I can't get the corks out of the bottle

[earl]

Hey Guys


I bottled a Meza Luna Red in October and went to try one. I have broken 3 cork pullers and resorted to drilling the corks out. This is the first cork problem I have had. I have attempted to open 3 bottles and they all have the same problem.


Any suggestions to pulling a tough cork?


earl

 

[masta]

Never had any issues with bottles I have filled and use the rabbit ear or wing style like the one below. You might try a regular waiter corkscrew.


Which corks were these you used and how did you prep them?


Edited by: masta

 

[NorthernWinos]

Were the bottles laying on their sides to keep the corks moist????

 

[Coaster]

On the tough corks, try to "score" the edge where the cork meets the glass with a butter knife or something sharp (I use the end of the corkscrew). It helps release my tight corks.

 

[earl]

The bottles were on their side, and all I did was rinse them in Kmeta prior to putting them in the bottle.


I'll try the scoring thing and see if it works.


earl

 

[rgecaprock]

I have a rough time getting mine out too. I have a rabbit like similar to masta's but they are just in there!!! I prep them in K meta solution too and they are on their sides...if they make it that far..(= 3 days

). Nothing is going to get in or out with George's corks. I do get them out but sometimes it takes a while!!
Ramona

 

[Wade E]

I have never had a problem and I use the same rabbitt type as Masta.
The corks that you guys get, do they feel as though they have a coating
on them as mine do?

 

[rgecaprock]

I don't know what it is ....the commercial corks come out in one motion...i'm exhausted getting the corksout of ours. Easier going in than out!!!


What do you think it is?????

 

[masta]

Please read through this thread on tight corks and it should provide the reasons why and solutions:


http://www.finevinewines.com/Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2080

 

[pkcook]

Thanks Masta,


I realized that I have been corking my bottles with the corks wet(George's #9FWV logo, straight from the sulfite to the corker). George's post recommends that the cork be allowed to dry for 5-15 minutes on paper towel before corking. I'll try that myself on next bottling session.


I have broken every corkscrew in the house and finally broke down and went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond (My Wife's home away from home) and found a Rabbit clone for $10. I was a little concerned about thequality was at that price, but so far it works like a champ. I've pulled some corks that I have been unable to pull for months (they looked like someone took a drill to them!).


Thanks for the reminder Masta!

 

[NorthernWinos]

We have a corkscrew like Mastas....It worked like a charm....then...we started having a problem with our corks pushing in, thought it was a bad batch of corks....turned out we had bent the little wire auger/screw....guess that's why they sent 2 extra in the box....Working good again.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[AAASTINKIE]

I use a Walmart 2 dollar cork screw and in two years have never had a problem with removing a cork.

 

[jsmahoney]

I had the same trouble getting the corks out! I broke my two trusty cork screws. Nothing worse than a brokencork screw, and wanting a niceglass of wine, all sorts of things run through a persons mind trying to figure out a way to get the cork out.


I also purchased a rabbit ear style cork screw and have had good luck with it, yet it is a cheap one and there are times that I take very special care when pulling out a cork as it feels like I am going to break it's ears off.


Now I have two in the kitchen and carry one in each glove compartment in my pickups, (Just in case I'm broke down on the road) there's always a positive moment in every negative moment. I can at least sip on a glass of wine, while awaiting for help. Might as well take in the moment and enjoy right?!

That is if I carry a bottle of wine with me too! Guess that is part of my life saving equipment, candle, blanket, tall flag, flash light, cork screw, wine glass, bottle of wine, and a box or chocolates. Yep, it don't get any better than that.

 

[Bert]

I think that is a great road side emergency kit...an exdra glass might be nice..

 

[Wade E]

Well my rabbit ears just broke but the cork was not tough, the rabbit
ears were just cheap. It sort of still works, it just unscrews right
back out the way it went in! Weird, this ever happen to anyone else?
There is no friction at all it just reverses right out?

 

[stormbringer]

The post by Masta on March 3 with the enclosed link provides somevery goodinfo. I started using the "cork humidor" method of cork sanitation and it works excellent. I believe the K-Meta caused some of my corks to stick. I still have a few bottles of wine that were bottled before using the cork humidor set-up and they are almost impossible to remove using a waiter-type corkscrew.


My solution to the tight cork problem: Use the "Ah-So" cork puller. It will easily remove even the toughest-to-remove corks.


The down-side of using the "Ah-So" is that if you are not careful using it on the corks that are not sort of stuck and hard to remove -- youcan easily push the cork down into the bottle. (Wiggle thelonger of the two prongs into the side of the cork first, thenrock the handle from side to side until both prongs are fully inserted. "Rock" as in push DOWNlightly on one sideand then the other side-- just a little at a time -- until fully inserted, then twist while pulling).


My advise is to purchase the "Ah-So" cork puller and at the same time purchase a CorkRetriever.And try the cork humidor set-up to helppreventfuture stuck corks.

 

[rgecaprock]

Stormbringer,


Could you post some pics to the Ah-so and the humidor.


Ramona

 

[stormbringer]

Link with pic of Ah-So:http://www.grapestompers.com/product_details.asp?SubcatID=24&ProductID=270&internal_index=0


Link with article on humidor:http://www.rjspagnols.com/resource_view.asp?HandoutID=14


My cork humidor is pretty basic. I have a round plastic tupperware-type container with 3/8" holes drilled in the lid. This container is filled about half full of K-Meta. Container with K-Meta is placed into another larger round plastic container. Corks are poured into the larger container and rest on the smaller container of K-Meta. The lid is closed on the larger container and the K-Meta fumes sanitize the corks. The corks will be ready to insert during bottling and require no additional handling. I think it's called the "dry cork" method and it works for me.


BTW: I found the containers at a General Dollar Store. For about 5 bucks you can purchase the set of 6 descending sized plastic containers, all in one package.


I hope this helps.

 

[dfwwino]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one having difficulty with stuck corks. I've broken three corkscrews so far, the latest a very nice rabbit ear model. I wish I had thought to review this forum before breaking the latest cork screw. I have never had this problem with the Altec synthetic corks and this is a new experience after 12 years of winemaking. Thanks for these posts, perhaps I can now avoid breaking another corkscrew.

 

[Bill B]

Take a look at this link http://www.break.com/index then type remove a cork from a wine bottle in the search box. This is a cool video
<DIV SuperAdBlocker_DIV_Elements="0" SuperAdBlocker_OnMove_Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker__Hooked="0" SuperAdBlocker_DIV_FirstLook="0">Bill