All-In-One Vaccum-pump man

[bstnh1]

Thanks, you've saved me from uploading the photo I just took.

There are several wine producers and wineries that are using the helix cork. Trader Joe's Organic wine line uses them. I've also been able to find several other wine brands that use them. I've been using them successfully for a couple of years, no leaks and no spoilage. They're easy to insert, if I pull them out of the sterilizing solution and insert immediately while they're still wet. They pull out (unscrew) with little difficulty without a corkscrew.

I think they're just great.

Specs say they must be used within 6 months of manufacture and are only good for wine stored for 2 years or less. Virtually every wine I've made has been in the bottle for much longer than years, so they wouldn't work for me.

 

[Wayne Freeman]

Specs say they must be used within 6 months of manufacture and are only good for wine stored for 2 years or less. Virtually every wine I've made has been in the bottle for much longer than years, so they wouldn't work for me.

I just checked one of the bottles of TJ's organic wine that had one of those corks in it and it's a 2018, and a bottle of another brand is a 2016, so they must work longer than 2 years. I haven't yet needed to buy any new ones. Maybe the ones that the wineries are using are a better quality, or the vendor of the new helix corks is just being conservative, for good reason.

All I'm sure about is that I have had no problems re-using the helix-style corks and bottles (or screw caps, either). Maybe they wouldn't last ten years, but I would never keep a wine that long anyway. I've developed a rather casual attitude about my wine while living in Italy for a time, and now I store and dispense my weeknight-dinner wine in a 30-liter fustino (stainless steel wine container), like you find sitting on some pizzeria counters in Italy. You also find some humongous ones in the local wineries where they dispense in 4-liter screw-top bottles or in carboys or fustini that the customers bring for refill.

 

[mikewatkins727]

Thanks, you've saved me from uploading the photo I just took.

There are several wine producers and wineries that are using the helix cork. Trader Joe's Organic wine line uses them. I've also been able to find several other wine brands that use them. I've been using them successfully for a couple of years, no leaks and no spoilage. They're easy to insert, if I pull them out of the sterilizing solution and insert immediately while they're still wet. They pull out (unscrew) with little difficulty without a corkscrew.

The "threads", such as they are, are on the inside of the bottle neck.

I think they're just great.

Does this mean that all my bottles without the "threads" on the inside of the neck won't work with these newfangled corks? I am too old and settled in my ways to change everything just for a new cork on the block. No thanks.

 

[bstnh1]

Does this mean that all my bottles without the "threads" on the inside of the neck won't work with these newfangled corks? I am too old and settled in my ways to change everything just for a new cork on the block. No thanks.

You wouldn't want to use one of these in a standard bottle. I don't see this being used by many wineries other than those who produce cheap, ready-to-drink-early wines. If, as the manufacturer states, they're only good for two years, even barrel aged wines would have to be consumed rather soon after they're put in the bottle. You can recognize the wines bottled with these Helix corks in the store because the top portion of the cork is always above the bottle top much like a tasting cork.

 

[winemaker81]

I just checked one of the bottles of TJ's organic wine that had one of those corks in it and it's a 2018, and a bottle of another brand is a 2016, so they must work longer than 2 years. I haven't yet needed to buy any new ones. Maybe the ones that the wineries are using are a better quality, or the vendor of the new helix corks is just being conservative, for good reason.

It depends on how "good for 2 years" is defined. Sure, the cork isn't leaking, but it may be allowing more O2 flow than when new, which is a long term risk to the wine. For example, it may be at the 3 year mark that 1 bottle in 12 is showing initial signs of oxidation. The problem won't be identified until it's too late. For a home winemaker, that doesn't sound too bad, but for a commercial winery it's a potential loss of nearly 10%, plus loss of reputation which impacts future sales.

I believe the "good for 2 years" means the corks are safe to use for at least 2 years. Search for "lafitte cork capsule lawsuit" regarding a lawsuit filed regarding bad corks. It's corporate suicide for a cork producer to sell corks that fail before the published "good for" duration, so I'll have a bit of faith in self preservation.

If the wine will be consumed within 3 years of bottling, I'd not worry about it. More than that? Investigation is warranted.

 

[bstnh1]

Selection and Storage of Cork Stoppers

• Helix comprises a bottle and a cork that must be together.
• This type of closure is only for still wines without any pression.
• The shelf life of this product is two years.
• These stoppers should be used within six months of the date of manufacture.
• Store in a well-ventilated room with controlled temperature between 15º C and 25º C and 50% to 70% humidity.

 

[bstnh1]

I just checked one of the bottles of TJ's organic wine that had one of those corks in it and it's a 2018, and a bottle of another brand is a 2016, so they must work longer than 2 years. I haven't yet needed to buy any new ones. Maybe the ones that the wineries are using are a better quality, or the vendor of the new helix corks is just being conservative, for good reason.

All I'm sure about is that I have had no problems re-using the helix-style corks and bottles (or screw caps, either). Maybe they wouldn't last ten years, onbut I would never keep a wine that long anyway. I've developed a rather casual attitude about my wine while living in Italy for a time, and now I store and dispense my weeknight-dinner wine in a 30-liter fustino (stainless steel wine container), like you find sitting on some pizzeria counters in Italy. You also find some humongous ones in the local wineries where they dispense in 4-liter screw-top bottles or in carboys or fustini that the customers bring for refill.

The vintage shown on a bottle of wine is not necessarily the year it was bottled. A 2016 wine could have been in barrels and just bottled yesterday.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Just ordered one from Steve.. highly recommend buying one and he is fantastic to also just speak with, very helpful and overall has a lot of passion for the hobby.

 

[Tbraz23]

How does the AIO filter compared to a mini jet?

 

[cmason1957]

How does the AIO filter compared to a mini jet?

Like aRolls Rode (the all in one) to a Yaris (the mini jet). The mini jet is good for filtering, provided you can get everything tightened up enough not to leak.

When you rack under vacuum, using the all in one, that degassing step is done, at least it is for me, by the time I am ready to bottle. Filtering is a breeze, bottle filling becomes trivial. Never lift a full carboy again is the biggest benefit for me. Oh and every so often, I'll be busy and my wife goes down and takes care of things using the all in one.

And I should add, you think you have a problem. You send @vacuumpumpman a note and quite often are talking to him on the phone that day.

 

[Jovimaple]

Like aRolls Rode (the all in one) to a Yaris (the mini jet). The mini jet is good for filtering, provided you can get everything tightened up enough not to leak.

When you rack under vacuum, using the all in one, that degassing step is done, at least it is for me, by the time I am ready to bottle. Filtering is a breeze, bottle filling becomes trivial. Never lift a full carboy again is the biggest benefit for me. Oh and every so often, I'll be busy and my wife goes down and takes care of things using the all in one.

And I should add, you think you have a problem. You send @vacuumpumpman a note and quite often are talking to him on the phone that day.

I love my AIO for most of the same reasons as @cmason1957 except I don't filter and I don't have a wife. My husband is happy he doesn't have to help me move carboys around like before I got my AIO.

 

[Tbraz23]

Like aRolls Rode (the all in one) to a Yaris (the mini jet). The mini jet is good for filtering, provided you can get everything tightened up enough not to leak.

When you rack under vacuum, using the all in one, that degassing step is done, at least it is for me, by the time I am ready to bottle. Filtering is a breeze, bottle filling becomes trivial. Never lift a full carboy again is the biggest benefit for me. Oh and every so often, I'll be busy and my wife goes down and takes care of things using the all in one.

And I should add, you think you have a problem. You send @vacuumpumpman a note and quite often are talking to him on the phone that day.

Thats all I needed to hear, I'll be making my order asap