First Time Using Hand Corker

[robie]

Yesterday I bottled some of my MM Ren. Amarone. (I racked to a 5-gallon carboy for bulk aging and bottled 8 - 375 ml bottles.)

I used the hand corker, which George includes with his delux equipment kit.

It wasn't so bad, except for the first 3 bottles, because I didn't get the corks in completely below the rim of the very top of the bottle. (The corks stick up out of the bottle about 1/32 inch.) I found myself kind of letting up, just at the end of pressing the cork into the bottle. After that little let up, no matter how hard I pressed again, the cork wouldn't go in any more.

The trick: Once the cork reaches the top of the bottle, press straight, strong, and steadily until the corker's two levers won't go any further. Let the levers stop your motion, don't let up gradually. For the ones I did with this method, the corks are seated below the rim, where one would expect them to be.

Since I won't typically be bottling more that 30 bottles in any given month, this corker will do just fine for me.

Piece of cake!

 

[Goodfella]

Yeah. They are nice. I will not argue about floor corkers not being better. (they are sweet). But the double handle hand corkers will definitly get the job done.

 

[ibglowin]

What size corks were you using for the 375's?

 

[robie]

Mike,
Yesterday, right after I opened this topic, I got a computer virus while looking for grape skin packs on the internet. Don't know what happened, cause I have AVG, which has always protected me before. It was the "avcommand" virus thingie. I have it all taken care of, now, but was worried for a while, since everything I clicked on was redirected to one executable. It ate the AVG icons and executables before I knew what had happened.

Anyway, I used #9's on the small bottles. They went in fine. Earlier yesterday morning I read George's email, which said #8's are better for the 375's. In the future, I will continue to do the - bottle 1 gallon in 375's and bulk age 5 gallons, so I believe I will get some #8 corks.

 

[ibglowin]

Glad you saw that too and wanted to make sure you read it in case you missed it. I need to pick up a case of some 375's as well so I can do a few taste testers along the way. I guess I could always open a big guy and just pour into a few 375's and then cork as well so might go that route with my bottled stuff.

Sorry about the virus.

Stay away from those "bad" sites!

 

[robie]

The 375's work well for test tasting. The way I separated the 1 gallon from the 5 gallon was a mistake and I won't repeat it again. Sometimes common sense just seems to go out the door.

The wine had set about a month before I separated it, so it had a thin layer of sediment in the bottom. First, I racked off the 5 gallons into the 5-gallon carboy. That left me trying to bottle right off the bottom where all the sediment was. The 375's are going to have some sediment in them.

I should have either - racked off everything to a clean 6-gallon carboy, then separated, or (better idea) siphoned off the 1-gallon first, then rack to the 5 gallon carboy, since it would not have been an issue to have a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bulk aging carboy. I'll do #2 next time.

Duh!

 

[Goodfella]

#2 is the way to go.

 

[xanxer82]

I remember my first fine using the plastic plunger "handi" corker. It was orange flimsy platic. what a bear.
The double lever corkers are a godsend after using that thing.

 

[robie]

Xanxer82,
Yeah, if I had that oldie, I would probably spring for a P. floor corker, but I think I will stick with my double handle hand corker for awhile. No more than I will bottle at any given time, it will work for me.

 

[hannabarn]

I have stayed with the double handle corker for the same reason. I don't bottle more than a batch at a time. I'll save my money for some other goodies!!

 

[harryjpowell]

Come on, isn't winemakeing about buying all the goodies.


My next items
100L ss
SS Press
Haana (?) SO2 meter and a TA meter - talk about goodies!

 

[robie]

Harry,
Maybe in time, but I will move slowly for now. For me, it also is a matter of justification.

Can I borrow your SO2 meter and TA meter?

 

[Wade E]

I just sprung for a refractometer since I have all these Currant bushes now and it will help with my beer brewing very much also.

 

[robie]

In the fall when I try my hand at fresh grapes, I will want to get a refractometer.
About SO2 - I have read that the inexpensive SO2 tests tend to show higher. I would like to have an accurate way to test SO2 and not have to depend on the 1/4 teaspoon of Kmeta every 6 to 8 weeks being OK. It would be reassuring to REALLY know what the levels are at bottling time. I doubt I will ever spring for an expensive SO2 meter, though.

 

[PeterZ]

The SO2 iodide/iodate titration method is the lab standard, but takes some practice to read - especially in reds.

 

[robie]

PeterZ,
I have never used the test kit. I just remember reading in masta's presentation at some wine conference that it has a tendency to read high. Maybe there is a certain skill one acquires after using it for awhile.

 

[PeterZ]

You have to catch the endpoint just right. That's what makes it hard in reds.

 

[ArdenS]

I've read (Jack Keller) that some people use a pH meter to determine the end point, then calculate the amount of buffer solution, etc. from there. Color change becomes irrelevant doing it that way.

Arden

 

[robie]

Stop at PH of 8.2 - I've heard something about that, too. I probably need to become familiar with acid and SO2 testing. It's inevitable that it's coming my way.

 

[grapeman]

8.2 is the changepoint when doing the TA test. You add the sodium hydroxide , preferably with a burette into the beaker while using a magnetic stirbar. When you reach 8.2 on the pH meter, the change has occured and you stop adding any more NaOH. Take your reading, do the math and you get the resulting TA.