Natural corks leaking

[Ericphotoart]

I bought 30 #9 corks from FastRack and I bottled about 25 bottles of Skeeter Pee that aging in the carboy for 5 months. A few days after bottling I noticed leaking in about 6-8 bottles. This is only the 2nd time I use natural corks. I bottled over a 1000 bottles but only Nomacorc. Is it normal?

 

[winemaker81]

They look like lower end corks, so unfortunately, your result is not surprising.

I'd pull those corks and replace them. Watch all bottles for leaking.

 

[Ericphotoart]

it said "premium". Well, I will replace them with Nomacorc. Never had problem with them.

 

[winemaker81]

it said "premium". Well, I will replace them with Nomacorc. Never had problem with them.

It may be that their definition of "premium" differs from yours and mine ...

 

[Johnd]

I bought 30 #9 corks from FastRack and I bottled about 25 bottles of Skeeter Pee that aging in the carboy for 5 months. A few days after bottling I noticed leaking in about 6-8 bottles. This is only the 2nd time I use natural corks. I bottled over a 1000 bottles but only Nomacorc. Is it normal?
View attachment 116436View attachment 116437View attachment 116438

Not sure what your process is, but you should leave your bottles standing for a few days after bottling. The process of inserting the cork puts some pressure in the bottle, which comes back out through the cork. If your bottles are on their side while this occurs, it’ll push liquid out instead of air as the pressure equalizes.

 

[Rocky]

it said "premium". Well, I will replace them with Nomacorc. Never had problem with them.

It may just be the photo, but they appear to be "agglomerated" corks and not "natural" corks. Agglomerated corks are molded ground natural cork mixed with a binder. The process and quality vary significantly from supplier to supplier. Natural corks are a "plug" taken from a sheet of the bark of a cork tree (Quercus suber). These also vary in quality depending on the density of the bark.

I agree with you that Nomacorcs are the way to go. That is what I have used for my last 2000 bottles and have had no problems.

​

 

[bstnh1]

Never saw a cork leak through the middle like that. I've had a couple seep around the edge where it meets the glass,but never up through the middle. Must be an awful porous cork to do that.

 

[cmason1957]

I had this happen to me one time. I had soaked those agglomerated corks in sanitizing solution. Never again.

And no we don't need anyone to post the SNL corksoaker video.

 

[winemaker81]

This thread has be thinking about it. After re-reading it, my thoughts:

@Johnd is spot on -- let those bottles stand upright for at least a week to equalize pressure. Standing the bottles up too soon may be a factor, but only a factor.

Seeping through the middle of the cork is definitely a problem with the cork. If equalizing pressure is a problem, seeping around the cork makes sense -- seeping through it does not.

Junk the remainder of those corks. If the site has feedback, post it that the corks are junk.

 

[BigDaveK]

Another possibility to consider....
I had leakage in a couple of my winter bottled wines so it could be a temperature/barometric pressure thing. I didn't replace the corks - I took it as a sign from The Universe to drink the wine now!

 

[Ericphotoart]

Here is the link to the corks in question

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064GW1CE?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I was not aware that the corked bottles should be upright for a few days. I've used natural corks before and the process was as the last time but I didn't have any leakage. The wine stored in a carboy for 5 months, bottled and stored in the same temperature. I use italian floor corker.

 

[bstnh1]

Here is the link to the corks in question

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064GW1CE?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I was not aware that the corked bottles should be upright for a few days. I've used natural corks before and the process was as the last time but I didn't have any leakage. The wine stored in a carboy for 5 months, bottled and stored in the same temperature. I use italian floor corker.

Description says the corks are tapered. That's odd for wine corks.

 

[winemaker81]

Description says the corks are tapered. That's odd for wine corks.

Good catch. Yeah, if correct, that is a big problem.

The corks look like normal corks. If the writer's native language isn't English, they may have meant the ends are beveled (for easier insertion) and used the wrong term. I work with a lot of people for whom English is a second or third language, and wording mistakes are common for uncommonly used words.

But upon examining the corks (as much as a picture shows) it makes me question the definition of "premium".

Here is the link to the corks in question

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064GW1CE?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I was not aware that the corked bottles should be upright for a few days. I've used natural corks before and the process was as the last time but I didn't have any leakage. The wine stored in a carboy for 5 months, bottled and stored in the same temperature. I use italian floor corker.

Yeah, keep the bottles upright. Sources state a day or three, but I leave mine upright at least a week. That long may not be necessary, but it doesn't hurt.

Given that the wine leaks through the middle of the cork, I'd worry about O2 ingress. Since this is SP, long term storage isn't as much of a problem. Replace the leaking corks and use this batch up over the next year.

I had leakage in a couple of my winter bottled wines so it could be a temperature/barometric pressure thing. I didn't replace the corks - I took it as a sign from The Universe to drink the wine now!

That is something to consider. If the cork has problems, temp/pressure changes could be a factor.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I buy no wine supplies from Amazon. I support my LHBS’s and Morewine, when I can’t find an item at the LHBS.

 

[bstnh1]

I buy no wine supplies from Amazon. I support my LHBS’s and Morewine, when I can’t find an item at the LHBS.

I agree, but for a different reason. I don't trust sellers on Amazon. There are too many fake knock-off items on there.

 

[bstnh1]

Good catch. Yeah, if correct, that is a big problem.

The corks look like normal corks. If the writer's native language isn't English, they may have meant the ends are beveled (for easier insertion) and used the wrong term. I work with a lot of people for whom English is a second or third language, and wording mistakes are common for uncommonly used words.

But upon examining the corks (as much as a picture shows) it makes me question the definition of "premium".


Yeah, keep the bottles upright. Sources state a day or three, but I leave mine upright at least a week. That long may not be necessary, but it doesn't hurt.

Given that the wine leaks through the middle of the cork, I'd worry about O2 ingress. Since this is SP, long term storage isn't as much of a problem. Replace the leaking corks and use this batch up over the next year.


That is something to consider. If the cork has problems, temp/pressure changes could be a factor.

The corks look "chamfered" rather than tapered.

 

[Johnd]

This thread has be thinking about it. After re-reading it, my thoughts:

@Johnd is spot on -- let those bottles stand upright for at least a week to equalize pressure. Standing the bottles up too soon may be a factor, but only a factor.

Seeping through the middle of the cork is definitely a problem with the cork. If equalizing pressure is a problem, seeping around the cork makes sense -- seeping through it does not.

Junk the remainder of those corks. If the site has feedback, post it that the corks are junk.

I'll share my experiences here, I use very high grade premium corks, real ones, not aggolomerated. Cork is a porous material and allows transmission through at a very low rate, and even premium quality corks will allow liquid through if you cork bottles and lay them down too quickly. The wine will form little beads of liquid on the cork, just like the ones the OP had in the original post, and they can be around the edge of the cork, or in the anywhere else on the cork, depending upon where the path of least resistance is for that particular cork. I have seen this in person with 100% natural corks as well as the ones that are made with pieces. Our corks are supposed to allow the transmission of "air" at a very low and controlled rate, that's how our wine ages gracefully in the bottles, we just have to allow the bottling pressure to equalize for a short period of time, then they're solid for years, if not decades, depending upon the quality of cork.

 

[Garagista]

I'll share my experiences here, I use very high grade premium corks, real ones, not aggolomerated. Cork is a porous material and allows transmission through at a very low rate, and even premium quality corks will allow liquid through if you cork bottles and lay them down too quickly. The wine will form little beads of liquid on the cork, just like the ones the OP had in the original post, and they can be around the edge of the cork, or in the anywhere else on the cork, depending upon where the path of least resistance is for that particular cork. I have seen this in person with 100% natural corks as well as the ones that are made with pieces. Our corks are supposed to allow the transmission of "air" at a very low and controlled rate, that's how our wine ages gracefully in the bottles, we just have to allow the bottling pressure to equalize for a short period of time, then they're solid for years, if not decades, depending upon the quality of cork.

I agree. Even the finest natural corks will leak if they are not stood upright for a couple of days.

 

[Rocky]

I now use Nomacorcs exclusively but when I used either natural or agglomerated corks, I always kept the wine upright for about a week after bottling. The corker, no matter which is used, compress the cork severely. My Portuguese corker takes the diameter from 7/8" to 5/8" for insertion, a nearly 30% reduction. The materials, both cork and rubber, have a "memory" which returns the diameter to close to its original measure, but this take time. Some materials return faster (rubber) than others (cork).

 

[winemaker81]

The wine will form little beads of liquid on the cork, just like the ones the OP had in the original post, and they can be around the edge of the cork, or in the anywhere else on the cork, depending upon where the path of least resistance is for that particular cork.

In many thousands of bottles I've never seen leakage except around the sides of the cork. I believe you, but I've not experienced it myself.