Screw cap bottles

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Teamsterjohn

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In our condo recycling bin, someone in our building is drinking 5 to 6 bottles of red wine a week. Every week there they are, all of them are the same bottles. The only thing is that they are the screw cap kind. Do you think that it would be a good idea to start to save them? I keep hearing that the wine bottles are slowly going to the screw cap. Just trying to think outside of the box on this.
 
I would free bottles are free bottles you can always use the screwtops for gifted wine or for wine you know your gonna drink up quickly if nothing else the new screwtop lids aren't very expensive either
 
I cork screw top bottles. Have not had a problem yet.
 
to expand on what Sirs said..

The screw cap bottles have an opening that is slightly larger that the standard opening of a 750ml cork bottle. Although a cork will fit into a screwcap bottle's neck, the seal is not as "tight". The seal is OK for a short duration of aging (say a couple of months), but I would not use them if you plan to age your wine a couple of months. I did this about 15 years ago and the wine ended up being badly oxidized.
 
Be careful if you plan on corking a screw top bottle -- the glass is thinner and doesn't always "react well" to the corking process.
 
I use synthetic normacorcs. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I have a set of digital calipers, so I did some measurements. The range on non screw bottles was 16.2-18.1mm. The range on screw bottles was 18.3mm-19.6mm. The 19.6mm bottle was the exception, most of them were in the 18mm range.

My corks measure 21.8mm out of the box, and they come out of my corker at 21.1mm. Within 10 minutes they expanded to 21.6mm. So worst case I have a 21.6mm cork in a 19.6mm opening; I don't think that will be a problem.
 
I use synthetic normacorcs. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I have a set of digital calipers, so I did some measurements. The range on non screw bottles was 16.2-18.1mm. The range on screw bottles was 18.3mm-19.6mm. The 19.6mm bottle was the exception, most of them were in the 18mm range.

My corks measure 21.8mm out of the box, and they come out of my corker at 21.1mm. Within 10 minutes they expanded to 21.6mm. So worst case I have a 21.6mm cork in a 19.6mm opening; I don't think that will be a problem.

Something to consider: How much tighter of a seal does 1mm provide? In just practical terms, I have noticed that cork slide out of a screwcap bottle WAY easier than in the standard 750ml cork bottle.
 
I use synthetic normacorcs. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I have a set of digital calipers, so I did some measurements. The range on non screw bottles was 16.2-18.1mm. The range on screw bottles was 18.3mm-19.6mm. The 19.6mm bottle was the exception, most of them were in the 18mm range.

My corks measure 21.8mm out of the box, and they come out of my corker at 21.1mm. Within 10 minutes they expanded to 21.6mm. So worst case I have a 21.6mm cork in a 19.6mm opening; I don't think that will be a problem.

You could try using oversize corks to make up for the difference.
A lot of people use the #8 corks for their wine bottles so I think a #9 would be about perfect.
 
I use synthetic normacorcs. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I have a set of digital calipers, so I did some measurements. The range on non screw bottles was 16.2-18.1mm. The range on screw bottles was 18.3mm-19.6mm. The 19.6mm bottle was the exception, most of them were in the 18mm range.

My corks measure 21.8mm out of the box, and they come out of my corker at 21.1mm. Within 10 minutes they expanded to 21.6mm. So worst case I have a 21.6mm cork in a 19.6mm opening; I don't think that will be a problem.

Another Question...

Have you measured the difference in the thickness of the glass?
 
I regularly re-use screwcaps.

I get loads of empty bottles with screwcaps. I clean them, sanitise them and then re-use then once.
No problems so far even if some have already aged 3 years in my cellar.

Problem with corking them is that the neck is thinner as the neck of a bottle that is made for corking.
So the immense pressure that is build up at corking or if the cork starts to expand can break the glas. So be carefull.

I never cork them. I use the original screwcaps.

Luc
 
I regularly re-use screwcaps.

I get loads of empty bottles with screwcaps. I clean them, sanitise them and then re-use then once.
No problems so far even if some have already aged 3 years in my cellar.

Problem with corking them is that the neck is thinner as the neck of a bottle that is made for corking.
So the immense pressure that is build up at corking or if the cork starts to expand can break the glas. So be carefull.

I never cork them. I use the original screwcaps.

Luc

When you say that you only reuse them once, are you referring to the screw cap or the bottle?
 
Something to consider: How much tighter of a seal does 1mm provide? In just practical terms, I have noticed that cork slide out of a screwcap bottle WAY easier than in the standard 750ml cork bottle.

Another Question...

Have you measured the difference in the thickness of the glass?

I checked the specs from normacorc...they recommend an 18-19mm opening for the mouth of the bottle, getting progressively larger to 21mm as you go down the neck of the bottle. So some of my standard bottles actually have openings that are too small, most of the screw top ones are ok aside from the one that was too large at 19.6mm.

The screw top glass is definitely not as thick. I have a floor corker, and do not hold the bottle while I cork just in case one of them splits open, screw top or otherwise. It hasn't happened yet. If it ever does I'll be sure to post about it, but I won't cry too hard about the 750ml of wine I'll waste. Same if one gets oxidized, but that's good to know about so I'll drink those bottles first.

The screw top bottles are a small percentage of my total stock. But I already don't have enough bottles so I'll continue to use them.
 
why cork them when you can buy new screwtops fairly cheap, I mean there is at least 3 different types of screwtop lids you can buy the ones with the plastic like in a canning lid, ones with the paper and those that have a dome type plastic in them. I've got and use all 3 ones where I plan on keeping bottled for a bit I use the plastic with the dome type in them. long term storage gets in the corked bottles
 
I know that some of thise screw tops dont use the same screw tops available at most wine supply stores. If you have a local place I would buy one screw cap and try it on the bottles you have before buying a whole bunch of them
 
I know that some of thise screw tops dont use the same screw tops available at most wine supply stores. If you have a local place I would buy one screw cap and try it on the bottles you have before buying a whole bunch of them

I have found this to be true also Wade. I just bought some (thank God to many) just to find out they didn't fit some of the bottles I have. So I have put the screw top bottles to the side and will try to find caps that fit.:po:po
 
I know that some of thise screw tops dont use the same screw tops available at most wine supply stores. If you have a local place I would buy one screw cap and try it on the bottles you have before buying a whole bunch of them

If you only have a few diff. bottles take 1 of each in w/you. That's what I did last time.
 
I know i only have a couple of doz screw cap bottles & some of you guys have maybe hundreds but when i buy a bottle of wine (i know its sore on my heart to) when i finish with the bottle i number it along with the screw cap & then when im going to use it for my own home made stuff i know they both belong together :)
 
I have acess to alot of free booze bottles, from a bar-owner friend.

Cleaned with labels removed they make good wine bottles. I use them on wine that I expect to drink within a few months. I sanitize and reuse the caps.
So far I have not had any issues.
I use my cork wine bottles on any thing that I want to keep for a while.
 
I have acess to alot of free booze bottles, from a bar-owner friend.
Most liquor bottles sold in Canada back in 2001-2007 (when I ran a store) would take the 28mm screw caps that Sirs described above.

Steve
 

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