corking trauma -- is there a workable technique?!

[wine newbee]

Corking, for the 1st time, some bottles this weekend, using a plastic Ferrari corker. The process sounded really simple/easy when the supply shop owner demo'd it ("air-demo", not with the actual corker and a btl).

But .... trying it myself, I nearly broke myself trying to get the corks into the btls. Finally put the 1st btl between my feet (!) and mashed down -- and knocked over the btl, spilling the blueberry melomel onto a beige carpet. Great. Only slightly better luck with the other 2 btls, and I ended up using a hammer (!!) to pound the corker's top, making the corks go into the btls' necks.

There has to be a better way. Hammers and plastic, I think, don't mix. Maybe I just lack the upper-body strength nowadays to mash the corker?

Can anybody guide me to a better technique, or any little tricks that might help?

Signed
Desperate

 

[Intheswamp]

If you can afford it by all means buy a floor corker. You WILL NOT BELIEVE the difference between your "corker" and a floor corker. Basically you indeed are using brute force to insert the cork by only trying to push in a non-compressed cork. A floor corker compresses the cork and then pushes it into the bottle neck. It requires only a small amount of pressure on the handle. You will love it. Amazon has the Portuguese floor corker for $61 and free shipping currently... Portuguese Floor Corker.

At the very least I would go with the Gilda Hand Corker ($30). It compresses the corks, too, but in "hand corker style". It appears to take some dexterity, though, to work the three different handles. I'd pitch in a little more money and go with the floor corker.

Seriously, you will not believe the difference in how easy it is to cork a bottle of wine if you go with a floor corker. It'll last a lifetime!

If you do go with the floor corker be sure to come back and less us know. You will most likely need to secure the depth-setting nut on the corker so that it doesn't move...easy fix, no sweat.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

Btw, I just recently bought one of the Portuguese floor corkers from Amazon back in September for $69. The box came really mangled-up-looking but the two parts to the corker were wrapped in some heavy (almost cardboard) corrugated paper and didn't have a scratch on it. There are only two parts...the main frame with the lever and corker mechanism and a cross-piece "foot" to allow it to stand up on its own. Very stable. You'll grin at how easy it operates.

 

[Scooter68]

I used a two piece plastic corker for about a year (about 30 bottles from 6 batches) Finally one day I just didn't have the strength to get that last cork all the way in. I ahd my shoulder surgery not long afterwards so that was part of the issue.

They do work but as suggested - get a floor corker or even the two handed corker asap. Note: the two-handed corkers require either two people (1 to cork 1 to hold the bottle) or a stand to secure the bottle - someone just recent posted a picture of one they built.

 

[wine newbee]

Much obliged, guys; I think I'll go the Portuguese route. Sounds a whole lot nicer and more manageable than the nightmare I went through with the little plastic thing! Happy fermenting!

Mitch

 

[Intheswamp]

You won't believe the difference!!! Take care of the nut that controls the depth the cork is set to. Count threads or mark the plunger bolt at the current placement of the nut somehow (sharpie?...drop of paint?)...it may be wrong but it gives you a starting point to start with. Run the nut to the end of the plunger or simply remove it. Wrap teflon tape (plumbing/hardware) around the threads of the plunger bolt. Personally I'd wrap in the same direction that the nut will be screwed in when it is reinstalled. This will create drag/snugness of the plunger bolt and nut fitment and keep it from spinning due to vibration/use. I was debating on using some LocTite or teflon tape but was quickly convinced of the teflon tape. Once you get the tape wrapped and the nut back about where it was when you received it you need to do some test-corking to adjust the plunger to the proper cork-setting depth. Some cheap corks and an empty wine bottle are your guinea pigs. As was explained to me (by JohnD, I think it was) different bottles and corks may call for different settings so do a test bottle each bottling session to verify the depth setting.

Make sure the bottle is sitting properly on the round (spring-loaded) pad and the mouth is correctly centered in the corker head. If you feel very much resistance I would stop and be sure the bottle isn't crooked...pushing the lever down should show "some" resistance but should be a smooth action and much, much easier than a hand corker. A test bottle, some spare corks, and a little time and you'll be a professional corker!!!

Congratulations on taking care of your trauma!!!!
Ed

 

[beano]

I use a two handled Italian corker and have no problem using it alone. It compresses the cork and zoom, its in the bottle. It will leave a depression in the cork sometimes but no biggie. It helps to wet the corks. Kmeta or a campdon solution. It does also get some cork debris in it so you have to check it otherwise it will end up floating in the next bottle you cork.
If you do more volume the floor worker would be the way to go though. I only do 15 to 25 bottles at a time.

 

[Intheswamp]

Are you using #9 corks, beano?

I've only used my Portuguese floor corker one time. It worked great but if I recall correctly I believe it left some indentations, too. I'll have to check and see.

 

[beano]

Yes, #9's

 

[Intheswamp]

Cool. I haven't tried a hand-corker. After hearing all the stories of how bad a time folks had with them I opted to get the Portuguese floor corker. I will say it is easy with the floor corker, for sure.