Insomniac
Well-Known Member
I just tried to bottle my first batch of mead so cleaned and sanitised 6 screw-cap used wine bottles that i've been collecting.
My plan was to cork them, so bought these corks:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=418
And this little corker:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=270
I figured that for only 6 bottles at a time the effort would be ok. Now the problem I have is that no matter how hard I try I cannot get these corks to fit through this corker, and even if I leave the bottom part out and try to squeeze it directly into the bottle I can only get it about half way.
Now, I'm going to assume at some point that these corks require some mechanical corker that actually squashes the cork, which I don't have.
What should I do? For now I have one bottle with a cork half in and 5 with the original screw caps put on fairly tight. I also have a bag of these corks:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=147
But I think they are probably worce than the screw caps.
As far as I can tell my options are:
1) Stick with the old screw caps.
2) Get a better corker, maybe this one? http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=367
3) Get different corks, one of these maybe:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=52
or http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=51
4) Something else I've missed.
Any help or advice appreciated!
My plan was to cork them, so bought these corks:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=418
And this little corker:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=270
I figured that for only 6 bottles at a time the effort would be ok. Now the problem I have is that no matter how hard I try I cannot get these corks to fit through this corker, and even if I leave the bottom part out and try to squeeze it directly into the bottle I can only get it about half way.
Now, I'm going to assume at some point that these corks require some mechanical corker that actually squashes the cork, which I don't have.
What should I do? For now I have one bottle with a cork half in and 5 with the original screw caps put on fairly tight. I also have a bag of these corks:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=147
But I think they are probably worce than the screw caps.
As far as I can tell my options are:
1) Stick with the old screw caps.
2) Get a better corker, maybe this one? http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=367
3) Get different corks, one of these maybe:
http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=52
or http://www.dorsethomebrew.co.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=51
4) Something else I've missed.
Any help or advice appreciated!