Age-old question - Floor corkers

[MedPretzel]

Hi everyone,


Since I've been getting a lot of Flailed-top bottles (or barred top?) lately, I have been unhappier and unhappier with my double-lever hand corker for these bottles.





I know there are advantages to the italian vs portugese, but I've been thinking about a portugese floor corker. My question is: does the portugese cork the flailed bottles sufficiently? I usually have a 1/4 inch of cork sticking out using my double-lever one, and want to make sure that it wouldn't happen with such an expensive item (then what's the purpose?!?).


I understand that what makes the italian more expensive is the iris. In that one, it seems to be metal, and in the portugese it seems to be plastic. Does anyone know how likely it is to break, or does anyone know if this is a real concern? I will be using #9 corks (I got like 350 for christmas this year, and now I have to use them).


Any feedback on advantages/disadvantages/things to look out for would be helpful.





Thanks!

 

[PolishWineP]

We have the Italian Job, the Fararri. We started with the 2 handled Guilda and it took 2 of us to run it. Now Bert can bottle cases on his own with ease. No slipping bottles, no tired arms, and he can drink far more wine whilst bottling! We don't have any problems with exposed corks with any of our bottles since we got the Fararri. Bert says that there a kit to put on the corker that can be used for corking sparkling wine in sparkling wine bottles. (I hope that made sense. Bert istrying to tell me how to write. Ha!

) You may be interested in that too. We love our floor model and even in middle age consider it money well spent. Just look at it as an investment that will make your hobby far more enjoyable.


She who is left behind after he with the most wine-making toys dies, wins! And wines!

 

[Hippie]

I have the Portuguese floor/bench model. I love it. I cannot see the nylon iris ever wearing out, but if it ever does, there are replacements. I need to mount mine on a board and put rubber feet on it. The really small bottles need to have a booster under them, like a 4x4 chunk of wood. I like the fact that I can cork multiple styles of bottles with all kinds of shaped tops and not have to readjust anything except maybe a little on the cork depth and I can drive the corks home very easily even if I let them go a smidgen past flush. I don't see at this point why the Italian would be any better.

 

[RAMROD]

Watch out Bret sounds like somebody's planning!

LOL

 

[AAASTINKIE]

I ordered my Italian floor corker last night it's supposed to be here on the 11th.

 

[MedPretzel]

Thank you very much for your input.


I have todigest what you all said a little, and then make my choice. I do not plan to (intentionally) make sparkling wine, so I think I don't think I really have to have the italian one.





Does the portugese come with instructions on setting the depth? I bought a double lever hand corker (which I love) which I couldn't figure out how to do that. It was very frustrating, but I made my own contraption.





How do the corkers compare with "pressure points," for lack of a more appropriate word? My double-lever hand corker leaves nasty indentations on the top of the cork, and I would also like to avoid that if I buy one of these things. How is it with the floor corkers? Is it better, or do you see some indentations at the top?





I know you don't need to soak the corks for both models, but is there maintenance one must do to the machine itself? The corks? The bottles?





Thanks again!

Edited by: MedPretzel

 

[masta]

I have the Italian model with brass iris and there really isn't any maintenance I have done to it since I put it together except for lubricating the self adjusting slide under where the bottle sits. I don't get any indentations in the top of corks at all now that I use the good corks from George.


I have read other posts and it confirms what Country said about the nylon iris not wearing out and it can be replaced if it does.


The other difference in the two models I believe is the overall height and the quality of construction. The Italian model is taller and also is beefer in the materials used.

 

[Hippie]

I agree that the quality of corks is a big issue with how well any corker is able to plunge them into the neck of a bottle. George's branded agglomerates are the bomb!

 

[PolishWineP]

RamRod, Pls don't tell Bert I'm planning things. It's a secret! Shhhh!

 

[Bill B]

I have the Portuguese corker myself and like Country Wine I love it. I have looked at both and from the models Ive seen I must admit that the Italian is a bit more rugged. However my corker has a metal plate flange, mounted under the iris that sets the bottle in the correct pos. all the time. The Italian model I looked at didn't have this. Im not sure if the top of the line Italian corker has this, but it sure is nice.





Bill