Hand corking questions--Help Wanted!!!

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Rickochet

Wine Maker & Home Brewer
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I am getting ready to bottle my first batch this evening and did a dry run with my hand corker. As I pressed the cork in and bottomed out the corker, the cork remains sticking out of the bottle about 3/8's of an inch. There is NO adjustment on the corker. I have made sure that the grips around the bottle neck squeeze as low as possible to help ensure that the cork will be seated as deep as possible.

Is this a common problem with hand corkers? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
 
Is it the orange plastic plunger corker? If so, you can line the corker back over the bottle. Place the bottle on the ground between your feet and apply pressure steadily.
I had to do that one my first batch.
 
It is a red metal corker. I placed it on the floor between my feet so I could get the most travel as possible and it is still short. I can put a 3/8's nut between the plunger and the top of the cork and it will then seat the cork at the top of the bottle. There is no adjustment! I knew I should have bought a nice floor corker!
 
Double lever Portuguese hand corker? Never had an issue with the two I own.
But this does make a good excuse to get the Italian floor corker.
 
If I remember my first red hand corker (and who doesn't) I think there is an adjustment. The steel rod that runs up and down....try to turn it clockwise or counterclockwise.... if it turns you should find that it slowely changes the depth of the setting depending on how much and which direction you turn it.

Hope this works and helps.
 
The Italian corker has an adjustment and the Portuguese doesnt. The Port. is the better model believe it or not with the hand corker unlike the Floor model. Either way some corks will be tougher to insert into bottles then others and some bottles actually require different corks on top of that. If you are using a #9x 1.75 cork then most people need to at least dampen them slightly to get them to insert into a normal bottle, if you are using 1 of the odd size bottles its almost impossible to do so and will need to use #8 x 1.5 corks and dont even try to use synthetic corks with a hand corker.
 
I used the same corker and had the same problem..
If you get someone to help you have them hold down on the top while you cork
it will help. and then I got me a floor corker.:b
 
Yep this is why I tell everyone to spend the extra few bucks and get a floor corker. Some people dont mind dealing with the hand corker and have decent luck with it as did I but I still would never go back and wish I hadnt waited so long to get my floor corker!
 
After I saw my neighbor use his floor corker I knew that was the way for me. I thought all along I had the Port. corker, maybe it's the Italian corker.

I can't tell, I'm a "Bilingual Illiterate":ib
 
If this is the double lever corker, I had the same problem with it initially. There is an adjustment but the trick to getting the corks in nicely is to make a quick fluid motion and don't be slow when pulling the levers otherwise the grips on the side of the bottle slide and the cork sticks out.
 
Like I said before, thyere are more then one dble lever corker and one has an adjustment and one does not, the Port does not have the adjustment and the Italian 1 does. Both are usually tough to work with and typically the Port is the better model with this type.
 
Quandary solved! The corker will properly seat the bottles with a 5/8" to 3/4" ridge around the top pf the neck. That includes many typical bottles. It will NOT seat the corks flush on the Oliver Winery bottles which only has a 3/16" ridge at the neck. It's amazing what we can discover when we have a glass of wine!!!!!

Thanks again for all of your advice!
 
Like Wade Said, I used a hnad corker in the beginning with much success and STRESS...But will NEVER use anything other than a floor corker except in an emergency!!!! Most HBS will rent them if you are not ready to purchaces.

Steve
 
My hand corker was made in Italy, it does not have an adjustment. I have been using it for only 3 years but I have no problem with corks that do not go all the way in. Usually, 2 whacks with the mallet and the cork is seated. See, no problem. I use #9 real cork only.
 
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Is it the Ferrari causethats different from the standard Italian and I should have specified that.
 
orange corker

I used this corker with great luck. wham bham and the corks went in.... fora beginner its great, saves on start up cost.

Just adding my two bits.

den
Pear 2009
Orange Banana 2010 (fermenting)
 
I am getting ready to bottle my first batch this evening and did a dry run with my hand corker. As I pressed the cork in and bottomed out the corker, the cork remains sticking out of the bottle about 3/8's of an inch. There is NO adjustment on the corker. I have made sure that the grips around the bottle neck squeeze as low as possible to help ensure that the cork will be seated as deep as possible.

Is this a common problem with hand corkers? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Ya I did my first dry run with the Port. double lever last night and have the same prob. I think I will just use a wooden dowel and mallet and tap them a little deeper. Will #9 corks work with the portugese:?
 
I used one until I had the thing get away and leave a scar on my chest trying to put in #9s. Letting set in warm water also helps(with K-met). seems to lube it and soften corks so they compress easier.
 
i always soak my corks for at least 30 min in sanitizer before using , and they slide in like butter! perfect every time. i enjoy the hand corker right now, so untill my hands get to bad ill continue to use it :D
 

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