Wine Cork Controversies

[cpfan]

Sorry Shake. I have never used them for wine. I did use some for a plain alcohol that won't oxidize, and they seemed to seal well (about 7 years in bottle).

Steve

 

[Vin Rouge]

I use both synthetic and natural corks. I think I paid $120 for a bag of 1000 synthetic corks. I bought them from Neocork. They are up in Napa. The latest natural corks have a much better quality and sanitation to them. They have to compete with the synthetics and screw caps. I guess they began to lose some of their market share and discovered that they now are competing.

I will be switching back to natural corks. Tradition and ageing.

 

[SteveMers]

I have always used synthetic corks and haven't had any problems.

 

[Rocky]

Smurfe, I buy them on line and have bought 2000 over the past two years with no problems.

For you agglomerated users (and you too, Smurfe if you are paying $.05-.07 each) check these out. This is what I use and have had no issues whatsoever.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VFXY3C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This works out to $.0064 each, i.e. less than a penny each. Read the reviews of the corks. The only bad review was from a person who bought them for crafting and did not like them because the glue being used would not stick to the corks.

 

[shockcord]

Rocky, I think you need to move your decimal over one place. My calculator tells me it's $0.064 each (still a good buy though). Has anyone tried corks from Cork and Wine Supplies? I just got a Portuguese floor corker with 200 natural corks from them for $69.99 (free shipping). See address below:

http://corkandwinesupplies.com/portuguesefloorcorker-1.aspx

 

[Rocky]

Shockcord, I am totally embarrassed! Thank you for the correction. I don't know what I was thinking. Sometimes I wonder how I got this far. The only explanation I have is that I was happy to find corks for under $.10 (or a dime) and somewhere in my goofy mind that went to under a penny.

 

[Boatboy24]

Shockcord, I am totally embarrassed! Thank you for the correction. I don't know what I was thinking. Sometimes I wonder how I got this far. The only explanation I have is that I was happy to find corks for under $.10 (or a dime) and somewhere in my goofy mind that went to under a penny.

You're also responding to a 7 year old thread.

 

[jswordy]

Thousands of agglomerates by now, inserted with an Italian corker. Capsules? We don' need no stinkin' CAPSULES!

 

[Rocky]

Jim, one of my favorite movies, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

 

[richmke]

I read that the Italian and Portuguese floor Corkers are fine with natural cork, but sometimes tends to crease the synthetic corks. Leaves a channel that wine can weep out. Sealing with wax solves the problem.

 

[reefman]

Rocky, I think you need to move your decimal over one place. My calculator tells me it's $0.064 each (still a good buy though). Has anyone tried corks from Cork and Wine Supplies? I just got a Portuguese floor corker with 200 natural corks from them for $69.99 (free shipping). See address below:

http://corkandwinesupplies.com/portuguesefloorcorker-1.aspx

Shockcord,
Thanks for that link, I'm looking for a corker now.

 

[Norton]

I have just gotten a bench corker finally after 3 years of using a hand corker and it is time to get some corks in bulk. So my dilemma is #8 vs #9 and straight vs. tapered. Any opinions?


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[MrKevin]

Norton
Straight #9 corks the best.

 

[richmke]

#8 is for hand corkers because you cannot apply as much force to compress them. #9 is the preferred cork.

I heard that the 350ml bottles are a little smaller, so the #8 corks are fine for those. But, #9 still work in them.

Straight is best. It gives you the best seal along the entire length of the cork.

 

[reefman]

My Portuguese floor corker is coming Friday....can't wait. I have 18 gallons ready to practice with.

 

[manvsvine]

there are "real" corks and then there are Real corks

they are sold in grades from 5 to 1 and in different lengths and diameters .

for my best wines I use # 9 1 3/4" number ones or number 2s , solid natural corks .
I pay between $350 and $700 for one thousand . you can pay upto a dollar each for the very best 2" number 9 corks.

there are also similar grade difference agglomerated corks .
I would only use the best of these which are the twin disk type , the very cheap agglomerated corks should only be used if you are someone who drinks the wine in under a year . perfect for a lot of kit makers

I would use the best twin disk aglomerated corks before I used the cheapest low grade natural corks.

 

[tonyt]

I use Bi-disks, didn't see that listed. Only natural cork touches the wine in the bottle and the amalgomate center insures a good seal.

 

[garymc]

I've used traditional real corks, twin disc, agglomerated, and Nomacorqs. The Nomacorqs are real easy to insert, but expensive. I use agglomerated or twin disc for the majority of my wines, which are given to relatives and consumed within a year or two of production. I keep real corks and when I'm bottling a batch of a wine that's good and might be expected to improve with age, I use the real corks in a few bottles and try to keep them the longest.

 

[rawatts]

put washers on top of the cork. it also even out the force applied to the cork. 5/16 is perfect