Cork Storage

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Wild Duk

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I bought 100 corks last nov. I usually bottle about 32 per batch, so the standard 30 pack would not do. How long will they keep and how should I store them. They have just been left in the origional bag for now, stored dry in the garage....
 
I would make a corkidore. Its as simple as a 5 gallon bucket with a bottle of Kmeta in the center of it. Spread your corks around the bottle of Kmeta. Be careful to keep your nose away from it when opening due to vapors. It is these very vapers that will keep your corks sanitized. I also throw my hoses in here to keep them sanitized.


Cork-i-dor01.jpg



Cork-i-dor.jpg
 
how often do you freshen the K-meta? Looks like about 1/2 gallon in the jug.
 
RickC said:
how often do you freshen the K-meta? Looks like about 1/2 gallon in the jug.



Rick, Let your nose be the judge. If it still smells strong it is good. It should last several months. A good practice would be to switch it out every six weeks or so... Also I switched the plastic jug out with a half gallon glass jug.
 
That idea sounds great, however I was wondering about dry storage in a plastic bag.I'm not planning on bottling until the end of the year. i have the option of vacume sealing, but that might be a little extreme for corks....
 
The main thing to remember is corks can dry out, get brittle and then break or don't properly seal and let wine out and or O2 in. They need to be kept sealed once opened in a plastic snap lid container and you should not keep more on hand than you expect to use in say 3-6 months. The corkidor not only keeps them sanitized but also adds some humidity.

Of course if you live along the Gulf Coast, you don't need to worry so much about humidity but people in drier areas should take note.
 
As a variation on the 5 gallon bucket or using a standard primary bucket for a corkidor I use a 1 gallon ice cream bucket corkidor with a small 1 lb coffee 'can' (plastic) with holes punched in the lid for the kmeta. It's just the right size for the 100 cork quantity and takes up less space.
 

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