Corks

[Sharkman20]

I have a batch of mead that I made 11 months ago that I've been bulk aging, and I'm going to bottle on the 1 year mark. I'll be bottling in 750ml wine bottles with my floor corker but I've yet to decide on what corks to use. The majority of this mead will be consumed within the year most likely or given away as gifts, but I want to save several bottles to put away for 5-10 years to see how it develops over time.

Does anyone have experience in bottle aging wines or meads for this long that could recommend a place to buy some good quality corks that will last the test of time? I will also be wax sealing these bottles as an extra step against oxidation.

 

[Sharkman20]

Nobody?

 

[Yooper]

Use the best corks you can afford, either synthetic (normacorks) or premium #9 natural corks. I've had good luck with both.

 

[jmendez29]

I read up on this a while back. What I remember is that the solid corks are much better than agglomerated corks for aging. Agglomerated corks are not recommended for aging more than a year. I also remember something similar about the synthetic corks, that they are not intended for long term aging, but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information on that level. I also remember that when using natural corks, you are supposed to leave the bottle upright for about a week so the cork can fully expand to the bottle, then lay the bottle on its side to keep the cork hydrated and preventing it from drying up and admitting excessive amounts of oxygen. Synthetic corks don't suffer this problem so they don't require being laid on their side, but it won't hurt if you do.

 

[Sharkman20]

Thanks everyone. I wound up finding a website called widgetco that sells high quality corks and ordered a bunch of their flor quality corks.

Here's the list of what they have for anyone who's interested.

http://www.widgetco.com/natural-wine-corks

 

[bknifefight]

Whenever I am giving away beer or mead as gifts, I like to use Belgian 750's with the cork and cage. They just look so darn pertty!