WAX DIPPING?

I use bottle wax on all my red wines - wines I plan to keep for at least a year. You have to be careful about the temperature of the wax. If it gets too hot, it changes color and is is very difficult to get off the bottle. Heat it very slowly. If applied at the right temperature, you can easily remove the wax and save it and re-melt for other bottles. Is it beneficial to the storage of the wine? I think there are different opinions on that but I do know that your corks will not grow mold on them if your wine is stored in a high humidity environment and I expect that it may aid in preventing some transport of air between the bottled wine and the outside environment. In my opinion, if nothing else, it adds a bit of class.

In message , Paul E. Lehmann writes

I'd guess it might also help prevent a cork from drying out if the bottle is stored upright, rather than on its side. I assume it's advisable to leave a gap between bottling and waxing, to let any excess of internal pressure and potential cork movement subside, no?

cheers, robin

Anothe roption is to use a stainless steel turkey baster and jsut fill the void left from a properly counter sunk cork.

Then you can get fancy and even stamp an ensignia in the top of the wax.

Mine is a picture of a butt on a butt and I have it on my butt.

Have never left any gap and have never had any problems

I've never seen bottle wax at my brew shope where I get my winemaking supplies. Is that a special wax, or is there a recommended type of wax to use? I generally have my corks potrude above the glass, will they need to be set further in?

(We're in the process of constructing a wine cellar in our cellar, thinking that sealing the corks with wax might be a good idea).

Thanks!

Woods

Presque Isle handles it. You can mail order from there.

I set mine just slightly below the glass. I dip the bottles in the wax and turn them slowly to let the excess drip off away from the bottle as I turn them right side up. It takes getting the nack but after awhile it goes pretty fast. Sometimes you may need a small stick or some other device to put a drop or two of wax on top of the cork surface if the wax does not at first stick to it.

It's ordinary wax and comes in colors, some use it for cheese also. I don't use it but piwine or grapeandgranary sell it.

Jie

It's ordinary wax and comes in colors, some use it for cheese also. I don't use it but piwine or grapeandgranary sell it.

Joe

When I did it, I just heated some paraffin canner's wax on the stove carefully, and dipped the bottle end in the wax. Not as pretty as the colored waxes, but it's cheap and served the purpose.

Okay, thanks! I'll see if my local brew shop carries it, otherwise I'll probably use beeswax.

Woods

That's another idea, thanks. (FWIW, crayons are made of wax, and can change the color of paraffin ... ;-)

Woods

thanks for all your answers,it helps me in my new hobby. granddad was a smart guy. lucas

Good idea. The wax is cheap also because you can reuse if you put on at the right temperature, it will peal off easily.