When you guys\gals bottle your wine do you bottle all of them and then cork. Or do you do it per case. Reason I ask, I got permission to use a local wineries corker whenever I need it. It would save me from having to buy a corker. But it would mean I would have to fill up the bottles. Put them in cases, and drive a few blocks to the winery. Going very slow so I don't spill any. Hmmm might just be easier to buy one now that I think about it. lol
Bottling/Corking Question
- Thread starter Catfish
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Dufresne11
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For 60 - 70 bucks for a Portugese Floor model it might be worth it to buy one. I LOVE mine. I might get real nervous driving around with open bottles of wine that I spent a lot of sweat equity making.
ALthough if you ever got pulled over with 26 open bottles of wine it would make for a great story.... after you got out of the pokey
ALthough if you ever got pulled over with 26 open bottles of wine it would make for a great story.... after you got out of the pokey
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Are you talking a floor corker or pneumatic. If its a floor corker see if you can bring it home for a few hours. Your other option is buying one. I don't see taking open bottles to the winery an option.
It's big and pneumatic.
I never thought about getting pulled over with open bottles. Luckily I live in a town of about 900 and I know 2 of the 3 cops.
Do any of you use the Bar top corks? I have seen wineries that use these. They use the foil wrap around the top also. I just did some looking and couldn't find many reviews except for this supplier that says "Not recommend for lay down storage of any liquid but upright storage is fine".
They make wine bottles specifically for these bar top corks right?
I never thought about getting pulled over with open bottles. Luckily I live in a town of about 900 and I know 2 of the 3 cops.
Do any of you use the Bar top corks? I have seen wineries that use these. They use the foil wrap around the top also. I just did some looking and couldn't find many reviews except for this supplier that says "Not recommend for lay down storage of any liquid but upright storage is fine".
They make wine bottles specifically for these bar top corks right?
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I believe bar top corks are used for bottles after they have been opened. Wineries use them for their tasting bottles, again after they removed the original bottle. They may work for very short term corking but I have no experience with that.
I don't have any experience with them either. But I've bought wine from local wineries lately and I take off the shrink wrap and there is a bar top style cork on it. I've read that the synthetic corks work much better than the old style corks. But I just can't find any reviews on these bar tops. Then again there is wineries using them so I guess they must get the job done. But I always like to get opinions from everyone before I decide on something.
Dirtydog420
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I personally have had no problems or complaints with my double lever hand corker.. The most I have bottled in a day in just over 50 i think, maybe more, so depending on how much you are making that might be an option but I would never trust to keep wine open long enough to drive with them...
And to answer another part of your question I usually fill 5 to 10 bottle and then cork them til Im finished
And to answer another part of your question I usually fill 5 to 10 bottle and then cork them til Im finished
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I would invest in a corker and seal the bottles at home. Corkers are not that expensive. My fear is that you will have your wine exposed to air and also be agitatied too much prior to sealing the bottles.
Minnesotamaker
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I use the red floor corker, I've done up to 200 bottles in a day using it with no problem.
To answer your original questions, I cork while I bottle. I drop the bottling wand in an empty and let it fill while I'm corking the full one, then I grab an empty to swap out the one that's almost full. Once you get it down, it goes pretty smoothly. If you need to fill your bottles faster, increase the height distance between the carboy and bottles. If it's going too fast, raise your empty bottle up onto a stool to shorten the distance the wine has to fall and it'll slow the flow some.
To answer your original questions, I cork while I bottle. I drop the bottling wand in an empty and let it fill while I'm corking the full one, then I grab an empty to swap out the one that's almost full. Once you get it down, it goes pretty smoothly. If you need to fill your bottles faster, increase the height distance between the carboy and bottles. If it's going too fast, raise your empty bottle up onto a stool to shorten the distance the wine has to fall and it'll slow the flow some.
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Ditto, but I try to recruit a friend to cork if I can while I bottle. Otherwise fill them all up then cork.
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I use a team approach (I host bottling parties)...
I have a guy that sanitizes and trees empty, clean bottles.
I have two enolmatics. One person to fill, and one person to top off.
I have a runner that takes the full bottles to the corker
I have a guy that corks, a guy that dunks the bottles in clean water and stack the corked bottles.
in other words, the time from fill to bottle is about 60 seconds. Bottling is done in a very "fluid" way.
The up side is that we can bottle a lot in the course of a day. The down side is that I have to feed the crew. Food HAS to be simple, but also HAS to be good. My Wagner grill comes in handy. I grill up some good Italian sausage, quail, shrimp, etc.
I have a guy that sanitizes and trees empty, clean bottles.
I have two enolmatics. One person to fill, and one person to top off.
I have a runner that takes the full bottles to the corker
I have a guy that corks, a guy that dunks the bottles in clean water and stack the corked bottles.
in other words, the time from fill to bottle is about 60 seconds. Bottling is done in a very "fluid" way.
The up side is that we can bottle a lot in the course of a day. The down side is that I have to feed the crew. Food HAS to be simple, but also HAS to be good. My Wagner grill comes in handy. I grill up some good Italian sausage, quail, shrimp, etc.
sly22guy
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Hum Bottling Party?! Thats a possibility. If i get together some local wine makers and work together. I have a floor corker and an enolomatic. They come help me and then we take my equip to there place and help them..... Could have something there!
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Here's the problem I have found about bottling party. It starts at 6pm and you arrive on time. The host isn't prepared yet and helping wife with something else. The a half hour later you go down to the basement and the host starts talking about blending this and that but didn't have a definite plan. Then they start pulling things out and start sanitizing bottles. Then some more BS and snacks. Finally 10
M last bottle is bottled and I say good night and leave the mess behind.
Usually when I get help the other person is sanitizing bottles as I set up filter/filler, corker, etc and we are ready to go at the same time. Depending on the amount we bottled and time the helper then labels and puts on capsules as I clean everything up. All the blends are all ready done a day or more ahead of time.
Last Sunday when I bottled 12 cases I was already set up and had all of the bottles sanitized when the helper arrived. I was just pleased to have someone do that job as it cut my time in half.
The reason I am telling you this is so you're prepared and you helpers are willing to come back. We do some tastings and the helper usually leaves with 2-6 bottles of different wine. Plus they know I am very generous if they ever come over and need some.
M last bottle is bottled and I say good night and leave the mess behind.Usually when I get help the other person is sanitizing bottles as I set up filter/filler, corker, etc and we are ready to go at the same time. Depending on the amount we bottled and time the helper then labels and puts on capsules as I clean everything up. All the blends are all ready done a day or more ahead of time.
Last Sunday when I bottled 12 cases I was already set up and had all of the bottles sanitized when the helper arrived. I was just pleased to have someone do that job as it cut my time in half.
The reason I am telling you this is so you're prepared and you helpers are willing to come back. We do some tastings and the helper usually leaves with 2-6 bottles of different wine. Plus they know I am very generous if they ever come over and need some.
Rickochet
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We just bought an Italian floor corker and WOW!!!!!! What a difference it made in our bottling process. My wife is now looking forward to our next batch. Before, we used the double handle hand corker and it was a pain to use. It was difficult to drink wine while bottling if you know what I mean......
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wolf,
I hear ya...
I start my bottling pary's as early as 8am. we bottle 24 or so cases by noon-1pm. Each person has been helping for years. They know exactly what to do and where everything is. It has always been "work first, fun after".
After the bottling is done and everything is cleaned/put away, do we eat and do some "quality control".
The crew knows exactly how to set up and how to cleanup after. In fact, I usually tend to the cooking on the deck while the crew finishes up. They put eveything away and even mop the floor. They just love being a part of winemaking.
I am truly blessed with good friends.
I hear ya...
I start my bottling pary's as early as 8am. we bottle 24 or so cases by noon-1pm. Each person has been helping for years. They know exactly what to do and where everything is. It has always been "work first, fun after".
After the bottling is done and everything is cleaned/put away, do we eat and do some "quality control".
The crew knows exactly how to set up and how to cleanup after. In fact, I usually tend to the cooking on the deck while the crew finishes up. They put eveything away and even mop the floor. They just love being a part of winemaking.
I am truly blessed with good friends.
