Broken Corks/Bottle Tops

[rebusify]

I have bottled roughly 24 bottles of Rose yesterday and put them in the fridge. Today I tried to pull the cork out of 5 and it broke the bottle tops. Is it normal for corks to get really stuck in there or am I missing something?

 

[cmason1957]

You didn't happen to cork screwtop bottles did you? They are somewhat fragile away the top.

 

[rebusify]

No, they are cork bottles from North Mountain Supply. I've never had this happen ever and been drinking wine for way too long. lol. I have had some success with warm water on the neck but the bottles call for #8 cork and that's what I got. I was just wondering if it was related to just being bottled.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I recently ordered some corks on Amazon and they were horrible! They were the same size I've always used but a different brand because my normal ones were out of stock. I didn't break any bottles, but the corks didn't want to go in the bottles right and when I tried uncorking a couple, they were really hard to remove and ended up breaking or crumbling. I'm actually going to throw them out or see if anyone wants them for craft projects. Anyway, maybe you got a crappy batch of corks like I did???

 

[TonyP]

Quick answer, it's not normal. I suspect the issue may be in how you treated the corks before bottling. Did you boil the corks?

 

[Rocky]

I have bottled roughly 24 bottles of Rose yesterday and put them in the fridge. Today I tried to pull the cork out of 5 and it broke the bottle tops. Is it normal for corks to get really stuck in there or am I missing something?

I am not clear on whether the bottles broke or the corks broke. Please clarify.

 

[BABRU]

What kind of bottle opener are you using.
Also, I recommend Nomacorc #9 synthetic. Never break or crumble and seal tight even if not fully inserted. Cost a bit more but only pennies per bottle more.

 

[rebusify]

Does anyone else recommend the Nomacorc #9 synthetic corks? The corks I have from Amazon are the Tebery #8 Natural Wine Corks which 80% are crumbling trying to pull out.

 

[CDrew]

I personally like and use the Normacorcs. Excellent product.

 

[KCCam]

Yes, more info would help. Are the bottles breaking or just the corks? Did you treat the corks at all? What type of corkscrew are you using? I’ve never had a bottle break, and rarely a cork, but so far I’ve done mostly kits. The corks are sealed in a bag and recommended to insert dry.

 

[rebusify]

Soaked the corks in Star san solution for 20 minutes then bottled. I used the attached cork screw. Not only are the bottle tops breaking but many of the corks are crumbling. I stopped using the attached cork screw and now I'm using the winged cork screw but the corks are still crumbling. Now I'm only one week out of bottling and they are still crumbling. I let them sit up right for 2 days then have them in the fridge (40 degrees). They are Rose bottles so wanted them cold. Could the cold temp be causing it? I just ordered the Nomacorc #9 synthetic corks so hopefully won't have these issues any more.

 

[KCCam]

I’ve read you should not insert wet corks, or soak them. The best way to sterilize corks (again, from reading) is to store them in a sealed container with some K-meta (or sodium meta, I can’t remember) powder. The SO2 gas that is released sterilizes them while dry.

 

[KCCam]

And for corkscrews, I always use one that distributes pressure evenly on the top of the bottle (like the 2-handle type). I cork screw-top bottles, which are fragile at the top, and have never broken one. Touch wood!

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I have always given my corks a quick dip in Star San before inserting in the bottle and haven't had any problems. After all the comments, I personally believe you have 2 different issues going on. First, even a really tight cork shouldn't break the top of a bottle. I could see it perhaps putting a nick in the rim depending on the type or corkscrew used but not actually breaking it. I use #9 corks and they are damn tight but I've never broke a bottle removing one. So I would tend to think something was actually wrong with the bottles themselves. Second, crumbling corks could mean that you got inferior or damaged corks like I mentioned I recently had. I would lean towards low quality corks because I believe that was the issue for me. I don't know if possibly soaking them too long would cause that type of issue or not, but maybe someone else can offer insight on that.

 

[stickman]

Generally it is not recommended to soak or wet the cork in any way. As indicated above, gassing in a container with SO2 is acceptable if it is believed that the corks really need to be sanitized. I personally only buy good corks and use them dry straight from the bag.

 

[sour_grapes]

You can get good results with "normal" corks, that is, you do not need to us Nomacorcs. Evidently, you (a) have purchased sub-par corks, and (b) your pretreatment is messing you up, too. You can just buy decent corks (I use 1+1 bi-discs, mainly) and don't wet them before inserting.

 

[Mead Maker]

I’ve never had a problem with Nomacorcs #9 and I’ve gone through dozens of bags over the years.

A bit more expensive but worth every penny.

 

[bstnh1]

Does anyone else recommend the Nomacorc #9 synthetic corks? The corks I have from Amazon are the Tebery #8 Natural Wine Corks which 80% are crumbling trying to pull out.

There's so much junk and knock-offs being sold on Amazon that you never know what you're getting from there. What you got may not be what you thought you ordered.

 

[stickman]

The Tebery corks on Amazon have quite a few poor reviews describing the same issues above, "dry cork, breaks and crumbles, etc.". These are mainly for arts and crafts.

 

[JohnT]

I do not soak my corks (and no, I am not going to post that SNL skit).

I let them stand straight up for several days and then I lay the bottle down on their sides for long term storage.

I use all natural #9 corks and very rarely have a problem.