corking question

[Bossbaby]

I just purchased a portugese floor corker and I'm wondering if the bag of #8 corks I have on hand for my hand corker will be ok to use up, or should I only be using #9 . any info would be appreciated..

 

[VinesnBines]

You can use your #8s. The floor corker will make using #9s much easier.

 

[Bossbaby]

Thanks for the response VinesnBines..

 

[VinesnBines]

You will love the floor corker.

 

[7munkee]

I bought a Portuguese hand corker and I used #8. Be sure to adjust the depth before corking as a couple of mine went too far down in the bottle. There is an adjustable screw on top to adjust depth.

 

[Steve Wargo]

I just purchased a portugese floor corker and I'm wondering if the bag of #8 corks I have on hand for my hand corker will be ok to use up, or should I only be using #9 . any info would be appreciated..

I use #8 corks for wines that I will drink within 2 years. I use #9 for wine I plan to age for 3+years. Sometimes I use both, knowing I'll drink some of it now and some later. I mark them differently to know what's what. Easy as a sharpie mark on the top of the cork after it's in the bottle

 

[franc1969]

I just purchased a portugese floor corker and I'm wondering if the bag of #8 corks I have on hand for my hand corker will be ok to use up, or should I only be using #9 . any info would be appreciated..

I keep the #8 corks for 375ml bottles and a few others that I have that do not like larger corks. They won’t cause an issue if you want to use them up, though.
The Portuguese floor corker is a life saver. I don't know how anyone uses the hand corkers, too hard to get anything seated and secure. I would need to go for screw caps if not using the floor corker.

 

[winemaker81]

I use all the same size cork, so I don't have to worry about which cork I'm putting which bottle. It's easier for me to simply purchase more corks when I'm running low. Currently I use 1-1/2" Nomacorcs, which eliminates problems I had with leakage and mold growing on the outside of the cork (harmless, but a truly ugly visual).

Anyone bottling a lot of wine at one time will benefit from a better corker. I have an Italian (bigger than the Portuguese) that will put any cork into any bottle. Bottling goes a lot faster and with less fuss.

 

[Handy Andy]

I just racked a barrel of 30 litres of wine into 5 litre bottles, which had been cleaned and disinfected about a month earlier. I put corks in the empty bottles to keep the bugs out. When I removed the corks, to fill the bottles, the corks were moldy. Also the new corks I had on the shelf were showing signs of mold.

My questions are >
Should corks be treated with anything before use ?
Why use different size corks when aging wine for longer periods, shrinkage?
If shrinkage is a problem, are plastic corks any better than cork ?

 

[winemaker81]

Mold on the inside or outside? If it's the outside of the corks, it's potentially ok. If it's on the inside of the bottle? IMO that's a problem.

What is the humidity in the storage area? I'd guess it's high. If so, store the corks elsewhere.

I clean wine bottles and sanitize, then store upside down in clean cases. The mouth is on the cardboard, so nothing can get in, and I do not sanitize at bottling. I inspect all bottles at bottling time, and if I find one that isn't sparkling clean, it goes back through the process. For 4 liter jugs, I use plastic screw caps to keep them clean once cleaned and dried.

I do not treat corks before using. Corks remain in the original bag until used, and I fold the bag over twice and secure with a binder clip between bottlings. I started using Nomacorcs a few years ago, as I often got mold on the outside of the cork, and ~5% leaked during storage. [My storage conditions are not ideal.]

Some folks spritz their corks with K-meta or even soak them. However, if the unused corks are moldy, trash them. I do no believe you can fully clean and sanitize them.

I have had #9 corks in the bottle for up to 10 years with no problems. I have not experienced the shrinkage others report, possibly due to different storage conditions. The narrower corks have a greater likelihood to leak over longer periods of time. As I said above, I use all the same cork so I'll never mistakenly use the wrong size.

 

[Trevisan]

I have been using an Italian floor corkier for decades. It has been very reliable, however, I wonder if there is any way to avoid the plunger imprint in the cork after it has been set into the bottle. The dimples can be quite prominent at times. I soak the corks in a weak solution of Kmeta bisulfite an hour before use to facilitate insertion which helps a bit. Does anybody have a workaround to eliminate the punch mark?

 

[winemaker81]

Does anybody have a workaround to eliminate the punch mark?

My Italian corker is also decades old, and the plunger has always been a bit off-center. I set the depth so the edge of the cork directly under the plunger is flush, then turn the bottle 180 degrees and press again so the cork is totally flush. By the time I open the bottles, months or years later, there is no visible mark.

 

[mikewatkins727]

Why are we worrying about the punch mark?

 

[Old Corker]

I use an Italian floor corker too. The punch mark doesn't bother me but I did stop using Nomacorcs because of the crease it puts in the edge of the cork. Bottles I have with the polymer corks started developing small drips when stored horizontal for 10 - 12 months.

 

[winemaker81]

Why are we worrying about the punch mark?

Early in my wine making journey, I noted the punch mark when using a new corker, as I have concerns if the corker is damaging the cork. After decades of using the same floor corker, I note the punch mark only when someone asks about it.

There is also visual appeal.