Corking

[T_Baggins]

So I follow the "Show us your bottled wine" thread and I noticed that all the corks are pressed fully into the bottle, like flush with the glass. My corks have been set so they're about 1/4" above the glass, is this bad? I haven't had any problems yet, but I also haven't been able to keep any wine IN the bottle for more than 3 mos...

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Why did you set them without fully seating them into the neck of the bottle?
Not to be a wise arse, but you can adjust the nut on a floor corker to allow the plunger to get more depth and push the corks in as far as you see fit.
If the corks aren't seated properly, they could allow oxygen to enter the bottle and wine to leak out resulting in oxidation, but If you're drinking the wine within 3 months, you will probably be ok.

 

[Rhumbline]

I can't see how 1/4 inch can make the difference.

I deliberately set mine so they aren't flush and have never had a problem with wines or beer.

 

[Kdog22]

I'm still getting the hang of my corker. Most of the time, i'll get the cork all the way into the neck of the bottle. But i still manage to do something wrong and the cork sits maybe an 1/8" or so above the neck. I don't really worry about it too much.

 

[vNmd]

I used to have that problem when I used a double lever hand corker. No matter what I didI could not get the corks all the way in. I stepped up to a floor corker and in they went.

 

[dranderson]

With my floor corker my corks rest about a 16th below the lip of the bottle. Should it be flush? Can someone here explain bottleneck seating? why or why not?

 

[T_Baggins]

I have the two handle jobby, Hmm.. I guess it does appear to be adjustable. I just used it as is, that's why the corks are high. I may adjust it if I see the need to.

 

[vNmd]

I have the two handle jobby, Hmm.. I guess it does appear to be adjustable. I just used it as is, that's why the corks are high. I may adjust it if I see the need to.

I tried adjusting that little screw nut from one end to the other with no difference in result. The double lever corker just doesn't compress the cork enough before pushing it in compared to a floor corker.

My first batch was one year ago this week. I still have some bottles left. I cut the protruding bits off and put the plastic shrink things on. It worked. The wine stayed bottled. It was less than optimal and I wanted the final product to look nice because I give a lot of it away so I upgraded to a floor corker.

 

[WilliamSlayer]

With my floor corker my corks rest about a 16th below the lip of the bottle. Should it be flush? Can someone here explain bottleneck seating? why or why not?

Flush with the top of the bottle is best because:

Too high- less of the cork seals the bottle, possibly causing wine to bleed through or worse, oxygen to bleed in.

Too low- creates a lip inside the neck which can collect debris and moisture, possibly causing mold or mildew to grow.

On the up side, this is a relatively minor issue and one I would ONLY stress over for long term ageing bottles (4+ years).

 

[T_Baggins]

I only do fruit wines, so more than 1 year is unlikely. When I get into mead, I'll worry about cork depth.