floor corkers

[llnicely]

Never bottled before and need some information on corkers.
I will be bottling in a few months and I am interested to know what the difference is between the italian and portequese corkers. To look at them on-line, I don't see anything drasticly different, but I'm sure there's a good reason they have different names. Thanks from a first-timer.

 

[grapeman]

There are only a few minor differences between the two units. Think Cadillac and Chevrolet or Ford. They both get the job done. The Italian corker uses brass irises to compress the cork before plunging it in the bottle. The Portuguese corker uses hard plastic irises to do the same. The Italian has a somewhat longer lever handle to give a bit more leverage and make the job easy enough for a young child to operate. It will take a ten year old for the Portuguese. The Portuguese occasionally has slight problems with certain corks, but a simple cork chage takes care of that problem. Either will do the job. The Italian corker costs more but might last longer with proper care and maintenance(just wipe it down after use).

 

[JimCook]

I just recently received my Italian brass-iris floor corker from George and let me tell you - how awesome. I was amazed at how little effort is necessary to drop a cork into a bottle, as well as some simple check mechanisms to make sure that the bottle doesn't slip while the cork is being inserted and how the iris compresses the cork and then releases slightly as the cork is pressed into the bottle. The main difference to the best of my knowledge is the material that comprises the iris, although I don't have both of them in front of me to compare workability between the two. The Italian Ferrari floor corker uses a brass iris and the Portuguese floor corkere uses a plastic iris. I'm so impressed with the Italian that I didn't consider the Protuguese version based on other forum recommendations. Of course, the Portuguese floor corker doesn't cost as much as the Italian floor corker.


Hope that helps,


- Jim

 

[PolishWineP]

If you buy either one of them you should be happy with the results. It is the Cadillac vs Ford difference. Both will safely get you where you're going. One thing to consider when deciding is how much wine you plan to make over the next 10 years. A few batches here and there or many batches? Good luck!

 

[Wade E]

I have the Portuguese and love it but since I started doing Sparkling wine I really should have bought the Italian model as there is a add on to it where you can do the Champagne corks. I have not had any problems what so ever with the Portuguese model.
Edited by: wade

 

[jobe05]

I really should have bought the Italian model as there is a add on to it where you can do the Champagne corks.

I have never seen this Wade (because I never looked), if you ever come across it again I'd be curious to see it. Can it do the Cork type Champaign tops? Or does it just hold te plastic ones in place and push them in?

Right now I use a rubber mallet to put them in......... Don't know if that good or not but it works.

 

[Wade E]

Okay, I looked into this a little more and there is a difference in the Champagne corker and the Wine corker. The Champagne corker which is the same price as the standard Italian corker will do the natural Champagne corks, wine corks, and will also cap beer bottles with an attachment just for the beer crown caps. The standard floor corker will only do wine corks so for the same price this will eventually be my next toy as I really dont like the plastic stoppers as I had a few leakers last time.

 

[stapletondan]

My Ferrari floor corker is smashing the corks as they plunge into the bottle, creating a broken edge on 1/3 of the circumference of the cork. Is there some adjustment that i need to make to the "iris"?
Also the inside area under the iris is rusted and causes the corks to be stained with rust when bottling. How can i remove the iris safely, so i can clean and paint the inside area to prevent further corrosion?