adding labels.

[Conquistadude]

Would you suggest putting it on before I fill the bottle or wait 'til after I cork?

 

[Luc]

If you are a messy bottler put the labels on afterwards

Indeed when spilling some wine during bottling the labels will stain. Not a pretty sight. So first bottle and then label and cap.

Seriously the preferred way is to bottle, put the corks in and let the bottles stand upright for about 3 days.
That way you will be sure the pressure settles out, and that no corks will pop.
Then put the labels and the caps on.

Luc

 

[Wade E]

Fully agree with Lucs method of standing them up for a few days, then cleaning the, then labeling and shrink wrapping them last.

 

[hardcore]

Are there benefits to shrink wrapping? Or is this just for looks?

 

[Conquistadude]

I was going to ask the same thing. I can see if I were to make gifts out of them.

 

[Racer]

Shrink wraps are only for the eye candy appeal.They do not help the wine in any way.They do impress friends and family though when a bottle of homemade gets handed over looking like a commercial wine would.

 

[Wade E]

Yep, just Eye Candy and looks a little better when you have a whole cellar full.

 

[Conquistadude]

I bet lol.

 

[Luc]

Hey guys: You are all wrong !!!!

Shrink-wraps DO have a purpose.

Now the purpose is not just beauty, professionality or eye candy.

The purpose of the shrink-wrap is to keep the cork-moth out !!!

What ??? The cork-moth ????

Indeed a small critter of a moth that lays its eggs on wood.
Preferably cork. The larvae that come out of the eggs actually eat cork !!!!
So the larvae penetrate the corks and the bottles might start leaking......

So to prevent the cork-moth to lay her eggs on the cork you put shrink-wraps on.

And do not think that it will not happen to you because the cork-moth is even here in holland a natural inhabitant.

Do a search on cork-moth with google and you will be surprised.
Or seach for : Nemapogon cloacella the official latin name
or just look here for example:

http://www.gardensafari.net/english/picpages/nemapogon_cloacella.htm

Damn #@$%! another web-log entry spoiled.........

Luc

 

[TheTooth]

I knew there was some reason, but I thought it was to limit the air flow for the wine so it dodn't oxidize early. I had never heard of cork-moths.

 

[Omerta]

Makes perfect sense. I'm not finding much on that variety of moth in North America.

 

[Boozehag]

I heard that shrink wraps help prevent air getting in if the cork isnt 100% sealed...but then if thats the case surely it would leak anyway.

I got a 1000 gold ones for $15.00 NZD, and saw that they sell for $150 for that amount on a local site. These ones have a pull tab on them too so dont need to cut them off

Im wondering if I should use them on my screw cap bottles to keep them all uniform...as you know its hard to get cork bottlex here.

 

[Wade E]

They are just for show although I did have 1 batch that I must have forgotten to add sorbate to and the capsules were the only thing saving me from a bunch of popped corks althoug 1 out of 15 did go and make a mess!

 

[Boozehag]

I thought you didnt have to always add sorbate?

 

[Woodbee]

Drunken moths cool. I always wondered why the little buggers flew into the flames of my fireplace.
Well Luc, what about dipping the bottles in sealing wax?

 

[Wade E]

If you are sweeteneing a wine then you need it!

 

[Luc]

They are just for show although I did have 1 batch that I must have forgotten to add sorbate to and the capsules were the only thing saving me from a bunch of popped corks althoug 1 out of 15 did go and make a mess!

If the corks can not pop due to a shrinkwrap pressure might get so high that the bottles explode.

You choose.......
In both cases you lose !!

Luc

 

[Luc]

I heard that shrink wraps help prevent air getting in if the cork isnt 100% sealed...but then if thats the case surely it would leak anyway.

Most shrink wraps (at least over here) have small pinpoint holes
in the top.

The holes make sure that any water that is trapped between the corks and the shrink-wrap cap may evaporate. Which helps prevent the forming of mold.
The water may get there by submerging the caps in hot water to shrink them. But it could also be plain condense.

Another point is that the tiny holes let the corks breath, and as far as I am aware at this moment, part of the aging process is that corks do breath a tiny bit in due years.

Luc

 

[Luc]

Drunken moths cool. I always wondered why the little buggers flew into the flames of my fireplace.
Well Luc, what about dipping the bottles in sealing wax?

Well..........

Like I stated in my previous post: general consensus is that corks may breath a bit which is part of the aging process.
That is one of the draw-backs of screw caps.
And it is one of the draw backs of wax.

But then again the jury is still out on this one.
And most wines are not aged anyhow, at least no longer as 1 or 2 years. And in that time-span it would not make a lot of difference.

Luc

 

[Vanterax]

I thought you didnt have to always add sorbate?

Sorbate is like an insurance policy. You might not need it and be just fine until that one incident that will make you regret your decision.