Corks and bottles

Corking machine, basic hand corkers are very cheap. I pour boiling water over corks to sterilise them, remove them after 2-3 minutes and then use them, had no problems so far. I always buy the best quality corks I can find.

The corker I use is a red plastic cylinder with a narrow funnel-shaped hole in the bottom, a hole in the side, and a plunger on top. You pull the plunger up, insert the cork, and place the corker on top of the bottle. Then you slap the plunger down with your hand and it compresses the cork as it squeezes it out the bottom and into the bottle, instantly. It was about 10 bucks and practically indestructible. It has never malfunctioned in any way.

A word of caution about using boiling water to "sterilize" corks.

When I first started making wine 30+ years ago, I did this too. I had only a hand corker, and bought corks cut in a single piece from cork oak, as that was about the only kind there was. The hot water softened the corks, and I was able to get them into bottles reasonably easily.

Now, however, most of the "corks" that are sold to home winemakers are agglomerated (cork pieces glued together in a cylindrical shape) or colmated (corks with a lot of irregularities, filled in with some sort of patching substance). Putting either of those kinds of corks into hot water for more than a few seconds is likely to deform them a lot, to the point where they may not seal the bottle when you insert them.

If you are really buying premium, single-piece corks (easily twice the cost of less-expensive "cork" closures), you can perhaps get away with the hot water step. Even then, though, all of the cork industry experts I've seen quoted recommend inserting the cork "dry" (preferably with a floor corker). You should keep usused corks in a sealed plastic bag (to prevent them from drying out), but no special sanitizing or "sterilizing" steps should be necessary.

If you are going to try to save money by using anything less than premium, single-piece corks, I would strongly recommend (a) putting them in dry, and (b) using a floor corker. My Portuguese-model floor corker is far and away the best investment I've made in my wine-making career. That's my two cents.

Doug

I endorse entirely what Doug has said. I too used to use all sorts of methods of softening and sterilisation but was advised over 3 years ago ( by a representative of a Portuguese cork manufacturer) to insert the corks "dry". Since that time I have had no detrimental effects to any of my wine due to corking. I also have had a Portuguese floor corker for over 4 years and it has given me absolutely perfect service and is the best thing since they invented "sliced bread". Apart from the ease of use and speedy rate of corking, it also is immensely SAFE! It is also very easy to keep clean.

I agree also. Pouring boiling water over corks or soaking them for a few min. in hot water is a great way to make leakers or encourage oxidation. I know! I learned the hard way! You will not find a commercial vineyard that does anything to their corks. Dump them out of the bag and use them. Do not keep a surplus on hand for a long time unless you make a special storage container for them. That is simply a sealed bucket with a bottle of sulphite solution standing up in the container.

Ray

Ok, I'll bow to your experience and stop. I have a bagful of open corks, kept at around 21C. They've been open for about 2 months. Worth keeping if I wipe them down with sulphite solution and then store as recommended?

Hi,

Depending on the corks you are buying, boil the corks is not a good solution. If the corks you are buying have surface treatment, usually parafin and silicon, during the boiling process you will damage it.

If you need some more information about cork and cork stoppers please feel free to contact me.

Best Regards, Henrique Ribeiro

Don't bother wiping them down. You cannot sterilize the inside of them anyway. The problem with corks that have been open several months is that they will start drying out.

Put them in a bucket that can be sealed. I use one of my unused primaries that has a lid. Then put some sulphite solution in a bottle and put it in the bucket such that it will not turn over but leave it open. Do not pour any solution directly into the bucket. Then put your corks in the bucket around the bottle and seal it. the evaporating solution will keep the corks at the proper moisture level and prevent mold from growing. If the corks are not too dry, they will rehydrate.

Ray