# corks??



## felixsail (Mar 1, 2010)

Hello all, I have lost my mentor in winemaking and need some help! I use the cheaper bulk axailable 750 ml bottles for my wine from scratch (no kit) . After several 6 gal batchs being successfully corked/consumed, etc. I am now having a problem with corks coming out of bottles when racked (laid down). the wine tastes great and is same recipt as previously used. I did some research and found three cork sizes, 7,8,or 9 available, but my supplier has no recommendation of which corks to use with the bottles he sells and the mfg website does not state?? I am using # 8 which is what I believe the former store owner recommended( and if he were still here I could get a answer immediately) but am not sure. Why3 sizes?? Am using the cheaper 2 handle corker and soaking corks 1st. Any ideas?? Felix


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## Scott (Mar 1, 2010)

Feliz, give George a call or email.


I ran short of corks from George one time and had to supplement with LHBS. Well never say never, but never again will use anything else. I use #9 X 1.5" hasn't failed yet!!


Good luck


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## grapeman (Mar 1, 2010)

There are 3 sizes (actually a lot more than that) available to fit the different neck sizes. Number 8 or 9 work fine. The #9 will be tighter, so #8 is usually used with a hand corker. Don't soak the corks, just wet them. A lot of them (especially the agglomerated ones) are coated and the soaking turns the coating a bit slimy so they do go in easier, but then it can sor of set up and seem like cement in the neck of the bottle. Just dipping them in k-meta water will sanitize them and allow them to go in easier, yet will come out easier also.


Good luck. We are here to help you out.


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## ibglowin (Mar 1, 2010)

Seems like every time someone is having problems removing corks they are soaking them in K-Meta.

Watch George's video on corking and how a Corkador is made.


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## robie (Mar 1, 2010)

Make sure you have the wine at the proper level in the bottle before corking. You have to have some air between the wine and the cork. If you don't have enough air, the cork will come back out, although if it's because there is not enough air, the cork usually comes out immediately after inserting it.


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## Goodfella (Mar 1, 2010)

I agree with Dancerman. This may not be a cork issue as much as something else.... proper headspace, ect.


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## Wade E (Mar 1, 2010)

I dont now if its me or them reading this wrong, are the corks coming out on their own cause if thats what yo are talking about then you have a fermentation in the bottle and you probably didnt use sulfite and sorbate or didnt let the wine finish fermenting.


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## grapeman (Mar 2, 2010)

I think I read this the wrong way also because when I reread this after the previous responses, now it sounds to me like something is causing the corks to push back out. I thought you meant you had a hard time getting them out. If they are pushing out, then like Wade says, you have an active fermentation increasing headspace and they will eventually blow out of the bottles.


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## ibglowin (Mar 2, 2010)

Thats a lot of pressure buildup if its pushing out a cork!

Anyone ever seen that before?


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## vcasey (Mar 2, 2010)

ibglowin said:


> Thats a lot of pressure buildup if its pushing out a cork!
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone ever seen that before?



Oh yeah! And I'll bet a few others will +1


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## admiral (Mar 3, 2010)

I have never had it happen in my winery. However, I have seen it happen years ago in my Father-in-laws' winery. He bottled some rose hip wine that began to ferment in the bottle. Wine was all over the place as those corks pushed back out. I don't know what he did to make that happen. I just helped clean up.


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## robie (Mar 3, 2010)

Might open one of the remaining bottles to see how much of a pop you get when the cork comes out. A big pop tells you there is abnormal pressure inside that bottle.

If no pop, I'll bet your corks are just not big enough. When you insert the cork, something inside the bottle has to get compressed. You can't compress the wine, it's mainly water and you can't compress it. The only thing left to compress is the air. If you don't have quite enough air space and you have too small a cork, it could come back out. Under this scenario, if the wine warmed up some after the corks were inserted, it is even more likely to have happened.


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## hannabarn (Mar 3, 2010)

ibglowin said:


> Thats a lot of pressure buildup if its pushing out a cork!
> 
> Anyone ever seen that before?













Oh Yeah!! I lost a whole batch of strawberry rhubarb because I neglected to put in some K-sorbate. What a mess, Wine all over every couple of days. I finally had to dump the whole batch although I know now that I could probably have rebottled it!


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## Wade E (Mar 3, 2010)

I had it happen to a batch of plum wine which blew a few corks in my cellar before I caught it. there was 15 bottles and 2 blew had blown the corks and many of the rest were just being held on by the shrink wraps. Plum champagne is actually very nice by the way!


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## hannabarn (Mar 3, 2010)

I'm happy to hear it even happens to experts!!!


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## felixsail (Mar 4, 2010)

thanks for the response,and I think I will go to thr # 9 corks instead of the # 8 i last used and add a little more space(air) or maybe spring for some synthetic ones. Thanks, Felix


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