Corks

[Ernest T Bass]

I have a collecton of wine bottles of all sizes and shapes. There are 4 or 5 different sizes of corks and I don't know which is the most common. Got any thoughts on which size or sizes to order? Also, can I use a tapered cork in a wine bottle and it keep the wine good for about 6 months?

Thanks

Semper Fi

 

[Runningwolf]

Bud, you don't say what you're using as a corker. If you are using a floor corker I suggest #9 x 1 3/4 cork (straight).

 

[cpfan]

Bud:

Type of corker is the real answer. With a floor corker, any size will do, but I would recommend #9s. I haven't used a hand corker much, but some people report trouble inserting #9s, so they prefer #8s. BTW, I suspect these people have the squeeze together type and don't have the hand strength to compress the #9 corks, but I don't really know for sure. BTW #2, I'm a big guy, and I HATE the squeeze together type of hand corker. I only DISLIKE the other hand corkers.

Summary of sizes:

#7 - rare, but I do not recommend for anybody
#8 - good for most cork finish bottles
#9 - better for cork finish bottles, but may be a problem with hand corkers

If you must cork screw cap wine bottles, use #9s if at all possible. IMO, the mouth opening on most screw caps is slightly larger than a cork finish bottle.

Length of cork...if planning LONG storage use 1.75" (1 3/4") corks. For short storage use 1.5" (1 1/2"). What is long storage? Well I just opened a bottle that was bottled in April 2007 with a 1.5" cork. Just fine. Very nice in fact. Enjoyed it immensely. Gotta make another one of those kits someday.

I mostly use #9 x 1.5", but will sometimes use #9 x 1.75" if I really expect LONG term storage.

Tapered corks? 6 months? Personally, I would try to avoid that.

Steve

 

[Ernest T Bass]

I have a hand corker, does a #8 tha is 1 1/2 inches long sound like a good choice? If I corked a screw top bottle, I think I would just push it in far enuf to seal it and not use the corker, right?

Thanks

Semper Fi

 

[ellijaywinemaker]

I have a hand corker as well and I do use #9 from time to time. And I use a rubber mallet to insert them. But an 8 is easier

 

[cpfan]

I have a hand corker, does a #8 tha is 1 1/2 inches long sound like a good choice? If I corked a screw top bottle, I think I would just push it in far enuf to seal it and not use the corker, right?

Which hand corker Bud? Can you provide a link?

Personally I think you will have trouble inserting a #8 into any good wine bottle without a corker. If it slips in easily, you do not have a seal. The corks are designed to be compressed as they are inserted, and then the corks uncompress to provide the seal.

I know of two ways to compress the corks. Both require a device designed to cork bottles.

Method 1 - force the corks through a tapered sleeve (wide at the top, narrow at the bottom). The Double Lever Hand corkers are examples of this kind.
Method 2 - use jaws (or similar) to compress the entire cork at once. Floor corkers and the Gilda Three Lever hand corker are examples of this kind.

Steve

 

[Ernest T Bass]

The corker that I have is red in color and has two levers to squeeze the cork and a lever on top that forces the cork into the bottle, does that tell you anything? I think I'll get some #8's and some #9's X 1 1/2".

Thanks for all the help

Semper Fi

 

[cpfan]

The corker that I have is red in color and has two levers to squeeze the cork and a lever on top that forces the cork into the bottle, does that tell you anything? I think I'll get some #8's and some #9's X 1 1/2".

Thanks for all the help

Semper Fi

IMO, definitely #8s, unless you've got great hand strength. As above, I HATE that hand corker. I've demo'd this corker for customers when I ran a store. I can work it fine for 1 or 2 corks, but can't imagine how bad my hand would feel after doing 30 (ie a 6 US gallon batch).

BTW, I should mention that the version that I found pictured online is different than the one that I recall the store selling, but my hand hurts just thinking about squeezing a cork tightly in it's jaws.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/GILDA_CORKER_P1299C168.cfm

Steve

 

[Wade E]

Most hand corkers are red and there are a few different manufacturers. Of the hand corkers Ive tried I liked the Portuguese one the best which did not have an adjustment of depth on top unlike one of the other ones which really seemed muh harder to operate. #8 x 1.5's is what I would recommend for any hand corker like that and I dont advise anyone using corks on a screw top bottle as Ive seen proof of what happens when the bottle splits due to not being as strong to accept corks. On another wine forum someone did just that and the bottle split slicing right through a tendon in their hand causing them to have multiple surgeries and they still have only about 60% recovery of that hand! Please people, its just not worth saving that little bit of money or time in not getting cork finish bottles!

 

[Lurker]

I now use a floor corker, but for several years I used a hand corker. I'm a smallish guy with small arthritic hands and never had a problem with #9's. I guess I'm stronger than I thought I was. I did have to use the mallet about 1 out of ten corks. Though never a problem.

 

[cpfan]

I now use a floor corker, but for several years I used a hand corker. I'm a smallish guy with small arthritic hands and never had a problem with #9's. I guess I'm stronger than I thought I was. I did have to use the mallet about 1 out of ten corks. Though never a problem.

Good for you Lurker, but which style of hand corker? I would have no problem doing 30 bottles with a double lever corker (although I would prefer a floor corker). But the squeeze the cork and then push the cork in while squeezing type -- not even gonna try. I might be wrong, but I'm just rerlating my thoughts on the matter.

Steve