Modifying an Italian Floor Corker for Champagne Corks

[Mark Solomon]

Am about to bottle two batches of sours and thought I would use cage and cork.

Bought a used Italian Floor Corker without doing enough research and it ends up this appears to only do wine corks. The jaws open plenty for a champagne cork, it’s just the hole under the jaws are too small.

Anyone ever modify one of these to get it to do champagne corks? Appears I can just enlarge the hole, but thought I would check with you guys first.

Thanks!

-Mark

 

[passedpawn]

I did cage and cork and foil on a couple of batches of prosecco I made a few years ago. Though I do have a floor corker, I just used the plastic champagne corks.

 

[mac_1103]

Exactly which corker do you have? I do cork and cage with my Italian floor corker and it works just fine.

edit - sorry, my bad; mine is a Portuguese floor corker

 

[Mark Solomon]

Exactly which corker do you have? I do cork and cage with my Italian floor corker and it works just fine.

edit - sorry, my bad; mine is a Portuguese floor corker

I have the regular Italian corker. Here is a photo

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I have the regular Italian corker. Here is a photo

I use it just fine to cork finish Belgian bottles with “Belgian“corks they do not have the wide flair like a champagne cork and are fine for high pressure. You will find it easier to be consistent when you fine a suita way to stop the leaver to leave some cork out. I use some coins in a rubber foot cap.
https://www.northernbrewer.com/prod...h8U5mkGh-GpANFlEo_4BOxaQTIFYQD5UaAi23EALw_wcB

 

[mac_1103]

Looks just like mine except for the color, but the photo doesn't show the hole that you say is too small. The opening on mine is about 13/16".

 

[mac_1103]

I use some coins in a rubber foot cap.

Yeah, the corks were pushed a little too far in first time I used it. I stuck a couple of washers on top of under the nut that's used to set the depth.

 

[Bobby_M]

Am about to bottle two batches of sours and thought I would use cage and cork.

Bought a used Italian Floor Corker without doing enough research and it ends up this appears to only do wine corks. The jaws open plenty for a champagne cork, it’s just the hole under the jaws are too small.

Anyone ever modify one of these to get it to do champagne corks? Appears I can just enlarge the hole, but thought I would check with you guys first.

Thanks!

-Mark

Explain how you determined that the hole below the aperture jaws is too small for beer corks. What happens if you put a bottle in place and try pushing a cork in? You do have to rig up a way to stop the plunger from going all the way down and I often do that by duct taping a stack of washers on the upper side of the plunger. When the cork is sticking out of the bottle by about 3/4", it does take a little pull and wiggle to get that uncompressed cork through the bottom.

 

[Eliz]

I am able to use the portugese style floor corker for sparkling, champagne, mushroom style half in corking in 750ml bottles, #9 natural champagne corks, northamerican size opening sparkling wine bottle with punt and cork+crown (both together) opening with one simple trick. I put in the bottle as usual. I push the cork half way in (using a depth screw adjustment on the lever). Then the cork seems stuck in the too small opening...... I lift the lever *all the way back up. I put my foot on the platform the bottle sits on. I step down gently to push the platform down and away from the bottle. I hold the bottle with left hand. Press down a second time with the lever to compress and push the half way cork out through the too small opening*. Seems simple. It's a little tricky as you're standing on one foot. you do have to wrench it with some strength on mine. But no modifications necessary. Took me a while to figure out. before I was trying to wiggle it out the bottom and tearing many of the corks.

 

[DuncB]

I fitted a bigger bell and bought champagne size crown caps to match.
Much less faff and no cork issues with beer or wine, still or sparkling.

 

[D the Catastrophist]

I used the plastic champagne corks. I was able to insert vua hand no issue.