Cork prep?

[Davolous]

Should I do anything to prep my corks before I use them for bottling?

 

[dralarms]

No you don't have to, but I rinse mine with kmeta and roll them on a papertowel before inserting them.

 

[Davolous]

No you don't have to, but I rinse mine with kmeta and roll them on a papertowel before inserting them.

What will k metabisulfite do for the cork?
Add moisture and prevent mold?

 

[dralarms]

I just like to sanitize them. Dont need to but I do, the little bit of moisture left makes them just a tad bit easier to insert.

 

[Davolous]

I just like to sanitize them. Dont need to but I do, the little bit of moisture left makes them just a tad bit easier to insert.

Cool thanks.

 

[JohnT]

OMG! I would have put money down on someone posting the "cork soaker" skit from SNL..

I do nothing to them, just go straight to the corker with dry corks.
My corks are never around long enough to go moldy.

I suppose that if you wanted to rinse them in k-meta first, there would be no harm.

 

[tmmii]

I have always put them on a cookie sheet and into the oven at 250 for 20 min.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[wineforfun]

I put mine in a bucket with water and a little K-Meta. There are only in there for a minute at best. Since I use a basic hand corker, it helps get them in the bottle. Leave the bottles upright for 2 days and on their side into the cellar.
Like JohnT, my corks aren't in the bottles long enough to rot, etc.

 

[bkisel]

It makes me feel better to sanitize my corks. I'll most often have them floating in a bowl of K-Meta solution then dunk and shake off just before inserting the cork. Last time I gassed them by putting the solution in a pot then putting some screen type thing my wife has in the pot over the solution. Corks sat on the screen thing, not touching any solution, and the pot was covered. Think I got the idea here on WMT. Think it is affectionately referred to as the "corkidor" method.

 

[jswordy]

I just spritz them with k meta in a spray bottle and insert. Not that I ever had any trouble whatsoever with corks when I didn't do that. It's something I started after reading this forum for some reason.

I keep my leftover corks in a Ziplock to which I add a little k meta powder.

 

[hvac36]

Jim must be a Jim thing as I do the same, spray and insert......

 

[Boatboy24]

I'm a non-spraying Jim. I use a corkador. Glas jar in a bucket with a few ounces of KMeta solution. Corks in bucket, lid on. They stay dry, but the Kmeta fumes take care of anything that needs to be taken care of. I change out the solution every few weeks.

 

[kevinlfifer]

I rinse with k-meta then hot water and use. I think the hot water helps them go in easier with the winged corker. Could be my imagination.

 

[jswordy]

Jim must be a Jim thing as I do the same, spray and insert......

I never did a single darned thing to the corks before I got on here, and I never had a problem. I consider my Ziplock with k meta powder in it a form of redneck "corkidor." I never did any of that, either.

Actually, I laugh at myself frequently for doing this. It just shows to go ya how once you get to reading about other people's fears they can make you fearful, yourself, even if your extensive past experience says there is nothing to fear. BTW, this phenomena is well-documented in research as I'll bet Bernard Smith can confirm.

I spritz every one of the buggers now and keep the opened ones in that Ziplock!

 

[Enologo]

Before I bottle I put them in a plastic container give them a few spritzes of meta put the top on give the container a few shakes and let it sit while I'm prepping the bottles then it's off to the races.

 

[derunner]

Before I bottle I put them in a plastic container give them a few spritzes of meta put the top on give the container a few shakes and let it sit while I'm prepping the bottles then it's off to the races.

This is what I do too before bottling. I also bought in bulk last year and had them in a corkidor bucket as mentioned above for long term storage.

 

[Bibelljim]

This is pretty much the way my friend showed me how to do it, too.

 

[jamesngalveston]

I keep them in a an airtight container...and do nothing except cork....maybe that is wrong, but i have had no problems on at least 120 gallons of wine.
i did switch from no8 to no9

 

[Runningwolf]

I never did a thing to my corks or corker bottling for years. Never had an issue. Since I buy 1000 a thousand at a time now, I do use a corkidore. I also started sanitizing my corker with alcohol. A meta solution will never touch my corker and there is not a single bit of rust on it. Actually many thousands of corks through the Portuguese corker and it still looks brand new. I did upgrade to the Italian corker and I expect the same results. I can't stress enough if you're using a floor corker it is not good practice to wet the corks at all.

 

[jamesngalveston]

whats the difference from a Portuguese corker and an italian corker.
I have the portuguese and love it....