Best Corker Recommendations

[Resonant11]

Hi all! I've done some searching on the forum, but I haven't been able to find any discussion on the best type of corker. I just bottled half a batch a couple days ago, and I'm officially sick of my double-lever corker. Maybe it's user error, but I find it tough to get the corkers flush with the top, and it also leaves a pretty unsightly dent in the cork (Normacorc).

It seems like a floor corker is the way to go, but is there common wisdom of which is best? I'll be bottling with many different sized bottles, including 375ml.

Thanks!
Joe

 

[cmason1957]

Once I threw away my double-knuckle-buster corker, I went with an Italian Floor Corker, the blue kind. They do work really well, until they don't some have been able to jerry-rig something to fix them, mine is sitting near the bottling area waiting to be fixed (or disposed of). Morewinemaking says they are not suitable for use with synthetic corks.

I now use a Portugese Floor Corker. It seems to work just fine and cost $100 less.

 

[ChuckD]

I have been very happy with my Christmas present (Portuguese floor corker). I haven’t yet tried Nomacorks yet but I have heard they work.

 

[Rocky]

I currently have two Portuguese corkers and I had an Italian corker in the past. Pricing at Label Peelers is $69.99 and $218.86, respectively. I used the Italian model for about 10 years and then modified it with the "NorCal fix" when the arm pivot shaft (hardened steel) wore the soft steel frame. I think the Italian model is better, but not that it is worth 3x the money. I am happy with the Portuguese models, though they also deform the top of synthetic corks.

The bottom line is, I would not recommend spending the money on the Italian model and would opt for the Portuguese corker.

 

[BigDaveK]

Ditto on the Portuguese.
So quick and easy. Easy is important, very little effort.
I haven't seen any deformation of synthetic corks. Some have it, some don't. A mystery.

 

[Dwerth]

Thank you all for the info. I too dislike the double lever corker. Glad the Portuguese corker is good enough.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Didn’t I recently read here someone who added a little wider washer or something on their plunger that did away with the dented corks ?

I would worry a bit about hitting the bottle though.

 

[NorCal]

I think it depends on how many bottles you are going to make. I’ve run over 10k bottles through my used Ferrari that I think I paid $50 for and it has never skipped a beat.

If you are going to be making thousands of bottles, I would look for a unit with brass jaws. Used ones do come quite frequently in my area.

 

[crushday]

@Resonant11 - if you intend to use Normacorc wine closures you need to pay attention to @cmason1957. My own experience, having used Normas (Reserva) for MANY bottles of wine, is the Italian floor corkers (brass jaws) strike a channel in the side of the cork when compressed. Wine drips from this channel. Although every cork suffers, not all bottles drip. However, if wine is dripping, you're at risk of oxygen ingress. And, the wine side of the closures curls up and out on the end. AND, you'll still get that top indent you mentioned in the OP. Those Normas are just so dog gone hard to compress. I personally cannot speak to the Portuguese floor corkers (plastic jaws) and their affect on the Normacorc wine closures or their general use overall.

Here's my recommendation for the "best" corker - this is the one I use: Tenco Pneumatic Bottle Corker | Benchtop Wine Bottle Corker | 400 Bottles/Hour | MoreWine

Understandably, it has a high price point and might be out of reach.

My "best" overall recommendation is to get a Italian Floor Corker and transition to Duo Disk wine closures. They are rated for 10 years in bottle and work very will with the Italian corker I still own (backup). Many of your winemaking brothers and sisters use this corker/closure combination.

However, if you live in the Seattle area, I'm your guy... Have corker, will travel.

 

[Dwerth]

Here's my recommendation for the "best" corker - this is the one I use: Tenco Pneumatic Bottle Corker | Benchtop Wine Bottle Corker | 400 Bottles/Hour | MoreWine

The price on that corker has me thinking of designing and building a semi-automated system. Pneumatic actuation can be quite quick, electric linear actuation can be much quieter. Hmm...

 

[winemaker81]

My blue Italian corker is 30+ years old and works great. It handles all sizes of bottles from 375 ml to 1.5 liter with no problems.

I switched to Nomacorcs a while back, and there is scoring on the side of some corks. I've had 2 bottles in 1,000 leak, which is better than I got from natural corks. YMMV

 

[bstnh1]

I've used the Portuguese floor corker for a few years now and have had no issues at all with bi-disc corks or nomacorcs

 

[vinny]

I have 2, both bought used. One red, one burgundy. I assume both Portuguese as they have plastic jaws.

I am still under 200 bottles corked, but both work flawlessly and I have not noticed a single score mark in synthetic corks. I have had some cork dimples, but they spring back in the synthetics.

 

[Mekpdue]

I used the hand corker for one batch too thinking it would be fine. Nope. I went and purchased a Portuguese floor corker before my next bottling day.

Glad I did. It works fine with cork and Nomacorc. I have kept the double lever hand corker in the event something happens, but I will say it was a waste of my money.

 

[winemaker81]

I used the hand corker for one batch too thinking it would be fine. Nope. I went and purchased a Portuguese floor corker before my next bottling day.

Last year I helped my son bottle a batch, but forgot to bring my Italian corker. We went ahead with the double-lever corker he got when he purchased his starter equipment set. We both agree, "Never again."

 

[vinny]

I used the hand corker for one batch too thinking it would be fine. Nope. I went and purchased a Portuguese floor corker before my next bottling day.

Glad I did. It works fine with cork and Nomacorc. I have kept the double lever hand corker in the event something happens, but I will say it was a waste of my money.

Ya, it took me a long time to realize that saving money on the cheap option isn't always a savings. Now I tend to buy once, cry once.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I dig my Portuguese Floor Corker -- and am using Nomacorc's now -- just barely get an indentation.

Cheers!

 

[bearpaw8491]

I used a double lever corker on the first 3 bottles of wine I produced in the late '80. The next day, I took it back to my local brew store and swapped for a Portugese Floor Corker. It's been in service since then with "zero" problems. I've never used an Italian corker so can't offer a comparison between the two, but if the opinions expressed here are an indications, the choice is obvious.

 

[Resonant11]

I appreciate all the input here! I'll probably end up going with whichever floor corker that I can find used, since there doesn't seem to be a major difference.

Also regarding the divots in corks, I tried to put a dime as a buffer between the cork and the plunger and it was a minor disaster. The dime bent and jammed the corker. Maybe something sturdier would work, but I think I'm going to just learn to love the divot. lol

@crushday , that's very kind of you to offer, but I'm in Minnesota. You gave me the idea to try to see if I can get other winemakers in the area to go in on a pneumatic corker to share, though.

 

[winemaker81]

@Resonant11, each type of floor corker has it's adherents. Price is relevant -- I got mine for $40 -- the price has gone up a bit since then ....

Either way, I expect you'll be happy.