FineVineWines Corks

[MedPretzel]

Hi everyone!





I just got my 100 corks from George on Friday

, and bottled my liquid sunshine (Marigold Wine) yesterday using them. I dunked them in warm (not hot) water for about 2 minutes, dumped the water out, and started to cork with my portugese floor corker.





They went in like buttah!!!! I triple checked the package to make sure I had bought the right size! I did! They went in the bottles so wonderfully - I can only recommend these corks. And I will buy them again and again!

I have one small question for those who have used these corks before. Some of them puffed up over the lip of the bottle after I had corked them (about 1/4 of an inch, I think). After the first one, I did the next one, and made sure to look at the cork exactly when I took it out from under the corker. The cork was flush with the lip of the bottle. I set it aside, getting the next bottle into the corker, and I glanced over. It, too, was about 1/4 of an inch sticking out. It looked like they poofed up after being corked. I then adjusted my corker for a deeper setting, and they went in too deep, about 1/8 of an inch under the lip, and did not expand like the others did. I adjusted again, but couldn't get it perfect.


Should I not have put them in (sulphited) water beforehand (I did this because I usually ahve done this with corks in the past for easier corking)? Was I just too impatient with the corker's setting? I had used 3 different kinds of bottles, and adjusted the corker many times. I know it's operator error, but I wonder if anyone has any tips on how I can improve for the next time.

Thanks so much! Isn't winemaking so much fun?!?!?

Thanks!

 

[Cove Cottage]

Martina,
I am anxious to see the answers to your post. John and I will be bottling our very first batch this weekend and will be using the floor corker. <?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

We practiced using the auto bottle filler this weekend and it’s a good thing we practiced with water!!!Besides making a mess I just about passed out trying to suck all the air out of the tubing ….

That is until my brother figured out that I didn’t have the bottle low enough for a good gravity feed. Nothing like a great laugh sitting in a puddle of water.

 

[masta]

Remember that you are compressing the air at the top of the bottle when you insert the cork. It is possible that the corks being wet made then slippery and the extra pressure forced them up.


I have also found that bottles do have different inside dimemsions...although small it does make a difference and this could cause the cork to rise up a bit.


Letting the bottles rest a bit will allow the pressure to release and any that have raised corks can be redone with the corker after a slight adjustment.


I also use George's corks and found them to be the best in value and quality anywhere and I have tried quite a few types.


Having the corks only 1/8 of an inch below the top of the bottle is just fine and might help hold them tight.


I give them a quick rinse with room temp sanitizing solution and place them between paper towels to remove most of the water so they are just damp when bottling.


Edited by: masta

 

[MedPretzel]

Thank you very much for your comments! I also know that George's corks weren't the culprit of my dilemma. I was just a little surprised that they poofed back out. I too, am fine with the 1/8 inch deep corks. Like I said, it just surprised me.

Thank goodness for you guys! Your input has helped me a lot!





Martina

 

[Hippie]

I use them completely dry and sink them about a sixteenth to and eighth inch deep and never have problems. There is no need to sanitize or soak the corks. I had lots of problems back when I also thought we should.

 

[MedPretzel]

Thanks Glenvall,





I guess I'll stop the soaking as of now. I really love the corks, because they went in so easy (and they look really nice). The corks I had used before were so darn hard to cork (even with the portugese floor corker), that soaking for 5 minutes in sulfite solution was a MUST.





THanks again!





Martina

 

[Jackie]

I always wait several seconds before releasing the corker handle to allow pressure to equalize. I haven't had any corks raise back up since I started that.I insert dry corks.

 

[geocorn]

I am glad you all like my corks. I have been very happy with them because they will not leak. As a general rule of thumb, I insert the corks about 1/8 inch below the top. I do this for the reason Maste pointed out, compressed air and pressure. If you insert them deeper than the top, the pressure inside the bottle will only push the cork up to the top of the bottle.


I do sanitize my corks for several minutes. It won't hurt the corks and I don't want to run the risk of bacteria from the cork. Call me paranoid!

 

[Hippie]

Paranoid!!!

 

[rgecaprock]

I haven't had perfect luck with the two handled corker. Unless the problem is with my human corker....lol. The corks do not go all the way into the bottles, maybe 1/16 to 1/8 inch or so sticking out. Kind of solved the problem by cutting a snythetic cork in half and using it as a spacer between the plunger and the actual cork and it has helped to push the cork where it should be. Any tips on using the two handled one? Hopefully will step up to a floor corker soon.


Ramona

 

[geocorn]

Touche'

 

[Hippie]

Ramona, are you using 1.5" or 1.75" corks? Try only using the shorter ones and just dip each one in a sulphite solution, dont soak, just to help them go in.

 

[Jackie]

I had a twin lever hand corker and it was adjustable--there was a screw at the top. Check your adjustment on the corker. I also had to leave a little more airspace using the hand corker than I do with the floor corker--now I leave 1/2 inch but with the hand corker I had to leave about 3/4inch--don't know why but it worked better.After that I had no problems with it and I always use the longer corks. I practiced with bottles filled with water first and a used cork just trying to get the adjustment height right.

 

[peterCooper]

I bough some corks this morning, #8's from George.
I noticed that there were 7's (only for 1/4 bottles I think) 8's and 9's
Other than size (obviously) what's the difference?
How do you know whwn to use a 9 or an 8?

 

[Hippie]

Regular size 750mlwine bottles take a #9 cork. Some 375ml bottles take a #8, most #9.

 

[geocorn]

A lot of it depends on the type of corker you have. If you have any of the metal corkers I sell, you can use the #9 for most of the 375ml up through the 1500ml. Some of the 375's are a little smaller in the neck, so a #8 is easier to insert. The #7's are used with the 187ml champagne bottles.


The important thing is getting a good seal. As a result, the bigger the cork, the better the seal, if you have a good corker. If you have a plastic corker, I would strongly suggest putting a medal corker on your Christmas list.