# screw top wine bottles



## Vinolozo (Jan 30, 2008)

What is the concensus for using screw top wine bottles? Is there any difference in size of cork required or is the top thinner? I have found some very good wines I am enjoying while mine perks away but they have screw tops.


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## grapeman (Jan 30, 2008)

The general consensus is that it is not a good idea. Regular corks go in OK but the necks are thinner and there is a pretty high percentage of broken necks when removing the corks.


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## jcnoren (Jan 30, 2008)

Screw caps, require "screw caps". As Appleman stated IF you try to put a cork into a screw cap wine bottle, chances are when you try to remove the cork the top of the wine bottle will break. 


I hold onto the screw cap and simply reused the bottle with it's original cap. If I am given a screw cap bottle without it's original cap, it goes into recycle. 


JC*Edited by: jcnoren *


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## grapeman (Jan 30, 2008)

Even reusing the original screw caps is risky business. Once the seal is broken, you can't be sure of getting a good seal a second time. If you do, all is fine for short tem storage, if you don't, then you get a bottle of bad wine. 


Se the following from the WineWizard from WineMaker Magazine February/March Issue.
http://winemakermag.com/mrwizard/752.html


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## Wade E (Jan 30, 2008)

No romance with screw caps in my opinion.


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## Steve (Jan 30, 2008)

Or you can buy new caps...


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=4270


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## NorthernWinos (Jan 30, 2008)

Steve said:


> Or you can buy new caps...
> 
> 
> http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=4270




Would those fit screw top bottles???


I have bought many bags of screw tops and find they don't fit most of the screw top bottles I have..


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## Vinolozo (Jan 30, 2008)

Well, I don't want broken necks and spoiled wine just ruins my day so corking screw tops is out. However, I may look at using new screw caps since this wine is very good and quite reasonable and I really am enjoying it. Now that I am into this wine making thing, I am looking at each bottle I buy with an eye for filling it up with my own in time. What about champagne bottles? Are they good for reuse as well?


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## jobe05 (Jan 30, 2008)

NW, do you have a problem in your area with Metric vs US standard?

I ask that because of the jugs that you have........... NO...... The ones that look to be about a gallon in size.............. OK...... THE GLASS ONES!

Being so close to the Canadian border, do you see a lot of that or no?


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## Steve (Jan 30, 2008)

I have bought and use the 28mm plastic ones, but they are a bit more expensive. I assume these would work. I know the man with the answer. George?


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## Joanie (Jan 30, 2008)

Vinolozo...

...yes you can reuse champagne bottles. Like wine bottles, rinse them well with hot water as you finish them and store them upside down.


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## NorthernWinos (Jan 30, 2008)

jobe05 said:


> NW, do you have a problem in your area with Metric vs US standard?
> 
> I ask that because of the jugs that you have........... NO...... The ones that look to be about a gallon in size.............. OK...... THE GLASS ONES!
> 
> Being so close to the Canadian border, do you see a lot of that or no?




Those glass jugs [those jugs?]we have are 4 liter size...Carlo Rossi wine came in them.



We thought they were gallon size till we had about a dozen and read the label. Carlo Rossi also has a smaller jug of wine, 1.5 liter size. They work fine, except when I made the Liquor Kits, they were too big. I usually mix up more wine than fits in a 5 or 6 gallon carboy,so use various size jugs and bottles for the excess.


I never have looked in the store at the Cranberry and Apple juice to see if the glass jugs are a gallon or 4 liter size..will do that.


The screw top bottles we got are from Chile and France...the 28mm caps don't fit them, nor some domestic screw top bottles.....Have tried the plastic and the metal ones. They do fit the little tiny bottles, think they are .187 bottles.


The last batch of wine we bottled we used some screw top bottles and used a 8 X 1.75" cork...The bottles have a real heavy ring of glass around the top, so they might be strong enough to survive pulling the cork.*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## Vinolozo (Jan 31, 2008)

What about foiling the screw caps. Wouldn't that help keep the seal intact? Also, what is the consensus on the crown caps? They would need a seal as well, wouldn't they?


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## Tomy (Jan 31, 2008)

I used screw caps on my fruit wine because they will be consumed within a year, and the bottles refilled with new screw caps. New caps are cheap. Your grandma probally canned all sorts of veggs &amp; meat with screw caps but probally used parafin also to keep out the bad stuff.


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## NorthernWinos (Jan 31, 2008)

Tomy said:


> I used screw caps on my fruit wine because they will be consumed within a year, and the bottles refilled with new screw caps. New caps are cheap. Your grandma probally canned all sorts of veggs &amp; meat with screw caps but probally used parafin also to keep out the bad stuff.




Where so you get your new screw caps???What size do you buy....And...what bottles are you using???


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## Tomy (Jan 31, 2008)

I'm using the green screw top Claret 750ml #5239 and the screw caps 28mm #4335 from George.


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## NorthernWinos (Jan 31, 2008)

Looks like you got a good combination there, they fit each other...Nice looking bottles....Thanks for the pix.


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## Vinolozo (Jan 31, 2008)

What about foiling the screw caps. Wouldn't that help keep the seal intact? Also, what is the consensus on the crown caps? They would need a seal as well, wouldn't they?


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## Wade E (Jan 31, 2008)

The foils are not a seal, more of a decorative item. If by crown caps you mean the corks for champagne the those need to be wired down and again the foils are just decorative to hide the corks.


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## Vinolozo (Jan 31, 2008)

Actually, I meant the stoppers that are little corks with the cap on them so you don't need a corksrew, just pull and twist. I may have called them by a wrong name.


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## geocorn (Jan 31, 2008)

The plastic tasting corks seem to do very well, #4253. We were sceptical, at first, but filled a bottle and left it upside down for 2 weeks. Not a drop leaked. I would still recommend corks for long term storage. Way too much time and money on a batch of wine to skimp on the corks and/or corker.


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