Thoughts on using "used" corks for bottling

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bpparker

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Hi fellow brewers!

I'll be bottling my first batch of wine in a couple weeks and wanted to get some thoughts on using corks from previous bottles of wine that I've drank. I have a bunch of used corks and would like to repurpose them but the folks at my local brewer shop are saying no. Are they just trying to sell me some new corks or is this not a good practice? Thanks in advance for the thoughts!
 
bpparker said:
Hi fellow brewers!

I'll be bottling my first batch of wine in a couple weeks and wanted to get some thoughts on using corks from previous bottles of wine that I've drank. I have a bunch of used corks and would like to repurpose them but the folks at my local brewer shop are saying no. Are they just trying to sell me some new corks or is this not a good practice? Thanks in advance for the thoughts!
Click to expand...

Not for long term storage.

I do occasionally shove the old cork back in to store for a day or two in the fridge.
 
Listen to the folks at your local brew shop.

I imagine re-using corks is possible, but I would never risk my wine to save on a 25 cent cork. Glass can be cleaned and sterilized easily, so reusing wine bottles is fine. Re-using corks is not. They are porous and have a million nooks and cranies that can harbor bacteria, so cleaning them is nearly impossible. Also, they've already been compressed for months, if not years, in the first bottle of wine. They may not fit as tightly in the second bottle.
 
Repurposing corks for long term use in wine is a recipe for disaster. You have spent so much time and effort on your wine take the time to use proper corks. You will appreciate it years from now.
 
does that work on #9 corks? It looks like this is more of a in a pinch situation, what happens if you hit the bottle too hard and it breaks??? not practical, do not reuse corks, they are pretty cheap why would you
 
GinKings said:
Listen to the folks at your local brew shop.

I imagine re-using corks is possible, but I would never risk my wine to save on a 25 cent cork. Glass can be cleaned and sterilized easily, so reusing wine bottles is fine. Re-using corks is not. They are porous and have a million nooks and cranies that can harbor bacteria, so cleaning them is nearly impossible. Also, they've already been compressed for months, if not years, in the first bottle of wine. They may not fit as tightly in the second bottle.
Click to expand...

A big second to this one. Your wine deserves a good (new) cork. I reuse bottles all the time, but corks are tossed after you finish a bottle of your homemade deliciousness! (Is that a word??) :)
 
I really appreciate all the thoughts you guys. They helped me wrap my head around the idea. I'll definitely use new corks!
 

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