# Death be to the Handy Cork



## kylandsales.com (Feb 9, 2009)

Is it just me or am I using the wrong sized cork - or is it a practical joke/right of passage thing.

I busted my @$$ with that fr$%^in "handy" cork contraption.

the two handed thing is being ordered tomorrow - unless you all have a better idea.

 Brad


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## Tom (Feb 9, 2009)

Not sure what you call the HANDY cork contraption. 


There are 2 sizes of cork a #8 and #9. #8 are a little smaller in diameter and those are what you should use in a "hand" corker. #9 are thicker and work great in a floor corker. I bet you got #9. Thats why you are having a hard time inserting them.


If you plan on making alot of wine a floor corker is in your future.


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## Rocky_Top (Feb 9, 2009)

Are you talking about a small tool, smaller than your fist that puts the cork in the bottle?Any way, The two handel is bad enough to deal with. The floor corker on the other hand is a dream to use. I used #9 with the two handel corker andmessed up one out of thirty. Did I tell you that I love the floor corker!?


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## Wade E (Feb 9, 2009)

I agree, even with dble lever and corkers it can get frustrating, spend a little more and get a floor corker IMO. If you do decide to get a dble lever corker, get the Portuguese 1!


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## kylandsales.com (Feb 9, 2009)

See, I knew you guys would know. 

Yes, the one I have is the plastic plunger type - it is called Handy, I submit it is anything but. I am a big, strong guy - and I broke a sweat after 3 bottles. 

I thought George sent me #8s. hmmm - who cares, I need a floor job for sure.

The double handled Portugese looks inviting at $16. Is this a mistake? the one George uses in the video? Looks and works like a big beer capper.


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## gaudet (Feb 9, 2009)

Spoil yourself and get the floor corker...................

You won't regret it.


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## Tom (Feb 9, 2009)

i AGREE!






Trust US get a floor corker. I have the Italian one with brass jaws.






You will never regret it!


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## kylandsales.com (Feb 9, 2009)

Italian - the $125 one, I assume. the $65 one is just fair or NG?


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## rrussell (Feb 9, 2009)

I have the $65.00 one and it works great but I have never used the Italian one so I can't compare the two.


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## Tom (Feb 9, 2009)

All I can say i have had my Italian one for 6-7 years and have corked well over 5,000 bottles fromit.


The Portguese (sp) floor corkerwill do I just prefer the Italian one The jaws are brass not plastic. Will never have to be replaced.


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## Wade E (Feb 9, 2009)

The $65 portuguese is the 1 I have also and works great and just like the Italian 1 you can replace the iris. The main difference is that it is not a good idea to use full synthetic corks with the $65 model as the nylon iris just isnt strong enough to compress this very hard material it can can crease the cork causing it to leak, this does not happen with Georges Perfect aggloramate corks which are the best around IMO. I have had mine for 3 years now and love it!!!!!!!!!!! The only other difference is that the Italian one gives you just a bit more leverage with a longer stroke but even my 5 year old son can cork my bottles with ease with the $65 model.


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## kylandsales.com (Feb 9, 2009)

Wade, I believe you sold me. If I were doing 5,000 bottles, like Tepe, I wouldn't even bat an eye, but for starting... I can make another wine kit!

I am never one to cheap out, but I feel the floor model is a step in the right direction.

Now George sells replacement brass jaws - can you mix and match and put those in the 65 dollar model later if needed?


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## Wade E (Feb 9, 2009)

I dont think so bu like i said he sells replacement jaws for this model to and i also produce a lot of wine. Here is a pic of my cellar to prove it!












This unit will last you many years with no problems at all.


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## Rocky_Top (Feb 9, 2009)

I have the $65 dollarfloor corker.I corked about 120 bottles with the two handel. It works ok. Lets say that the corker that you have is like crawling to work . The two handel is like walking and the floor corker is like driving a nice car. Hey!!, Some people like walking!! Not me!!!


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## kylandsales.com (Feb 9, 2009)

Good Lawd! I am not worthy! This is fantastic. What a set up. We will have to share Wine and BBQ sometime (I am a BBQ nut).

Portugese floor model, here I come.

Wade, are the 60 dollar kits pretty good? I have only made three kits since Christmas, so no real drinking yet. I don't want to waste my time with mediocre wines.

Maybe this is a new topic or have been gone over 100 times, but your opinion is taken seriously.


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## kylandsales.com (Feb 9, 2009)

oh, good night Rocky - you hit it 110%. That thing is a menace to society. I figure they put that one in there for an initiation hazing. Gotta be something better than that. The corks are dented, not in far enough, [email protected]#, [email protected]#, [email protected]#. 8-}


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## Rocky_Top (Feb 9, 2009)

With the corker that you have now you need a good rubber hammer, a pair of gloves and an indefference to broken glass and spilled wine.


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## gaudet (Feb 10, 2009)

kylandsales.com said:


> Wade, I believe you sold me. If I were doing 5,000 bottles, like Tepe, I wouldn't even bat an eye, but for starting... I can make another wine kit!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



When I bought my original equipment it was a$20 increase to get the floor corker. I got the Portuguese model like Wade. A buddy of mine has the two handed model. The two handed model works ok, but we did a side by side comparison. Ok there is no comparison.


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## Tom (Feb 10, 2009)

*kylandsales.com* 


Gee if I remember I said there was a floor corker in your future. Just not this fast !



LOL.


As you can see we are a very dirverse group. When I bought my floor coorker there was not that much of a differencein price. Either way nothing like a floor coorker. 
Enjoy your new toy.


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## PolishWineP (Feb 10, 2009)

When we used the hand corkers it took 2 of us to drive a cork. Poor Bert ran the corkers and I held the bottle so that it wouldn't slide or tip. Welcome to the world of floor corkers!


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## Scott (Feb 10, 2009)

Floor Corker!!


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## PeterZ (Feb 10, 2009)

I started with the two handled corker and, while it worked, I lived in terror of breaking a bottle while corking. I now have the Portugese floor corker and it is a dream come true. I can cork a 30 bottle batch of wine in about 5 minutes.


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## kylandsales.com (Mar 2, 2009)

I got the floor corker - just did a batch with a friend and my 6 yr old - yup, that's the only way to do it.

I had my buddy do one with the "handy" corker first, then he moaned in ecstasy with every floor corker squeeze.

Gotta have the bad before you can appreciate the great.

FYI - I have one Handy Corker For Sale - seller motivated, will sell cheap, free shipping.


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## Tom (Mar 3, 2009)

Congratulations !







Does that mean you will make more wine...


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## kylandsales.com (Mar 3, 2009)

oh yeah - I am locked on now. :-D


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## pelican (Jun 1, 2009)

Anyone else interested in a floor corker (I have mine !) - found this on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wine-Making-Heavy-Duty-Portugal-Corker-Cork-Press_W0QQitemZ180363478620QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item29fe80465c&amp;_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&amp;_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A6|294%3A50

at present, the current bid is quite low, even with the shipping it would give one pause to consider.


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## Wade E (Jun 1, 2009)

That looks like quite a good deal and an Italian one at that!


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## uavwmn (Jun 2, 2009)

Dang, Wade, that is alot of wine!!! You need to start drinkin up!!


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## uavwmn (Jun 2, 2009)

Wade, actually the floor corker is the Portegese floor corker. I made a bid on it as it is a good deal.


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## uavwmn (Jun 2, 2009)

Thanks Pelican, that does look like a good deal. I put a bid on it this morning.


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## pelican (Jun 2, 2009)

Good luck with the bid uavwmn -- I already have a floor corker or I would have been posting when I won that one!


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## Wade E (Jun 2, 2009)

Okay I missed that it was Port because i saw the brass iris which is usually only on the Italian so either this is an older one that will probably out live us all or maybe they do offer an brass one somewhere!


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## Wade E (Jun 2, 2009)

Kyliesales, I dont like any of the $60 red wine kits but the whites are decent. Sorry, I missed that question before.


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## gaudet (Jun 2, 2009)

wade said:


> Okay I missed that it was Port because i saw the brass iris which is usually only on the Italian so either this is an older one that will probably out live us all or maybe they do offer an brass one somewhere!



Perhaps they changed the iris to brass..... If thats even possible


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## Wade E (Jun 3, 2009)

I think its probably the other way around as the newer ones are nylon. ts probably an older 1 which is fine cause they will last a very long time.


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## gaudet (Jun 3, 2009)

I wasn't as clear as I could have been. Perhaps they changed the original nylon iris to brass.


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## Wade E (Jun 3, 2009)

I did a little research and found that there are actually a few models, the burgundy Port floor corkers are a better quality with some having brass Iris and round steel instead of extruded. Some have the extruded only and nylon iris though. I dont know if they have slowly changed to cheaper over the years as every website i see has only nylon iris and no mention anywhere of that changing. Maybe they offer some of these better models overseas or something!


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## uavwmn (Jun 4, 2009)

Pelican, seems as tho I have one person out bidding me. haha
Still have 1 day to go.


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## Wade E (Jun 4, 2009)

Hope you get it and dont get into a bidding war now, just try uppingit with only 10-15 minutes left!


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## pelican (Jun 4, 2009)

Good strategy if you are behind, wait till the ending of the auction and like Wade says up it with 15 minutes or so to go - then if they have an autobid and top yours right away, go ahead and put in "almost" your top bid and see if their autobid tops you again... but closer to the ending... and hope you have a fast connection because to get it at the last minute you have to be nimble. Recommend you use an autobid and that way whoever has the top autobid gets it just above the other person's level. Oh, it's nervewracking!! I'm getting anxious and it's not even my bid!!!


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## Wade E (Jun 4, 2009)

Settle down over there Pelican, dont get your panties all in a bunch!


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## uavwmn (Jun 5, 2009)

Pelican, I just won the Floor Corker. Got it for $85...that is including the shipping!! Woo Hoo!!


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## vcasey (Jun 5, 2009)

That is great! Now you are going to wonder why you didn't just buy it to begin with, like many of us. 
VC


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## grapeman (Jun 5, 2009)

I wish someone had provided this link before you bid that high. Sorry. You can buy brand new from George for under $65 for the Portugese Corker.


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=4042


Regardless of the price, you will enjoy it much more than the handheld corkers.


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## uavwmn (Jun 5, 2009)

Appleman, I did look at this one from George and I thought that with the brass plate iris it would last alot longer that the plastic one.


And you are right, regardless, I will probably enjoy this one more!!


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## Scott (Jun 5, 2009)

Enjoy how easy it is to cork now uav, the only way to go


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## pelican (Jun 6, 2009)

Congratulations UAVWMN!


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## joeswine (Jun 7, 2009)

the one I use is ITALIAN of course,all metal/ brass iris and long on comfort...........................when in use.............


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## rrawhide (Jun 10, 2009)

yeah - - - 


we got us a wild corker for sure now - he will be corking everything is sight!!!


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## intoxicating (Jul 2, 2009)

If I remember George correctly, the size 9 corks are usually used with 750 bottles, the size 8's with 375 bottles, and the size 7 corks with the 187 bottles. 

I have the $16 double lever corker, and have had NO TROUBLE with it. No broken bottles, no creased corks, no spilled wine in three years. I actually managed, with the help of my 20 year old son, to get the FVW agglomerate #9 corks almost all the way into the 187 bottles before George told me that the corks come in sizes. I really don't have the budget or room for a floor corker at this time. I am keeping my obsession, I mean hobby, under control with only four carboys, three gallon each. The seven one gallon jugs I use to test new recipes don't count. That said, I am not bottling the amounts at once that you others are. I don't break a sweat bottling 15 or twenty in a day. 

Only drawback to limiting my number of carboys is I can't bulk age for a year, and I have to wait to start the next batch of mead or (previously frozen) fruit wine until I have bottled what is working now. I want to try another batch of prickly pear this fall.



still working on the color. Start with red juice and end with white wine.



I have 2 of my carboys are in use for the Castel de Pape kit, and the other two have port style Mexican Plum. Will have to have at least one of them ready to bottle by October to start the cactus wine. Then the next empty carboys will be an experiemental carmel apple, and another batch of spiced mead. YUM


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## vcasey (Jul 2, 2009)

Please post when you start on the caramel apple, that sounds very interesting. I made a caramel apple cyser that is now bottle aging.
VC


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## intoxicating (Jul 2, 2009)

Tell me more about the cyser, what did you do to make it caramel, and how did the apple turn out? I want mine to be so chewy that it sticks to the roof of your mouth.


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## vcasey (Jul 2, 2009)

I caramelized honey, added it to apple juice, used Vitilevure 58W3 wine yeasthttp://morewinemaking.com/view_product/6639/103218/Dry_Wine_Yeast_-_58W3_8_g, when you read the description you'll understand why! The mead at bottling was way too young to really get a good idea and it will be a few years before I even consider opening a bottle. No it did not stick to my mouth but it did have a nice mouth feel, nice aroma, just needs time. I did end up back sweetening this by caramelizing more honey to add to the mead, which by the way ended up at 18% so it will be a sipping drink! I did use a heavy American Oak with this mead. 
VC


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## intoxicating (Jul 3, 2009)

Can you taste the apples? Did you use bottled juice, or juice your own? Why American instead of French oak? I am not sure of the difference in taste, but the stuff I read looks like the French has more of a vanilla note to it. I love vanilla. I haven't oaked any of the mead I made so far.


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## vcasey (Jul 3, 2009)

I used juice - hard to find a good source of cider apples in Florida



. American Oak was used because ......... I had it on hand. With the high alcohol level the only thing I can remember coming through is smoke and alcohol, and lots of both as I had anticipated (remember my choice of yeast) the honey was there as well I just don't remember if the caramel was flavor was up front or not. I did not jot anything down in my notes other then "once this mellows out I think its going to be very good". I am anticipating a wait on this mead and I will not be opening a bottle for at least 4-5 years, so you'll have to wait a while for further evaluations on the taste



. While fermenting it looked like a glass of caramel. You can view the pictures herehttp://www.geocities.com/vc826/index.html?1108653165460 keep in mind a couple of things, its a free geocities account so it will not be there long and it takes nothing to crash the site



. 
Also I oak almost all of my meads, especially my cysers, honey and oak (and apples) seem to work well together. 
VC


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