During the winter months the visitors to the museum have the opportunity to assist in the extraction of the oil from the olives collected in the surrounding groves and brought to the Fratelli Carli mill. It is possible to have guided visits all year round. For all those who cannot visit Imperia personally, it is possible a visit online.

There are different phases in the extraction: 

The break down: this operation has the scope of breaking down the pulp to extract the oil. There are different types of mills, with wheels, cones, and spiked discs, hammers. The first type represents the most traditional method and is made up of a round granite bath in which circle a variable number of granite wheels, which crush and grind the olives into a pulp. This kind of mill has the defect of being limited in output and much higher in costs. To remedy this a finisher can be installed, which after the pressing render down the pulp homogeneous for the successive stage in elaboration quickening the process.

Kneading: this consists in a continual slow mixing of the pulp. This process is fundamental for the extraction of the oil.

Extraction by spinner: the pulp after the kneading, enters the spinner, this process is named as SETTLING. 
The settler extracts the oil from the pulp by the spinning process with addition of water at a temperature of around 25° c. These machines serve to separate the liquid from the solids using an extremely high velocity and the different specific weight in the various phases of separation (oil, water, sansa (pip)). This system has some advantages over other existing systems: a complete autonomisation with the consequent simplification of the various processes, major hygene, higher speed in extraction with lower costs.

The separation spinner: during the last phase of working the oil extracted from the decanter is separated from any impurities and water that might remain. It is since 1927 that the spinner has been used for the purification of the oil extracted, to reduce the impurity to a value inferior to 0,05%, bettering the quality and the length of preservation.

SCHEMA PROCESSO DI MOLITURA