WO2011148229A1

WO2011148229A1 - Improved fermentation apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2011148229A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/052314
Authority: WO
Inventors: Remo Crosato
Original assignee: Lasi S.R.L.
Priority date: 2010-05-25
Filing date: 2010-05-25
Publication date: 2011-12-01
Also published as: EP2576756A1

Abstract

A fermentation apparatus is described comprising a tank for must formed by skin and juice, the tank being suitable for making the must ferment so that it creates a layer of skin called cap (CP) and having a bottom (30) on which the cap can deposit after evacuation of the liquid must. The apparatus comprises breaking means (40) for opening and/or breaking up and/or crumbling the cap lying on the bottom which are suitable for bringing out a new surface (BB, CC, DD) imbued with must in the volume of the cap and/or for increasing the existing surface.

Description

IMPROVED FERMENTATION APPARATUS

***

The present invention concerns an improved fermentation apparatus for must made up of juice or fruit extract, and of the relative skin, in particular grape must.

Known fermentation apparatuses, here using vinification apparatuses as an example, are formed by a tank in which must can ferment creating a layer of floating skin (the cap) on a liquid part.

Once the fermentation is completed, a problem experienced for red wines is the transfer of the pomace from the vinificator to a press without oxidation of the pomace itself and the must imbuing it. In white wine, the problem is even more serious, since the vinification entails either the pressing with direct sending into the press or the transfer of the pressed product in fermentation tanks.

By sending the pressed product into the press it passes through a tube-in-tube heat exchanger for lowering the temperature, so as to avoid organoleptic degradation. On the other hand, when the pressed product is transferred, pumps are used to store it in tanks (called criomacerators), equipped with thermoregulator pockets (heat exchangers applied circumferentially on the tank) for lowering the temperature. The pressed product remains in the tanks for about 24 hours and then it is transferred to the press, by means of pumps or other, where the liquid part is separated from the skin.

The structure of the presses is not suitable for lowering the temperature of the pressed product. Normally, half of the surface inside the press is covered by a pressing membrane, whereas the other half is occupied by must draining channels. Even by equipping the presses with cooling pockets, these would be very small and insufficient to bring down the temperature, at the most allowing only to maintain the temperature.

Therefore, in any case, when processing white wine with conventional methods, the pressed product passes through pumps and heat exchanger tubes, or pumps and many criomaceration tanks in order to reach the press.

All these passages between pump, heat exchanger, criomacerator tank and press lead to both stress of the pressed product, with tearing of the skin by rubbing against the walls, mechanical parts or members and consequent dregs, as well as oxidisation of the must and of the pomace. Indeed, although working at inert atmosphere (nitrogen or C02), all these passages make coming into contact with air inevitable.

Conventional vinification methods of red and white wine thus lead to a great loss of organoleptic properties in the final wine.

Even patent FR 2 832 353 describes and tackles the same vinification problems. The solution is to press the must inside the vinificator with a piston or an inflatable membrane. Since the tank is opened and the membrane is inserted (by hand) so as to then inflate it, the pomace is contaminated with air and inert atmosphere is not used.

More importantly however the pressing action is not very or not at all effective.

Only a fraction of the membrane squeezes the pomace, admitting that this occurs if the pomace does not have a too low level and is therefore not reached by the inflated membrane. Moreover, the membrane can push the pomace only when it has reached and presses against the walls of the tank, with great limitation of its active surface on the pressed product.

However, the greatest problem of these pressing systems is the compacting of the pomace after the first pressing, which makes it impervious during the subsequent pressing operations and prevents the draining of the must contained inside it. Indeed, during the pressing step it is possible at most to squeeze and drain one layer of pomace with a thickness of 15 cm standing above the draining channels. The rest of the pomace is not drained, since the first 15 cm form an almost hermetic plug and do not allow the must to flow out. These same drawbacks are also present for example in FR 2 708 243.

A solution conceived by the Applicant is to press the pomace with pressing means permanently mounted inside the tank. However, there is still the problem of having a difficult pressing due to the compacting of the pomace.

It is sufficient to remember that in conventional specialised presses there is a step for crumbling the pomace through rotation of the drum or tank containing it. The rotation of the drum makes it possible to crumble the pomace, which became compact during the previous pressing step, and this both for cleaning the must draining channels, which at every pressing operation become clogged up, as well as especially for offering non exhausted pomace imbued with must to the channels. The same applies, of course, if the pressing occurs inside a vinificator or a fermenter.

Other documents are known like EP 2 179 664 or FR 2 596 768 that describe rotating blades with the purpose of scraping the bottom of the tank and of expelling the exhausted pomace. They are in practice rakes that rotate collecting the pomace and pushing it towards a discharge gate. They do not have any draining function, and are not suitable for acting upon a deposited cap apart from pushing it towards the discharge.

The general object of the invention is to improve this state of the art.

Another object is to make an improved fermentation apparatus that extracts the must contained in the cap to be pressed better, faster and more thoroughly.

Another object is to propose a pressing method that improves the quality of the pressed must.

According to the invention, the improved fermentation apparatus has a tank for must formed by skin and juice, the tank being suitable for making the must ferment so that it creates a layer of skin called cap and having a bottom on which the cap can deposit after evacuation of the liquid must. The apparatus of the invention comprises breaking means for opening and/or breaking up and/or crumbling the cap which rests on (and is then pressed against) said bottom. Such breaking means are adapted for bringing out in the volume of the cap a new surface imbued with must and/or for increasing the existing surface of the volume of the cap.

Preferably, such a new, and/or increased imbued surface is produced through a substantially vertical break or split of the cap (i.e. roughly perpendicular to the bottom of the tank). An excellent performance in terms of opening the cap is thus ensured and the humid/soaked surface of the cap is maximised, by cutting it along a vertical direction.

With the breaking means of the invention, the cap is preferably spread apart or stirred so that during the subsequent pressing inner parts imbued with must are exposed and are pressed, in particular after having neutralised and stirred the areas of the cap which act as a plug. There is thus an improved pressing efficiency as well as a greater capability of extracting juice from the cap.

The apparatus can comprise means for pressing the cap when it is deposited on the bottom after evacuation of the liquid must, said means being removably or permanently integrated in the structure. With permanent means for pressing a more functional machine is obtained and manual preparation operations are avoided.

The breaking means can be mounted for example on a plunging means movable inside the tank. The plunging means generally comprises a plunging plate moved by pneumatic or oil hydraulic cylinders. The plate operates to sink the cap into the must or to compress it against the bottom of the tank to press it. The plate can be adapted, modified or equipped with breaking means, for example in the form of claws, blades or spikes, preferably movable on command to act upon the cap and break it more effectively.

Or rather the breaking means can be mounted on the bottom of the tank, so that they are in direct contact with the deposited cap. Since the breaking means are in practice immersed in the cap and can move inside it, this solution ensures an excellent performance in terms of opening of the cap and maximising the regenerated cap surface.

The breaking means on the bottom of the tank preferably comprise a movable member with respect to the bottom suitable for spreading apart and/or breaking the cap. The movement of the member can be linear, for example a toothed rake, which is able to move from one side to the other of the bottom, or movable walls (liftable or rotatable) of the tank, and/or rotary.

For example a member can be used mounted rotatable on said bottom, and preferably equipped with one or more arms substantially parallel and rotatable with respect to the bottom of the tank. In order to increase the efficiency of opening the cap, there can be blade-, spike- or splitter- or fin-shaped breaking elements on the arms, adapted for splitting the cap when the respective arm moves. Preferably such elements are substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the tank, to maximise the spreading apart action on the cap and to create new humid/soaked vertical surfaces in the body of the cap.

As can be seen, the breaking means described thus far have excellent interference characteristics with the cap, useful for bringing out inner parts of the cap imbued with must to be pressed in the subsequent cycle.

The draining of pressed must is preferably carried out through draining channels present at least at the bottom of the tank. Other channels can be made on the inner lateral surface of the tank, on a strip adjacent to the bottom. In order to increase the pressing efficiency, decrease the processing time and squeeze the maximum amount of juice from the cap, even the breaking means advantageously comprise draining means adapted for draining the liquid must contained in the cap while holding back the solid part, and means for conveying the drained must towards an outlet of the tank. In this way when the breaking means move inside the cap to open it, simultaneously - by exploiting the relative movement - they extract its juice, which is collected by the conveying means. In practice, to the pressing step a draining step is added simultaneous to that of opening of the cap. Moreover, in addition to the receptive surface of the inlet of the draining channels, there is also that of the draining means on board of or integrated in the breaking means. Therefore, it takes less time to drain all the must and the quantity extracted is greater, since there are numerous areas of the cap involved by draining actions and the active surfaces for collecting liquid must are wider. In brief, the cap can be drained both when the breaking means stand still inside the cap and when they move so as to open it.

The draining means are preferably in the form of perforated surfaces or walls, grids or tight mesh, capable of filtering the liquid must and holding back the solid part. These walls can for example make up the outer surfaces or walls of the movable member and/or of its components. In particular, said member can comprise one or more hollow parts having at least one wall or draining surface through which the liquid must can filter inside the hollow part, and from here it is collected and conveyed outside the tank. If the member is formed by a plurality of hollow parts, they can be made all internally communicating with one another, so as to operate as collecting and conveying channels for the liquid must. For example, the rotatable arms and/or the breaking elements can be hollow and equipped with perforated surfaces to collect juice (liquid must). It should be noted that also without breaking elements, and only equipping the rotatable arms with draining means as described, the functionality of the movable member is increased enormously, which not only acts mechanically on the cap but also promotes the draining action of the channels and/or baffles on the bottom by cooperating with its own.

In order to better adjust the functionality of the movable member, the breaking elements can be demountable and replaceable with elements having different lengths and configuration, and this in order to better adapt the functionality of the invention to the type of must/pomace cap being processed. Or rather, the breaking elements can have a variable geometry, so as to be able to vary their shape and/or dimensions and/or orientation during the processing. For such a purpose, the or some parts of a or of each breaking element can be spatially configurable on command, in the form of, for example, arms and/or breaking elements that can be oriented and controlled remotely through actuators, operators or positioning means. The variable geometry of the member ensures maximum flexibility in different operative conditions, like for example different pomaces, with different thickness, and more or less difficult to break.

In order to maximise the functionality of the apparatus it can comprise

- programmable means or a processing unit configured to program and/or time the activation and the movement of the plugging means and/or of the breaking means and/or the control of valves or valve means and/or the reading of sensors, for example a PLC or a remote computer processor.

The sensors can be connected and interrogated by the programmable means or the processing unit.

It should be noted that in the PLC or processing unit it is advantageous to install or store a program adapted for managing and coordinating all or some of the process steps of the apparatus. Such a program is equally comprised in the invention.

The apparatus can also comprise suction means (for example pumps) connected to intakes for liquid must present on the breaking means. This makes it possible to quickly drain the liquid must, maximising the amount extracted from the cap thanks to forced suction.

With an apparatus according to the invention also a pressing method of the solid part of must, for example the pomace in the vinification, can be easily and efficiently made. The method is in general defined in claim 18.

The invention and its advantages shall become clearer from the following description of some preferred embodiments, illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a transparent front view of the bottom of a vinificator according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a top view of a blade according to the invention;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the blade of Fig. 3 (long side);

Fig. 5 shows another side view of the blade of Fig. 3 (short side);

Fig. 6 shows a transparent front view of a vinificator with the blade of fig. 1 ;

Fig. 7 shows a top view of the bottom of the vinificator;

Fig. 8 shows another top view of the bottom of the vinificator with some removed elements;

Figs. 9-16 show a top view of the bottom of the vinificator for different operative configurations;

Figs. 17-18 show construction variants for a blade;

Fig. 19 shows the blade of Fig. 1 when immersed in the pomace cap;

Fig. 20 shows a variant of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows the bottom 30 of the tank of a vinificator that comprises draining channels 32 for the must (see also fig. 8). The bottom 30 is preferably made up of a double bottom, formed by a funnel-shaped bottom surface 34 on which the cap CP rests and an underlying, preferably also funnel-shaped, surface 36. The two surfaces 34, 36 could also be flat, inclined, concave, convex, or crowned.

The draining channels positioned on the surface of the bottom (the bottom could however be completely perforated and thus per se be a single filter) are connected to the draining channels or baffles 38 (fig. 7) positioned on the inner surface of the tank, preferably on the lower part of the tank and in any case that involved in the depositing of the pomace cap to be pressed. However, nothing stops the tank from being equipped with such draining baffles along its entire height: this increases the draining capability in the draining step.

The draining baffles are arranged radially and with polar symmetry, through which the liquid must can filter and through the underlying radial channels 32 be conveyed towards the centre of the bottom 30, from where it is evacuated through a discharge tube 60. The number and/or arrangement of the discharge tubes 60 and/or of the baffles 38 and/or of the channels 32 can vary according to the type or amount of must or cap. The baffles 38 are made, for example with pieces of perforated plate, so that it holds back skins and bodies in suspension while letting the must juice filter.

Advantageously, however, the entire surface 34 and also the inner lower part of the plating (the perimeter of the tank) can be equipped with an entire perforated draining surface, preferably removable so as to be able to clean it.

Above and at the centre of the surface 34 a blade 40 is rotatably mounted around a vertical axis Y, formed by two diametrically opposite arms 42, 44 on which vertical blades or splitters 48 with elliptical section or with a prismatic shape are arranged (only some of which are indicated). The blades 48 are arranged on the arms 42, 44 preferably at different distances from the axis Y. The blade 40 preferably has inclined arms so as to follow the inclination of the surface 34, and is actuated by motor means M, for example an electric gear motor, positioned below the tank and having a rotary output shaft connected to the blade 40. Suitable seals and/or O-rings OR prevent must from coming out from the mechanical joints.

The blade 40 can also have more than two arms, or not have vertical blades 48.

Each arm 42, 44 and/or each blade 48 is preferably equipped with draining means for the liquid must, therefore each one not only makes it possible to cut the cap CP, but also to collect the liquid must during or after a pressing step, as shall be explained later on in the description.

The blade 40 is made up of a preferably hollow tubular or box-shaped structure. The arms 42, 44 have draining means in the form of perforated walls 46, for example dome- or cap-shaped or flat, positioned at least on the side opposite the bottom 34. In the same way, the blades 48 are hollow and have draining means in the form of perforated walls 50, advantageously on the side surface and on the upper base. This in order to increase the draining surface in contact with the cap that can collect liquid.

In general, the part facing towards the inside of the tank of each of the arms 42, 44 comprises a draining means in the form of a draining wall, like for example a grid or a perforated wall. The same applies for the blades 48, for example made in perforated plate, which not only have the function of cutting/breaking up/spreading apart the cap CP along a vertical plane (roughly parallel to the axis Y), but also of draining the must since that each is internally communicating with the inner cavity of the arm on which it is mounted. Therefore the inner cavities of the arms 42, 44 collect the liquid must, and convey it inside a tube 52 that has an outlet 54 towards the centre of the bottom 32, from which the must then leaves the tank through the duct 60.

The shape and the section of both the arms 42, 44 and the divaricating blades 48 can vary from those illustrated. The most appropriate shapes can be used (more or less pointed, wide or high ) so as to act upon different types of pomaces. The blade 40 can also be made with arms and/or blades that are movable and/or that can be oriented in an adjustable manner and/or that can be commanded remotely. For this purpose it is sufficient to mount the blades 48 on hermetic, pivoted or articulated joints, and envisage actuators on the blade 40 for moving them individually. The same can be carried out for the arms of the blade.

The bottom 34 can also not have the draining channels 32; since their function is to improve draining, the draining surface of the sole blade 40 being able to be however sufficient.

A vinificator 80 equipped with the means of the invention is wholly shown in Fig. 6. It operates in the following way.

At the end of fermentation the liquid must is taken out/evacuated from the vinificator 80 through the draining means of the blade 40 and/or the draining discharge ducts 32. Consequently the cap CP soaked of must rests against the bottom 34. The first-pressing must can now be recovered through the pressing of the cap CP (fig. 6), process which is carried out by lowering a plugging plate 82 to a predetermined level and then inflating a membrane 84, mounted below it, so as to press on the cap CP and squeeze the liquid must out of it.

The pressing can preferably be carried out in a plurality of cycles, for example eight.

Under the action of the thrust exerted by the membrane 84, the first-pressing must flows out passing both through the draining walls 46, 50 of the blade 40 and/or through the baffles 38 and the channels 32. It is then all collected at the centre of the bottom 32, and from here it is brought outside with the tube 60.

There is thus the great advantage of the first-pressing must being directly obtained in the vinificator 80, without moving/transferring the pomace and without the risk of contamination with air or loss of organoleptic qualities.

The liquid must flows out and penetrates both through the draining walls 50 towards the inside of the draining blades 48, and through the walls 46 of the arms 42, 44 towards the inside of the arms themselves. Then the liquid must flows from inside the blades 48 to the inside of the arms 42, 44, and from here to outside the tank passing in a more or less central point of the blade 40 through the tube 52. From here it is brought outside through the piping 60. In Fig. 1 the arrows indicate the path of the liquid must from inside the cap CP to the tube 60.

The blade 40 can thus have three functions: - draining the must (both during the emptying step of the tank and in the pressing step of the pomace);

- evacuating the pomace from the tank at the end of the pressing step;

- breaking or splitting the cap CP.

Indeed the combined action of the blade 40 and the divaricating blades 48 determines a breaking of the cap CP both on a horizontal plane and on a vertical plane.

The pressing step is therefore improved and helped by the blade 40. As well as evacuating the exhausted pomace and operating as a draining surface inside and immersed into the cap CP, which is why it can extract liquid must even from the centre of the cap CP, at the end of the pressing the blade 40 also has the function of opening and cutting the cap CP, making it thus possible to drain all the remaining must contained in it, especially from the surfaces where it has been cut.

The problem in the pressing step of the pomace compacting and forming a hermetic plug, as the exerted pressure increases (beyond 0.4-0.5 bar pressure), making it impossible for the residual must to flow out, is solved by the blade 40.

The blade 40 splits the compacted pomace, with the arms 42, 44 and with the blades 48, and makes it possible to drain the residual liquid must which is released from the new surfaces thus cut and exposed. See Fig. 19 to understand this effect. The draining surface (or means) 46, 50 of an arm or of a blade 48 are not only immersed into the cap CP, making it possible to draw must from inside it, but also necessarily positioned in the point in which the cap CP has an imbued and exposed surface BB. The arrows indicate the path of the liquid must.

See now figs, from 9 to 16, which show the blade 40 in the eight pressing cycles. Before each pressing cycle, the blade 40 is positioned by the motor M in a different point of the cap CP. In the example the blade 40 moves by about 45° degrees in an anticlockwise direction at each cycle, and then the cap CP is pressed with the membrane 84. Other rotation schemes are in any case possible, for example a complete revolution at a time or different fractions of a round angle at a time. Even the rotation direction of the blade 40 can be varied (partially clockwise and partially anticlockwise and vice versa ); it can be continuous, with regular motion, accelerated or decelerated, or a combination thereof. Advantageously a PLC is programmed to move the blade 40 in the desired manner and with a programmed motion.

Each cycle can be made up of:

- a rotary movement of the blade 40 to the predetermined point;

- actuation of the pressing means (here the inflation of the membrane 84);

- stopping of the pressing means (deflation of the membrane 84) and positioning of the blade 40 at the angular point corresponding to the subsequent pressing cycle.

Clearly the invention works regardless of the pressing means used.

Fig. 16 outlines the circular trajectory of the blades 48. It can be seen that their particular arrangement ensures that each one penetrates into the cap CP at a different radial distance. At the end of the rotation, each blade 48 has cut the cap CP along a circumference having a different radius, improving the opening and maximising the draining surface (see the different circumferences indicated with CRF).

At the end of the pressing process, the exhausted pomace CP is extracted from the tank also thanks to the blade 40, which by turning can scrape the bottom 36 and push the pomace near to the discharge gates.

The blade 40 can be equipped with nozzles for gas connected towards the outside, so as to operate even as a movable gas supplier, improving the oxygenation of the cap.

Figs. 17 and 18 show variants of the blade 40, which demonstrate the optional nature of the blades 48. A blade 100 is formed by one or more arms 102 with a vault-shaped perforated draining surface 104 above them. By sliding at the base of the cap CP the blade 100 is able to lift it and bend it, creating cracks which uncover parts CC still imbued. By gravity and/or by pressing action, the liquid must, the path of which in the figure is indicated with arrows, is collected by the surface 104 and enters inside the blade 100, flowing in the cavity below the surface 104 up to outside of the tank.

Fig. 18 shows another blade 200, formed by one or more hollow arms 202 with above it a perforated wedge-or inclined-plane shaped draining surface 204. The blade 200 is moved below the cap CP, and thanks to its inclined plane it is able to lift it and bend it, creating cracks and new surfaces DD. Like before by gravity, and/or by the pressing action, the liquid must, the path of which is indicated in the figures with the arrows, is collected by the surface 204.

Fig. 20 shows a variant for the breaking and draining means of the invention. A tank 100 has on its bottom 101 some walls 102 protruding radially from the inner side surface. The walls 102 are made from perforated plate, and their inside is in communication with ducts that flow out towards the outside of the tank 100.

At the centre of the bottom 101 a hub 106 is rotatably pivoted to which six radial arms 104 are connected, which are hollow and formed externally by perforated walls. The inside of the arms 104 is such as to convey the liquid filtering through their perforated walls towards the hub 106, and from here towards outside of the tank 100. The arms 104 are articulated on the hub 106 and movable on command.

When the bottom 101 is occupied by the deposited cap, the hub 106 is made oscillate so that the arms 104 squeeze the cap against the walls 102 (see arrows J in the figure) and make the first-pressing must come out. The extracted juice enters inside the walls 102 and/or the arms 104, from where it is collected and brought outside. Once this pressing step is finished, the arms 104 slightly spread apart from the walls 102 and are made to rotate and oscillate by a certain angle with respect to the hub 106 (see arrow K in the figure). This rotation stirs the cap pressed against the walls 102 and makes new soaked parts available for the subsequent pressing. Or rather it is sufficient to lightly hit the packed cap with the arms 104.

The discharge of the exhausted cap occurs through one or more gates 108 on the bottom 101.

Preferably all the operations of the vinificators described are managed by a processor or computer, which in particular controls the actuation of the pistons, and/or the inflations/deflation of each membrane, and/or the rotation of the blade 20 through relative position and pressure sensors, and/or the control of motors, actuators or valves, and/or the system for adjusting the pressure in the tank and/or the system for injecting/expelling air or inert gas into and from the tank.

The processor can be programmed to carry out periodic work cycles like those described, or time combinations thereof.

Claims

1. Fermentation apparatus comprising

- a tank for must formed by skin and juice, the tank being suitable for making the must ferment so that it creates a layer of skin called cap (CP) and having a bottom (30) on which the cap can deposit after evacuation of the liquid must,

characterised in that it comprises

breaking means (40) for opening and/or breaking up and/or crumbling the cap lying on the bottom that are adapted for bringing out in the volume of the cap a new surface (BB, CC, DD) imbued with must and/or for increasing the existing surface thereof.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the breaking means are adapted for creating said imbued surface through a break or split in the cap (BB)which is substantially vertical, i.e. roughly perpendicular to the bottom of the tank.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the breaking means are mounted on a plunging plate of a plunging means placed inside the tank.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the breaking means are mounted on the bottom of the tank, so that they are in direct contact with the deposited cap.

5. Apparatus according to one of the previous claims, wherein the breaking means comprise

draining means (46, 50) adapted for draining the liquid must contained in the cap while holding back the solid part, and

means (42, 44) for conveying the drained must towards an outlet of the tank.

6. Apparatus according to one of the previous claims, wherein the breaking means comprise a member (40) movably mounted on the bottom of the tank and adapted for spreading apart and/or breaking the cap.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the movable member is rotatably mounted on said bottom and is equipped with one or more arms (42, 44) substantially parallel to the bottom.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein on a or each of said arms there are blade- , spike- or splitter- or fin-shaped breaking elements (48), adapted for splitting the cap when the respective arm moves.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the breaking elements each have a different distance from the centre of rotation (Y) of the movable member.

10. Apparatus according to one of claims from 6 to 9, wherein the movable element comprises perforated surfaces or walls or grids (46, 50) capable of filtering the liquid must while holding back the solid parts.

1 1. Apparatus according to claim 8 or 10, wherein the outer walls of the movable member and/or of its components comprise perforated parts or grids (46, 50) capable of letting liquid must filter inside it while holding back the solid parts.

12. Apparatus according to one of claims from 6 to 1 1, wherein the rotatable arms and/or the breaking elements are hollow and equipped with at least one draining wall or surface or perforated surface (46, 50) through which the must can filter inside of the hollow parts, which communicate internally with one another so as to operate as collecting and conveying channels for the liquid must.

13. Apparatus according to one of claims from 6 to 12, wherein the breaking elements are removably connected to said movable member.

14. Apparatus according to one of claim from 6 to 13, wherein the breaking elements have geometry which is variable on command through actuators, operators or positioning means, so as to be able to vary their shape and/or dimensions and/or orientation during the processing.

15. Apparatus according to one of the previous claims, comprising programmable means or a processing unit configured to program and/or time the activation and the movement of plugging means and/or of the breaking means and their components and/or the control of valves or valve means and/or the reading of sensors.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, comprising, in removable form or permanently integrated in the structure, means for pressing (82, 84) the cap when it is deposited on the bottom after evacuation of the liquid must, and motor means (M) driven by the programmable means so as to make the movable member rotate (40) by a fraction or multiple also not integer of a round angle at each pressing cycle carried out with the pressing means.

17. Apparatus according to one of the previous claims, comprising suction means connected to intakes of liquid must located on the breaking means.

18. Method for pressing inside a tank for must, the tank being suitable for making the must ferment so that it creates a layer of skin called cap (CP) and having a bottom on which the cap can deposit after evacuation of the liquid must, characterised by

a) braking and/or opening and/or braking up and/or crumbling the cap lying on the bottom so as to bring out in the volume of the cap a new surface imbued with must (BB, CC, DD) and/or to increase the existing surface thereof;

b) pressing the cap against the bottom of the tank to extract the must it is imbued with.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein said imbued surface is created through breaking or splitting the cap substantially vertically, i.e. almost perpendicular to the bottom of the tank.

20. Method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein

a movable member (40) is used to break and/or cut the cap, and

said member is configured to collect the juice by staying or moving inside the cap.

21. Method according to one of claims from 18 to 20, wherein a rotatable member is used to break and/or cut the cap, and

the movements of the rotatable member are programmed so that in step a) it rotates by a fraction or multiple also not integer of a round angle, and then step b) is carried out.