# Cork storage



## jhawk (Dec 9, 2015)

I plan on buying a bag of 1000 corks. I will be using 500 in the next week or so. Plan on the other 500 in April. What is the proper way to store them.


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## dralarms (Dec 9, 2015)

Take a 5 gallon bucket, place a bottle of kmeta in the center and pour corks around bottle and seal.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 9, 2015)

I do the same as above.


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## wineforfun (Dec 9, 2015)

dralarms said:


> Take a 5 gallon bucket, place a bottle of kmeta in the center and pour corks around bottle and seal.



5 gal. seems a little extreme. I would assume a 1 or 2 gal. bucket would suffice.
I guess I should clarify, it seems extreme for up to a few hundred corks. I am sure a 1000 may need it.

Also, what ratio of water to kmeta are you using and I assume the bottle has it's top left off...........so basically like a bucket in a bucket?


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## ibglowin (Dec 9, 2015)

I use a 6 Gallon bucket that came with a MM AJ Kit years ago and you can not get 1000 corks into it by any means and have room for a quart milk container in the middle filled with standard KMETA sanitizing solution (without a top) You can only go as high as the milk carton before you risk your corks tumbling down and into the open milk carton. I split them up into (2) 6G buckets with ~500 each.


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 9, 2015)

ibglowin said:


> I use a 6 Gallon bucket that came with a MM AJ Kit years ago and you can not get 1000 corks into it by any means and have room for a quart milk container in the middle filled with standard KMETA sanitizing solution (without a top) You can only go as high as the milk carton before you risk your corks tumbling down and into the open milk carton. I split them up into (2) 6G buckets with ~500 each.



You can use a wine bottle - the corks won't fall into that. Now if I only had an empty wine bottle laying around...


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## ibglowin (Dec 9, 2015)

Not a bad idea but I like a little bigger opening on the end for the SO2 to get out. Need to a find a plastic cylinder about 18" tall and 3-4" in diameter so you could pile the corks higher in the bucker without worry.



Boatboy24 said:


> You can use a wine bottle - the corks won't fall into that. Now if I only had an empty wine bottle laying around...


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## roger80465 (Dec 9, 2015)

ibglowin said:


> Not a bad idea but I like a little bigger opening on the end for the SO2 to get out. Need to a find a plastic cylinder about 18" tall and 3-4" in diameter so you could pile the corks higher in the bucker without worry.



How about wrapping the bottle neck with cheesecloth. Would that solve the problem?


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## wineforfun (Dec 9, 2015)

ibglowin said:


> I use a 6 Gallon bucket that came with a MM AJ Kit years ago and you can not get 1000 corks into it by any means and have room for a quart milk container in the middle filled with standard KMETA sanitizing solution (without a top) You can only go as high as the milk carton before you risk your corks tumbling down and into the open milk carton. I split them up into (2) 6G buckets with ~500 each.



Makes sense.

What is the "standard KMETA sanitizing solution"? I don't use kmeta for sanitizing.

Also, is there a time limit (days/months) on how long you can leave those corks in there?............before they may dry out and become not useful.


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## ibglowin (Dec 9, 2015)

Yep, thats a good solution I think.



roger80465 said:


> How about wrapping the bottle neck with cheesecloth. Would that solve the problem?


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## ibglowin (Dec 9, 2015)

50gms KMETA in 1G water.

The KMETA solution in a sealed container keeps the humidity pretty high in the bucket as long as its sealed. I have had corks as long as two years old stored in one and while they do start to get a little harder or less pliable but they still seem to insert and seal OK.



wineforfun said:


> What is the "standard KMETA sanitizing solution"? I don't use kmeta for sanitizing.
> 
> Also, is there a time limit (days/months) on how long you can leave those corks in there?............before they may dry out and become not useful.


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## wineforfun (Dec 9, 2015)

ibglowin said:


> 50gms KMETA in 1G water.
> 
> The KMETA solution in a sealed container keeps the humidity pretty high in the bucket as long as its sealed. I have had corks as long as two years old stored in one and while they do start to get a little harder or less pliable but they still seem to insert and seal OK.



Good to know, thanks.


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## wineforfun (Dec 9, 2015)

Ok, last thing, how often do you need to change out the kmeta solution, ie: make a new batch? or does it last indefinitely?


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## Runningwolf (Dec 9, 2015)

I've had it last 6 months. It depends on the original strength. I try to replace it whenever I make up a new big batch or when you smell it and it doesn't burn your nose anymore.


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## dralarms (Dec 9, 2015)

wineforfun said:


> 5 gal. seems a little extreme. I would assume a 1 or 2 gal. bucket would suffice.
> I guess I should clarify, it seems extreme for up to a few hundred corks. I am sure a 1000 may need it.
> 
> Also, what ratio of water to kmeta are you using and I assume the bottle has it's top left off...........so basically like a bucket in a bucket?



I got 2, they hold just over 500 each.


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## dralarms (Dec 9, 2015)

ibglowin said:


> I use a 6 Gallon bucket that came with a MM AJ Kit years ago and you can not get 1000 corks into it by any means and have room for a quart milk container in the middle filled with standard KMETA sanitizing solution (without a top) You can only go as high as the milk carton before you risk your corks tumbling down and into the open milk carton. I split them up into (2) 6G buckets with ~500 each.



Not a bad idea, plastic pvc capped at one end. Then you count have it as high as needed.


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