# corking optimum air space



## Handy Andy (Dec 23, 2020)

Ive just received a floor bottle corking machine as an early christmas present. 

With my new machine, I can get big corks into little bottles. What size corks are recommended for different sized bottle necks? 

There is inevitably going to be some air in the top of the bottles. Is their an optimum achievable amount of air inside the corked bottles, to prevent spoilage?


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## Johnd (Dec 23, 2020)

Handy Andy said:


> Ive just received a floor bottle corking machine as an early christmas present.
> 
> With my new machine, I can get big corks into little bottles. What size corks are recommended for different sized bottle necks?
> 
> There is inevitably going to be some air in the top of the bottles. Is their an optimum achievable amount of air inside the corked bottles, to prevent spoilage?



If you are using standard 375 and 750 ml bottles, you can use #8 or #9 corks in 1.5" or 1.75" lengths. The smaller and shorter the cork, the less aging protection they provide. IE: the 1.5" long #8 cork is super easy to install, but will protect the wine for a shorter period of time. Conversely, the 1.75" long #9 corks will provide the longest protection period for your wine. I use 1.75" x #9 corks in all of my wines. A floor corker will easily install the 1.75" X #9 corks.

If you are using odd sized bottle necks, smaller bottles or magnums, you'll need to measure the opening size to determine the best fit for your corks.

As far as ullage goes, here's a little guide to evaluating older wines before you buy them, it'll give you an idea of where fill levels should be at bottling. Personally, I try to fill my bottles to at least one cork diameter from the bottom of the cork, which is 3/4" - 7/8", some folks shoot for 1/2" or so. You want some air space in there for sure, just not too much.


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## dmw_chef (Dec 24, 2020)

I shoot for 5mm of ullage. I recommend always using high quality #9 corks; at least colmated if not first quality/flor. There is nothing more heartbreaking to open a bottle you've been aging and discover you've ruined the bottle because you cheaped out on corks. 

Use fresh corks from a reputable source. You don't know how much care was taken in repackaging the ones at your LHBS. I order corks as needed from Widgetco, only ordering the number I need for the bottling at hand + a couple in case of screw ups: Wine Corks - All Kinds, Factory Fresh & 100% Natural Cork | WidgetCo


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## winemaker81 (Dec 25, 2020)

Like @Johnd, I use one type of cork -- currently it's #9x1.5" Nomacorcs, although if I was using normal corks, I'd use #9x1.75". Years ago I tried #8's and found the incidents of leaks was significantly higher.

If the last bottle of a batch is consumed within 2 years of bottling, smaller-n-shorter corks are often fine, but if you think any of the wine will still be around 2+ years after bottling? Use a better cork.

I still use my old bottle filler, hard white plastic with an orange spring-loaded tip. If I fill the bottle to the brim, when I pull it out and put in a 1.5" cork, my ullage is just about 3/4". This works fine for me.


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## NorCal (Dec 25, 2020)

I’m a number 9 cork user as well. I use corks with a solid to and bottom with amalgamated cork in between. It is rated at 5 years, giving a compromise between cost and time.

When we do our bottling, we look for wine in the neck and to leave a fingers width worth of space between the bottom of the cork and the fill level of the wine.


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## balatonwine (Dec 26, 2020)

winemaker81 said:


> If the last bottle of a batch is consumed within 2 years of bottling, smaller-n-shorter corks are often fine, but if you think any of the wine will still be around 2+ years after bottling? Use a better cork.



I concur. But I might say one could go up to 3 years with a short, but good, cork. 

But, the question then is, what wines should be consumed within that time frame? Well, Wine Folly has a chart for that: How Long to Cellar Wine


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## Handy Andy (Dec 26, 2020)

This year my wines are unlikely to last more to the next grape harvest. However next year I hope not to lose so many grapes and optimistically expecting a big surplus that might just get the chance to age 

The air space in bottles increases with time, increasing the potential for a wine to spoil. Is it better to store corked bottles lying down allowing the wine to keep the corks moist, or should I just leave them standing ? Does the same argument apply with screw on tops, and plastic corks ????


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## winemaker81 (Dec 26, 2020)

balatonwine said:


> I concur. But I might say one could go up to 3 years with a short, but good, cork.


I have to agree with you. I've had decent quality 1.5" corks go 4 years with no problem. OTOH, I had a batch of corks that started disintegrating after 1.5 years. There may have been many causes (cheap cork, old, smaller diameter than stated, etc.), but as a result I err on the side of caution, using good quality corks regardless of how long I intend to age a given batch.



balatonwine said:


> Well, Wine Folly has a chart for that: How Long to Cellar Wine


That chart is very misleading to consumers and home wine makers, as people read the chart and take just the chart at face value. However, consider the the preamble to the chart which reads:

_The truth about cellaring wine is that most wine isn’t meant to age. Most wine is released within 2 years of being grapes in a vineyard and then slurped up within 6 months of purchase. So what wines should you consider for long term cellaring?_

Taking this statement as a whole, most Cabernet Sauvignon is NOT going to improve after 10 years. _Most_ will be not improve past 3 years. The wines that do age well are the exception, not the rule.

It may be that many non-professionally made wines DO fall into the "exceptional" category, due to the care and tweaking they are receive. Plus we're not in it for financial gain, so we don't have the incentive to put the wine on the market ASAP.

For reds, wines that are heavier in tannin, higher in alcohol, and higher in acid will _probably_ age better. For whites, whose higher in alcohol and acid will probably age better. And in both cases, some varieties (especially whites) will not age well in any situation.

I suggest making a larger batch and sample the wine every 6 months (bottling in 375 ml bottles extends the wine), and judge each wine on its own merits.

Note: keeping the wine until it hits its peak means that you may be drinking most of it while it declines ....


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## winemaker81 (Dec 26, 2020)

Handy Andy said:


> Is it better to store corked bottles lying down allowing the wine to keep the corks moist, or should I just leave them standing ?


Wines with natural corks need to lay on their sides, else the corks will dry out and potentially leak. Screw caps don't matter, and non-cork corks (like Nomacorcs) shouldn't matter, although I lay mine on their sides due to habit.

*Note:* After bottling the air pressure in the bottle will be higher as the cork insertion compressed the air in the bottle neck. Most sources I've read say to stand the bottles up for 1 to 3 days, before laying on their side. The pressure will equalize and if the bottle is on its side, it may force wine out around the cork.


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## jgmillr1 (Dec 26, 2020)

Handy Andy said:


> What size corks are recommended for different sized bottle necks?
> 
> There is inevitably going to be some air in the top of the bottles.



Lots of good answers to the cork question with the complexity being quality, how long it will be aged, and your budget for the corks. 

But, with regard to filling level for the bottle, the answer is simple. For a 750ml bottle, put 750ml in it. I don't mean for this to be sarcastic, it is simply what a govt officer will measure for a commercially bottled wine to check compliance. And even budget bottle fillers will correctly fill to this level due to the shape of the filler tube and size of the bottle neck. This usually leaves wine at the top shoulder level in image from @Johnd .


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## balatonwine (Dec 27, 2020)

winemaker81 said:


> That chart is very misleading to consumers and home wine makers, as people read the chart and take just the chart at face value.



I find it perfectly obvious that the chart is only intended as a rule of thumb. Not an end point. As is anything found online. So I hardly consider it misleading, as I do not consider consumers as stupid people who take everything at only face value. 



winemaker81 said:


> However, consider the the preamble to the chart



Did you continue to read the article where it said:

_"Everyone who is passionate about wine should know how old wine tastes." _




winemaker81 said:


> For whites, whose higher in alcohol and acid will probably age better. And in both cases, some varieties (especially whites) will not age well in any situation.



If you know your wine varietals (or wine making styles ... ice wine or botrytized wine), then you should be able to pick out that the chart actually mirrors this in a rule of thumb manner. For example, I actually grow Gewurztraminer, and it never ages over three years for me. An example where the chart is accurate. I also grow Pinot Gris, and it.... might... go over three years, but that is an exception, not the rule (and the acidity and alcohol content was not actually correlated to longevity for my Pinot Gris --- while other vineyard related factors were). But this is all anecdotal, as would be examples where the chart "fails". But that is all okay, since again either way the chart could not really be called inaccurate as it is not suppose to be dead on balls perfect in all cases. But rather simply a starting point with unspoken but pretty obvious built in variability. Hope this helps.



winemaker81 said:


> I suggest making a larger batch and sample the wine every 6 months



I produce hectoliters of wine from my vineyards... I create rather large batches to sample over time....


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## winemaker81 (Dec 27, 2020)

balatonwine said:


> I find it perfectly obvious that the chart is only intended as a rule of thumb. Not an end point. As is anything found online. So I hardly consider it misleading, as I do not consider consumers as stupid people who take everything at only face value.


Stupid? No. How about "impatient"?

In my experience, many people tend towards impatience, skipping over things, zeroing in on the pictures or charts. By breezing through or completely skipping the explanation, they develop an incorrect impression.



balatonwine said:


> Did you continue to read the article where it said:
> _"Everyone who is passionate about wine should know how old wine tastes."_


Yes. And I bet a lot of folks who followed the link are going back to the article and re-reading it.  

I agree with that advice, but availability and/or cost are factors that prevent a lot of folks from tasting old wines. Finding old wines can be tough, especially at an affordable price.

One exception is Spanish Gran Reserva reds, which must be aged 5 years before sale. Often these are reasonably priced.

In general, I am cautious regarding what professional wine writers say, as they are sampling on a daily basis wines that are above my pain threshold.



balatonwine said:


> For example, I actually grow Gewurztraminer, and it never ages over three years for me. An example where the chart is accurate.


The whites in the chart appear to be more accurate, although I'm less familiar with most of the whites listed. Yeah, I'm mostly a red drinker, although I have a selection of Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc on hand.

Articles on Gewurztraminer often say to drink within 3 to 4 years, matching the chart and your experience. However, the exceptional Alsatian Grand Cru are good for 7 to 12 years.

OTOH, "most Cabernet Sauvignon" and "most Bordeaux red" are listed as drink at 10 to 20 years, which is false, as that applies only to exceptional examples. For the average Cab, 3 to 8 years is more likely.

The table does not appear consistent across the board, the figures for whites are "average" and the figures for at least some of the reds are for exceptional wines.

BTW: The entry "most Cabernet Sauvignon" is what got me going, as that entry is pure BS.


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## balatonwine (Dec 31, 2020)

winemaker81 said:


> In my experience, many people tend towards impatience, skipping over things, zeroing in on the pictures or charts. By breezing through or completely skipping the explanation, they develop an incorrect impression.



There is truth in that. But I find that if someone has gotten to the point of wanting to cellar wines, they have moved beyond the impatient stage in most cases (at least in regards to wine). I think that was basically what the lead into the article was alluding toward.


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