I bottled my first batch of wine this week.
I am using standard corks from a homebrew shop think they were 9-1/2
Cheap hand held corker. I am not sure what brand or style. It is not a floor model, has 2 handles, forces cork with push rod.
The corks were not flush with the bottle top (they protrude out) They look ugly and mushy
When I corked the bottles I had a warm water/meta tray. I put the corks in this and within 30sec started to cork.
Should I upgrade the corker? Corks? Or method?
Yes, upgrade the corker. The corks may be OK. Yes, upgrade the method.
Properly hydrated corks are slightly soft, and dry corks can be driven easily with a floor corker. Soaking corks in sulfite solutions cause the corks to crumble after a couple of years. No need to worry about sterilization. Bugs that can live on dry corks cannot survive in wine.
But, if you drop a cork on the floor, be sure to wipe the dirt off on your shirt before inserting it in a bottle (TIC).
Lum Del Mar, California, USA
Pete, Most of the hand corkers have an adjustment screw to control the depth of the cork. Have a look at yours to see if it has one. Upgrading to a floor corker is a good investment and much more fun. If your corks are relatively new, then they probably aren't the problem.
Al
My supply store changed corks...not the width, but the length (about 1/4 inch longer). Anyway, I did have a hand held corker, and I couldn't get the longer corks in. The shorter corks went in fine, but the longer ones didn't. The corks were both 9-1/2 size, but the shorter ones measured a bit less than 1 - 3/4, and the longer ones measured just a bit more than 1-3/4. I have a floor corker now, but I did use my hand held for about 2 years, and it took my husband's help to bottle. I have just noticed that my floor corker can't do the wine bottles with the lips on them, so I use my hand-held for those. Darlene
Every 5th cork right? Replace corker. In the mean time, cut the corks flush with a box knife.
-- KB St. Charles, MO
Darlene, If you have a portuguese corker you can adjust the bottle stop to center those bottles with a lip and just leave it there. We use both, the Ferrari and that one and have no trouble with those bottles. Regards, Joe
...I have just noticed that my floor
I was doing my slowly... I will try again quickly.
I adjusted that nut on the top. The plunger does go past the bottle.
Half the cork is below the level and the other is protruding past the bottle top.
Ok, then maybe you have to push down harder on the bottle so that the corker doesn't move off of the lip of the bottle. When I used a hand corker, sometimes this would happen if I was in a hurry. A floor corker is consistent and they are not that expensive especially if you cork a lot of bottles.
My preference is a 13 year old corker :)
When she saw how the breech loading corker worked, she insisted upon doing the rest. OK, so it took me a couple of minutes to realize that it loaded that way, rather than working like a capper, but . . .
If I end up bothered by corks that go in a bit to far or not quite far enough, I can always dip the ends in my cheese wax . . .
hawk
I am pressing down hard on the corker.
The bottle is on the floor. I am using my weight on the corker to hold it in place.
Would it hurt the wine if I re-corked a few to try it?
This is a hobby. If you think you need it, you do. One thing for sure - if you are at all committed to this hobby you will not regret getting a good floor corker!
Do NOT use hot water on your corks. It will cause them to go mushy and fail. I speck from experience.
Ray
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