# Are the shrink capsules important



## Sammyk (Nov 24, 2012)

We bottled a lot of our wine but I am wondering do I really need those shrink capsules?


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## grapeman (Nov 24, 2012)

They really don't do much for the bottles but dress them up a bit.


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## Runningwolf (Nov 24, 2012)

Short answer is no. I think they add a lot to the presentation and that is thier only purpose. Also they help identify what you have left in stock of any particular wine when they are all laying thier sides in a rack. Just do each batch a different color.


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Nov 24, 2012)

History lesson:.... capsules were first used in wine shops to keep the customers form comparing bottles to get the one with the most in it. With a capsule on it you can not compare amounts.


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## GreginND (Nov 24, 2012)

That's interesting. I didn't know that.


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## saddlebronze (Nov 24, 2012)

Purely cosmetic, but easy to put on and take off. If you are drinking them yourself, I would say no, but if you are giving them away, I like them.


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## Tom_S (Nov 30, 2012)

They do keep dust from settling in the small crack between the cork and mouth of the bottle. But dipping the bottle in wax would have the same effect.


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## btom2004 (Nov 30, 2012)

I think they are very important. They look great and makes the bottled, labeled wine look excellent. Not only that, I think they also serve to keep corks clean and secure from popping out of the bottles.


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## Tom_S (Dec 1, 2012)

They don't hold the corks in if there's a refermentation. The one batch I had referment blew the corks even though I'd put capsules on the bottles.


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## btom2004 (Dec 2, 2012)

Really...Ok scratch that last part of my statement...lol


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## keena (Dec 3, 2012)

Brew and Wine Supply said:


> History lesson:.... capsules were first used in wine shops to keep the customers form comparing bottles to get the one with the most in it. With a capsule on it you can not compare amounts.



Tip the bottle up side down and compare the air bubble? Lol


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## joeswine (Dec 3, 2012)

*seals*

 YES , they do make a bottle of wine look finished ,but also they ,if applied properly make a very air tight seal between the bottle and the cork ,keeping unwanted microbs that search out moisture and attache themselves and create mold,the seal creates a barrier to help prevent the attachment,especially if the storage are is subject to high humidity or other forms or air bore fungus.


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## keena (Dec 3, 2012)

All the capsules I've seen always have 4 holes in the top though. Wouldn't that let the moisture in?


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## robie (Dec 3, 2012)

keena said:


> Tip the bottle up side down and compare the air bubble? Lol




That is still a good practice, if you can see the top of the wine. Today, since most commercial wine bottles are filled by machine (I know, not all of them!), each same-brand bottle should be at exactly the same level. Comparing levels can help you spot a bottle that has a slightly leaky cork.


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## Rocky (Dec 3, 2012)

robie said:


> That is still a good practice, if you can see the top of the wine. Today, since most commercial wine bottles are filled by machine (I know, not all of them!), _each same-brand bottle should be at exactly the same level_. Comparing levels can help you spot a bottle that has a slightly leaky cork.


 
Please don't that this too seriously, Robie (I majored in Math), but actually not only are all bottles not filled to the same level, from a mathematical point of view, no two are filled to the "exactly the same level."


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## Tom_S (Dec 3, 2012)

But, I'm betting that a machine will be more accurate than a person filling by hand, and probably the differences from the bottles filled by machine will be negligible.


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## Rocky (Dec 3, 2012)

No doubt about that whatsoever, Tom. I was just having some fun pointing out that analog quantities can never be "equal" and only digital quantities can. For practical purposes, the volumes or levels are "equal" but not in a mathematical sense. Probably should not have mentioned it.


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## Tom_S (Dec 3, 2012)

Getting back to the original theme of this thread, anyone who's ever given wine away will probably tell you that the first thing people tend to notice is the shrink wrap capsule on the top of the bottle and will comment on it. There's nothing like giving a bottle of wine to a non-winemaker and having them comment on the professional appearance of the bottle.


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## jstan (Dec 3, 2012)

My understanding (which could be wrong) is that capsules were originally used to protect the cork from attack by rodents and insects.


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## Tom_S (Dec 3, 2012)

I don't know, but that's a good reason for using them. I don't have any mice in my wine cellar, but there are often insects. Some of the labels on my older bottles in my cellar have what appears to be silverfish damage.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 3, 2012)

Tom_S said:


> Getting back to the original theme of this thread, anyone who's ever given wine away will probably tell you that the first thing people tend to notice is the shrink wrap capsule on the top of the bottle and will comment on it. There's nothing like giving a bottle of wine to a non-winemaker and having them comment on the professional appearance of the bottle.


 
I'm with Tom on this all they way. Looks and beauty all the way. 

Capsules do have little pin holes in the top of them. I will assist on holding a cork from popping sooner then what it would if it wasn't there but it won't hold it back forever. It certainly wouldn't be any competition for a rodents tooth. 

Wine bottles filled by gravity or machine commercially have four or more nozzles each one needing adjusted leading one to be a ml or two off from another. Also with gravity fed fillers, to different people removing the bottles could have different fill levels depending on how fast they remove the bottle. Again we are only talking a few ML's. It looks like a lot in some peoples eyes when the difference is 1/16 to 1/4 of an inch below the capsule but in all reality we are only talking less then a teaspoon. Some people need not to sweat the small stuff.


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## troutstix (Dec 5, 2012)

Some of the nicest commercial bottles in my cellar came without foil (i.e. Elevage, Cathy Corison). I tend to foil only the bottles that are to be gifts or brought to parties/get togethers. I see them as aesthetics only- ymmv
Mike


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## JohnT (Dec 5, 2012)

Just to ring in on this.. 

I have heard that the foil on champagne is rather long to hide the fill level. This is because the disgorging process (removal of priming yeast after riddling) will lower the fill level inconsistantly. Some champagne houses would simply cover the fill level with an extra long foil, while other houses would add something back into the champagne (dosage) to bring the fill level back up. 

As for wine capsules, it was my understanding that this was invented as a way to prevent cellar rats (the rodent variety) from chewing on the cork. Keep in mind that caps were always made of either tin or lead (which rats have a tough time chewing through).


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## robie (Dec 6, 2012)

Rocky said:


> No doubt about that whatsoever, Tom. I was just having some fun pointing out that analog quantities can never be "equal" and only digital quantities can. For practical purposes, the volumes or levels are "equal" but not in a mathematical sense. Probably should not have mentioned it.



Oh no, I used a laser measuring device and found the levels to be within .00001.

Just kidding!!! 

No, your are right, it's not rocket science, but the idea is when you see ten bottles of the same wine and brand, all "very" close to the same level; then you see that eleventh one that is half an inch or more down, I would be concerned about leakage on that last bottle. This is a tip given to me by the head of the wine department in a large liquor store.

Now with my own, home made, home bottled wine, this tip may not be very useful.


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