard winemaker.
There you have it: an inexpensive, motorized version of a grape destemmer thanks to the miracles of 3D printing. Take that, Italy!
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