First batch .... time to bottle.

[Billaban]

Greetings,

I have searched for info on sanitization of corks and found an assortment of methods suggested. However what wasn't clear was the type of corks being used. I have plastic corks and am presuming it would be prudent to give them a bath in sanitization solution or perhaps a quick dip in boiling water shortly before we setup our bottling line.

Please advise.

 

[richmke]

I wouldn't boil plastic.

Quick dunk in Star San solution, remove, after 1 minute you can bottle.

 

[bkisel]

By plastic corks do you mean synthetic as opposed to real cork?

 

[olusteebus]

What I do, right or wrong, is spray star san on the cork, stick it in corker and cork.

 

[Billaban]

By plastic corks do you mean synthetic as opposed to real cork?

Correct. I have synthetic corks.

 

[Elmer]

I always have a 1 gallon jug of k-meta mixture (2 or 3 tbs spoons of meta for 1 gallon).
I take that jug and pour the steralizing mixture into a spray bottle.
right before I bottle I take corks, put in a bowl and either spritz them down or dump the sanitizing solution over the corks.
Then bottle!

 

[bkisel]

I always have a 1 gallon jug of k-meta mixture (2 or 3 tbs spoons of meta for 1 gallon).
I take that jug and pour the steralizing mixture into a spray bottle.
right before I bottle I take corks, put in a bowl and either spritz them down or dump the sanitizing solution over the corks.
Then bottle!

That's how I did it with my hand lever corker before getting my Italian floor corker for Christmas. I got concerned about getting the metal iris of the floor corker wet with k-meta solution and possibly causing corrosion so I switched to the corkador method. Man do you have to be careful not to get a lung full SO2 (or whatever gas it is) when opening the lid to the corkador.

 

[Elmer]

That's how I did it with my hand lever corker before getting my Italian floor corker for Christmas. I got concerned about getting the metal iris of the floor corker wet with k-meta solution and possibly causing corrosion so I switched to the corkador method. Man do you have to be careful not to get a lung full SO2 (or whatever gas it is) when opening the lid to the corkador.

I have a double lever corker, which I rarely use.
I opt to use the old fashioned red, plastic 2 piece hand corker (plunger corker). There is no chance for corrosion and it allows me to show my strength, grunting & screaming like a cave man while pushing corks into bottles!!!!

 

[JohnT]

A quick dunk in K-meta solution is all you need!

 

[garymc]

I have a spray bottle with k-meta solution like Elmer. I do the corkador. I spray the bottom and inside walls of a bucket, put corks in a colander, put the colander of corks in the bucket, and put the lid on the bucket for a few minutes. I keep the corks in the colander in the bucket while I'm bottling. It's the sulfite gas given off by the k-meta that sanitizes the corks. No need to wet them or become a corksoaker.

 

[DoctorCAD]

A quick dunk in K-meta solution is all you need!

+1 I keep a small bowl of K-meta solution and put 5 or so corks in it right before use. It takes the dust off of the corks and gets them just wet enough to go in the bottles easily with a double lever corker. I don't let them sit very long, don't want to soak the cork, just wet the surface.

 

[heatherd]

I put mine in a bowl with a solution of water and kmeta, just while corking.
Heather


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Makin

 

[winesilly]

http://winemakersacademy.com/boil-corks-wine/

 

[Billaban]

So far, so good

I followed the consistent advise of a quick sanitization before bottling. Got almost 70 bottles out of the WE Chianti double kit batch in my 13 gallon carboys. It's going to need to time to mature but is a decent table wine at present.

Started batch #2 yesterday. Blending WE Cabernet Sav and WE Merlot. Fermentation started overnight. Most wonderful.

I have 3 of the 13 gallon carboys and the plan is two batches every fall/winter yielding close to 140 bottles. That should keep everyone happy.

Thanks for all the advise.