Corks

[scotty]

We no longer soak our corks. We pitch them into a bowl w/some sanitizer on them and use them. We only put in a few at a time. And we use a floor corker.

What made you stop the soaking????

 

[sangwitch]

<a href="http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2080&amp;KW=humidor&amp;PN=1" target="_blank">
http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2080&amp;KW=humidor&amp;PN=1


</A>





http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=833&amp;KW=humidor&amp;PID=11519#11519


http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=95&amp;KW=humidor&amp;PID=646#646


scotty, check out these posts. You'll find several descriptions of the humidor and the reasons why you never want to soak your corks.

 

[sangwitch]

this topic is also well covered at the sommer's forum.

another link: http://www.abccork.com/data/guide/B01_B06.pdf

 

[kutya]

I also purchased a floor corker, and so far have only tried it on empty bottles. I didn't like the little dent that my double lever corker left on my corks. I also just dip my corks in a k-meta solution prior to inserting them..

 

[scotty]

ok now ive decided to use #8--no #9--no#8 Ill keep experementing. With dipping and 10 minute soaking.
The #9 corks went in hader but not to difficult for me. I still have some of each. Ill bottle again in a few weeks with saran wrap

 

[PolishWineP]

We quit soaking them because we found it just wasn't needed. It was a waste of time and sanitizer, and really, it seemed to make it harder to get the corks to perform as we wanted while corking.

 

[smurfe]

We no longer soak our corks. We pitch them into a bowl w/some sanitizer on them and use them. We only put in a few at a time. And we use a floor corker.

What made you stop the soaking????

Scotty, most don't soak the corks anymore due to the type of corks commonly used and their construction. The agglomerate corks are the most common used today and they are made up basically of cork shavings with a type of glue/resin forming them together. Soaking them will not penetrate the resin used in the forming of the cork. The soaking was used for the natural corks that were basically punched out of the bark of a cork tree. The soaking would penetrate the pores of the natural cork.


I am not sure if the links posted above explained this or not but that is my impression of why soaking is not needed from my study of corks, which I have done quite a bit of. I have been wanting to write an article for the site about the different corks and their differences. If I can get all of my data together and find the time, I will get this done.


Smurfe

 

[scotty]

Smurf--
That was the explanation that sunk in. Thanks

 

[OldWino1]

I had trouble with corked wine with a few bottles when i soaked in soulution/

RJ Spangols site mientioned not soaking switched and have had not
one bottle go corked since also use algomated
5+ year 9# 1.75s with portuguese floor corker bring on
those bottles have corked approx 1000
bottles.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I had trouble with corked wine with a few bottles when i soaked in soulution/
RJ Spangols site mientioned not soaking  switched and have had not
one bottle go corked since   also use   algomated
5+ year 9# 1.75s with portuguese floor corker   bring on
those bottles   have corked  approx  1000
bottles. 

Show pix of your wine cellar....

 

[sangwitch]

Also, handling and soaking the corks will wear down the protetive coating and attribute to corks that are hard to remove come drinking time.

 

[Wade E]

I have a dble lever hand corker which I just used to bottle 15 bottles
with the same corks I just used three weeks ago. 3 weeks ago I soaked
the corks in a warm k-meta solution for about 5-8 minutes and they
worked beautiful. Today I tried them dry and they still went in but
left big indents on the top of the cork. I prefer soaking them
lightly!

 

[OldWino1]

Dont have a ditital camera working yet. But I have 2 144 wine
racks full with 2 rows of 1.5 ltr on top and one 98 rack full
with 2 rows of 1.5 on top and 4 cases in a closet sealed with wax.
these dont have sit on there sides to keep cork moist so they dont need
to be in the racks have given cases away for
holidays been making for 3 years this may. only have 5 gal
and 6 gal carboys. Have 5 gall lambrosco clearing getting ready to
bottle have 6 gal valapacella going into the bottle next
week have 6 gal blujsh zin cooking in primary hav e 5 gal of
apple iin carboy. If you goint to clean and sanatize 1 gal
you might as well do a 5 or 6 same trouble. and have a few
more bottles than 5 I bet any one in here can go though a
bottle with a meal for 2 so 2 bottles for a meal of
4. 1 gal barly 2 meals. 6 gals and 29 bottles
a few more meals and some time for it to age. wow a book