Corking: Leaving Bottles Standing Up

[Drez]

So its well understood that agglomerate corks need to be kept moist by having wine bottles on their side else oxidation occurs and wine spoils.At least that how I understand it. Kit and Cork instructions typically call for a standing period after bottling, however instructions vary (i.e. RJ Spagnols, 1 day, Wine Kitz, 5 Days, Cork Package, 7 Days) as to how long one should leave the bottles standing.

1)What the reason behind the standing period? I expect its related to off gassing, probably to ensure that excessive gas release doesn't blow your wine along with a cork.

2)How important is this step and for how long should it be done given the varied instructions.

 

[Julie]

I don't do kits so I'm not sure if there is a difference between kits and making from scratch but when I bottle I leave my bottles sit upright for 2 to 3 days and that seems to work

 

[mxsteve625]

I always leave my freshly corked bottles upright for 3 to 4 days to allow the corks to seal before laying them on their sides. Others here may have other opinions.

 

[deboard]

Sometimes corks come out after you bottle, be it from gas in the wine, renewed fermentation (had that happen) or whatnot. But it will most likely occur within the first few days, so that's why you leave them upright for a few days before storage.

 

[AlFulchino]

MXsteve has it right...the cork has just been compressed and now needs some time to *push* back out and form a really nice seal against the bottle

i can tell you first hand that any bottle that i have let sit upright for seven days has never had an issue....on the other hand, if i rush any to the horizontal position of a rack then i am subject to some wine finding its way up the side of the cork where it meets the glass...

another issue is for you to make sure that the inside upper 2 inches of your bottle is dry dry dry when the cork is installed...you would be surprised how many corks can be inserted into a wet inside neck...if you grab your bottle after filling and go to the corker then the inside could be wet from the movement....it will act as oil in a cylinder and the piston/cork can slide easily

 

[Drez]

Thanks all!

Duly noted.

I find things work best in a hobby such as this if you know both the how and the why

 

[Wade E]

Most corks rise back up in ammtter of minutes due to improper ullage (head space). When you compress the cork and ram it into a bottle you are also compressing some 02 in there also which also stresses your wine which causes bottle shock and can really screw up your wine for a few days to a few months depending on how fragile a wines profile has. Some corks are coated with parrafin wax and not having this proper ullage can let these already slipper corks slide back out. IMO a gassy wine will not push a cork out of the bottle bt a renewed fermentation will do so pretty easily even if you have the shrink tops on.

 

[Tom]

I leave them upright for 24 hours. Then put them in a case upside down. This way its easier to stack. And boy do I have alot of full cases stacked.. LOL

 

[djrockinsteve]

This way its easier to stack. And boy do I have alot of full cases stacked.. LOL

There are those on here that would be more than happy to help you with that if it's a problem.

 

[Tom]

Cellar doors R open when I'm here...

 

[JohnT]

There are those on here that would be more than happy to help you with that if it's a problem.

Ditto, I would not even have to drive that far.

Question: Do you think that laying the boxes on their sides would be better? I am thinking that there would be less downward pressure on the cork that way.

 

[Tom]

I find the box's are not as stable storing on the side. When I have them side by side I take a flap from one and lay it over and place a box over the flap to make it more stable.

 

[JohnT]

I find the box's are not as stable storing on the side. When I have them side by side I take a flap from one and lay it over and place a box over the flap to make it more stable.

ok, that makes sense.

 

[Lurker]

I usually wait about a week, though I do not have a firm rule for how long they stay vertical. Never had a problem.

 

[Drez]

I leave them upright for 24 hours. Then put them in a case upside down. This way its easier to stack. And boy do I have alot of full cases stacked.. LOL

Good call, I had been stacking boxes on the sides where things didn't fit on the rack.

Most corks rise back up in ammtter of minutes due to improper ullage (head space). When you compress the cork and ram it into a bottle you are also compressing some 02 in there also which also stresses your wine which causes bottle shock and can really screw up your wine for a few days to a few months depending on how fragile a wines profile has. Some corks are coated with parrafin wax and not having this proper ullage can let these already slipper corks slide back out. IMO a gassy wine will not push a cork out of the bottle bt a renewed fermentation will do so pretty easily even if you have the shrink tops on.

w.r.t. to the ullage, were talking about so little space that the compressed air causes enough back pressure to force the cork back out right? Good to know this can stress the wine even if its not pushing the cork out, I had no idea.

The reverse being too much air which would allow the wine to oxidize and sour/spoil right?

Given bottles vary so much, would a safe margin be between half a cork to a full corks space? Never below neck obvisiously and for Burgundy style bottles perhaps not below where the neck is up to 1.5x its original width aprox?

Cellar doors R open when I'm here...

Dangerous offer

 

[bstnh1]

I leave mine upright for 3-5 days. I've bottled over 500 bottles using bi-disc corks from Widgetco and never had a cork push out and never had a bottle leak. And I age some of the reds as long as 5 - 6 years in the bottle.

 

[NorCal]

I leave mine up for years at a time. I don’t have room to store at an angle and if I have sediment, I want it at the bottom of the bottle.

 

[Boatboy24]

Old thread, but good info.

Mine stay upright anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. Then they get labeled and foiled and put back in the box upside-down. They are stored in this state for quite a while before going to the rack and/or wine fridge for 'pre-consumption storage'.