Zork Corks?

I was searching for something else and came across these things called Zork corks: http://www.letsdowine.com/zorkcorks.html

They look great, are priced right, and would be a big improvement over my crappy corker and a hurt hand But I'm wondering if they hold a seal well. Has anyone used these or heard about them?

Thanks!

Looks good to me...Kinda suspect about the overall quality, but if it was as good...or almost as good as a regular cork...I'd go for it...at least for some bottles.

I guess I'll sacrifice myself (or my wallet) and try it out. Then I'll report back!

w00t!
Way to take one for the team!

So what tools do you need to cork with them? Is it a heat shrink material?

You have to report back to us...I haven't bought a corker yet...and if I can avoid spending the bucks for something I won't use that often (I don't see myself making a lot of meads or wines)....I would get into using this.

You are my new brewing hero for posting this

Revvy said:

So what tools do you need to cork with them? Is it a heat shrink material?

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I kinda thought that too when I saw it, but it dosn't indicate that you need to do any of that. Im not sure how you would get a permanent seal without shrinking it somehow?

Revvy said:

So what tools do you need to cork with them? Is it a heat shrink material?

You have to report back to us...I haven't bought a corker yet...and if I can avoid spending the bucks for something I won't use that often (I don't see myself making a lot of meads or wines)....I would get into using this.

You are my new brewing hero for posting this

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They are very slick looking indeed.

The ad states "Fits all standard wine bottles no tools required. Just give a firm push and viola!"

I wonder how long they will last for aging purposes. Might be good for white wines that don't age long, but the deeper reds might turn if the seal isn't that good.

I've been looking into these as well. It's my impression that you need an adapter to use in conjunction with your floor capper. Here's a link that shows the process:

Zork capper

I saw that too, then found another thread contradicting the need for a corker of any kind: http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=27266

I just placed my order, and should have them by the end of the week- just in time to cork some apfelwein! I'll let you know how it goes.

update?

Also, to cap champagne bottles with the crown opening (sp?) what size cap do you need?
Sorry, don't mean to hijack.

All right- I got the zork corks and used them about three weeks ago. May I say? Awesome.
Here's a picture:


They look good, they were very easy to use (just push in by hand- not hard at all), they are easy to remove, hold a good seal, and the best part is they are reusable, so if you don't finish the bottle, you can just put it back in, much easier than a cork. The only negative for me, is that they didn't fit every bottle- some had thick mouths that the plastic just didn't fit over. Other than that? Nothing bad to say about them. Of course, I'll update that if I find in a few months or a year that they didn't hold the seal long-term.

I paid about $12.95 for 30, which is about what corks cost me. All in all, I'll probably be buying these again.

Hope this helps!

interesting

the link on the zork website shows them using a corker

http://www.zork.com.au/pdfs/bottling_pdfs/4_Starter_Pack.pdf

Not positive, but I think that site is aimed at higher production customers. You would definitely want a corker for more than, say, 30 bottles at a time. But they were easy to insert by hand for the 15 bottles I used them on. They seat without much pressure as long as the glass isn't too thick.

Well my first batch in fermenting now, so I am definitely going to be using those and saving myself the purchase of a corker.

Thanks for the info and being guinea pig.

Where can you order these? I've checked my usual places, but can't find them.

I bought a pack of 100 last week and got them on that friday from midwest supplies.
I just bottled half my apfelwein on tuesday with them they are awesome.

Will these fit other bottles?.....like beer bottles?

juvinious said:

I bought a pack of 100 last week and got them on that friday from midwest supplies.
I just bottled half my apfelwein on tuesday with them they are awesome.

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Cool. I'll check out Midwest Supply then. Thanks. These look so much easier then corking, especially since I don't feel like buying a corker.

ms8miranda said:

Will these fit other bottles?.....like beer bottles?

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Wine only from what I can see.

I think that the seal should last for a while. When I was on vacation in the Outer Banks I saw a brand in the wine shop that was using those Zorks for all of their wine. (not sure what the name was)

I just ordered 100 from Midwest ... they take PayPal. I read up on these and they are being used commercially as well. They haven't been around long enough to say that they will last decades, but they definitely hold up for years and I can't even wait three months to drink my wine, so I'm safe.

For anyone who has used these: Are the zorks reusable?

They are essentially just t shaped "tasting" corks with a seal. Once they are opened for the first time, the seal is removed. They shouldn't be anymore resuable then any other tasting corks in my opinion.

Just an update. I've placed an order and plan on using these this weekend. The description said they will last and hold a seal for 4-5 years.

I like them because 1- they don't require a capper and 2- it is another interesting part of the brew I am giving as a gift

I've used them and them and they work pretty well. Capping by hand is harder than it looks though and my palm was very sore afterwards..

mikeg77 said:

I've used them and them and they work pretty well. Capping by hand is harder than it looks though and my palm was very sore afterwards..

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I totally agree. I am bottline more wine this weekend and going to use regular corks. I'll see what I prefer but my palm was definitely sore with those zorks.

I've used zork corks, you push them on by hand and the seal is great. They do not however work on the Italian style wine bottles where the rim is one size all the way down. You need the style of bottle where the lip is narrower for a 16th of an inch or so then widens. Sorry but I cant explain any better in type, I think you know the style though, Ken

P.S. I use leather work gloves when I push them on to avoid a sore palm, Ken

How do you guys sanitize your zorks?

Do we have any updates on longevity?

I'm having troubles with leakage. this is first time i've used them. It looks like the zorks are leaking in the little hole that you can see in the seam of the part you peel off. Haven't been able to find any info on this issue. Not sure if i'm doing something wrong or what?? I had high hopes for these but so far am disappointed. Hoping it's an error that I'm making that I can figure out and fix... :/

They probably aren't seated well. Tap them on with a rubber mallet.

I sanitize mine by dipping them in boiling water for a few seconds.

KiRbY29869 said:

I think that the seal should last for a while. When I was on vacation in the Outer Banks I saw a brand in the wine shop that was using those Zorks for all of their wine. (not sure what the name was)

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I have some wine bottles in my rack with these. Red Knot from McLaren Vale. Here is a link: Wine McLaren Vale | Red wine McLaren Vale | Award winning wine McLaren Vale | Australian wine | Australian Shiraz |Shingleback wines, South Australia

I think it was a combination of two different things. I had boiled the zorks to sanitize them and tried putting them on while they were still hot. This caused the black stopper part to bend crooked and not seal properly after it had cooled. Also, the mallet came in really handy getting them seated when they were cooled off. Thanks guys.

I just ordered a bunch of these, just hoping they work on my large assortment of collected bottles.

make sure you are using the correct type of bottles with these corks as well. I have used them with no problems so far. i have only been using them for a year though so ymmv

Has anyone used them on 1.5L wine bottles? They say they fit most 750ML, but I didn't think about mine being 1.5L....

I have used these on all of my wine bottles so far, and I really like them. I have never had an issue with them sealing either, and so far my 2 year old apfelweins are perfectly fine. I haven't been degassing my wines, so whenever I pop the cork, I listen for the very light "hiss" from the excess CO2 from fermentation. Every bottle has held that tiny bit of pressure.

nukinfuts29 said:

Has anyone used them on 1.5L wine bottles? They say they fit most 750ML, but I didn't think about mine being 1.5L....

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I used them 1.5L bottles. The 1.5L bottles that I used have a thicker neck, but the inner hole is the same size. I really had a hard time forcing the corks on, and was afraid that the bottles would break from the force. I literally had to put almost all of my weight (175 lbs) to get it on. After they seated, some of the "peel off tabs" had cracked from the excessive outward force. They sealed perfectly fine though. I probably would not do that again for the 1.5 L bottles. Instead, I would take an old cork without the "peel off tab", or peel off the "peel off tab" from a new one, and use that as the cork instead. The hardest part is forcing the cork onto the bottle lip past the "peel off tab".

Thanks for letting me know

I've used em for a couple years. Yup, using a leather glove is a good idea to avoid a sore hand. I think you need to be a fairly large person to push them in easily by hand. Using a corker to push them in is good otherwise (I do em by hand tho) ... yes a mallet is used by some to get them to seat if you have trouble doing it by hand. As far as sanitizing them, don't cook them ... just a soak in metabisulfite is fine.

Though they are being used by more and more larger commercial wineries, as I understand it the verdict is still out on their use when you are putting down wine to age for an extended time (not according to the manufacturer but according to folks who have been taking a "wait and see" approach). So, for grape wine being aged for 3 or 4 years plus, personally, I'd still be using natural corks. But I like zorks a lot, and as they are proven over the long haul I would switch to them in my wine put down for longer storage and aging. Zork SPK are the ones used for sparkling wine. While the SPK's are not suitable for hand corking, that system is available.
If you read a zork manual capping sheet for the STL (standard) zorks there is some extra "fitment" that is supposed to be done to insure that the zork has been installed correctly including the use of CO2 to chase the headspace in the bottle, none the less I have had good results so far using them to cork by hand at least in my wines expected to be drank sooner than about 3 years.