Sorting table with sorter rolls eliminates foreign matter remaining mixed in with the products of the harvest of small fruit. The sorting table features a sorting system constituted by a succession of rotating rolls of cylindrical shape arranged in parallel so as to form a mobile sorting plane, and a locomotion device, allowing the rotating drive of the rolls in the same direction, so as to allow transporting the grapes dumped on the upstream part of this sorting plane, in a direction that is perpendicular to the axis of the rotating cylindrical rolls and over the entire length of the sorting plane. The rotating cylindrical rolls allow the passage and drop-off of only the small fruit to be sorted, whereas the foreign matter of a size larger than that of the latter remains on the surface of the mobile sorting plane and is evacuated at the downstream end.

A method for devatting the grape harvest and a device for devatting a grape harvest via the pressurized injection of air or other gases in a controlled manner into self-emptying wine making vats or similar, for the purpose of emptying the grape harvest once the maceration thereof has been completed, after the homogenization of the mixture, transferring the liquid portion to another tank and the crushed grape pulp to the press, thereby obtaining a solid phase (pomace) as a waste product which can be used to produce associated products.

A combined fermentor and press assembly. The combined fermentor and press assembly includes a pot, container or bag having a preestablished volume V defined therein. A must and a future pomace being positioned in said preestablished volume V. A drain space DS defined within the preestablished volume V and a drain system, consisting of tubes and valves connected to a receptacle and a pump drawing a liquid from the must and the future pomace.

Systems and methods are provided for separating seed from wet material. The method includes aerating raw, wet material comprising seed to provide an aerated material and aspirating the aerated material. The aspirating separates seed from liftings of the aerated material, and the separated seed can then be recovered.

An arrangement for pressing materials containing liquid has mobile press container with an container interior that is divided by a press membrane into a pressure medium chamber and a pressing medium chamber. A filling and emptying opening, which can be closed in a pressure-tight manner, allows material to be pressed to be added to the pressing medium chamber. At least one drainage element is arranged in the pressing medium chamber. An interior of the drainage element communicates with a juice discharge of the press container. A turning device, in which the mobile press container is temporarily received can be rotated during a pressing operation from a filling position, about an angle of less than 360, more particularly of less than 270, in mutually opposing directions of rotation about an axis of rotation. There is also described a method for pressing liquid-containing materials.

A method for processing a crushed vegetal material, which has a solid part and liquid part and is placed inside a container, includes increasing the gas pressure inside the container so that the gas dissolves or diffuses in the liquid part; and decreasing the gas pressure inside the container.

A plant is described for obtaining clear must from grapes including at least one centrifugal separator device with horizontal axis that is arranged to carry out a first separating operation, through application of a centrifugal force, between the liquid phase or must and the solid phase from the grape berries in solid state, and at least one tank for settling and/or flotation, either spontaneous or possibly promoted through injection of gas, said tank for settling and/or flotation being arranged downstream of the centrifugal separator device with horizontal axis, said tank for settling and/or flotation being configured to receive the must from such a centrifugal separator device with horizontal axis and being configured to carry out a second separating operation between the liquid part of the must and the respective solid residue or tank bottoms. The plant also includes, upstream of the centrifugal separator device with horizontal axis, at least one tank operatively connected to at least one device for feeding at least partially intact grape berries to the plant. The tank is arranged to contain additives, in particular adjuvant and/or clarifying substances, that are added to the grape berries when such grape berries are still at least partially intact. A method for obtaining clear must from grapes using the aforementioned plant is moreover described.

A method of introducing yeast into a fruit juice such as grape must to be fermented is disclosed. The method comprises feeding dry yeast into a flowing stream of the fruit juice and delivering the flowing stream of fruit juice with the yeast in it to a mixer (10). The fruit juice and yeast emerging from the mixer is fed into a fermentation tank. The yeast can include nutrients selected from inactivated yeasts, yeast autolysates, yeast cell hulls, yeast extracts, amino acids, peptides, proteins, sterols, ergosterol, thiamin, biotin, pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, minerals and inorganic nitrogen in the form of ammonium salts.

The system comprises one or more transportable bioreactors configured with the ability to conduct aerobic fermentation of fruit biomass. This system integrates three functionalities: transportation regulations, fermentation requirements and food safety/quality control requirements. The transportation design features of the system render the bioreactors transportable to a fruit processing facility, wherein they can be filled with fruit biomass. The transportable bioreactor and processes take into account the requirements of the bioreactor functionalities of the system, given the particular deployment specifications of the system tailored for a certain environment and fruit biomass. Moreover, the design of this system conforms to the minimal requirements for the food safety and quality regulations of the jurisdictions in which the ultimate products will be directly and/or indirectly sold (e.g., as a foodstuff, health supplement, and/or a food ingredient). The integration of these three types of functionalities (transport, bioreactor and sanitation) gives rise to a practical solution for addressing the various problems of wasted foodstuffs such as fruit biomass.