Getting ready to bottle

[BWN]

So I have made wine. I've been patient and let it age and now have to bottle. What is a good corker? What are the advantages to a floor corker over a lever style one? If I buy a cheap one will I end up wishing I had a floor corker? What size corks do I need?


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[Brewkowski]

I've been using the double lever style corker for years and I don't really see a need for anything more, it might make things go faster if you're doing bigger batches and occasionally the corks aren't exactly the same depth but for my supply it's good. I think I use a size 8 cork, I don't like synthetic corks.

 

[BWN]

Any reason why not to use synthetic over regular?


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[Brewkowski]

I think they're too stiff, but it's really just a personal preference. I think using real cork gives the bottle a chance to age better because it can get a small amount of air through the cork over the few months that I normally have it on the shelf. I know some people who are totally happy with synthetic corks, they like that they don't break as easy and they feel they are easier to sanitize if they need to.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Some corkers mess up synthetic corks.

I use a double lever corker and #9 × 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 corks.

 

[BWN]

So what is the difference between the difference size corks? What are advantages to # 8 to 9 x 1 1/2 to 9 x 1 3/4


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[Twerp129]

Conglomerates are the way to go. No bottle variation or cork taint.

 

[BWN]

Conglomerates are the way to go. No bottle variation or cork taint.

Conglomerates?


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[Twerp129]

They would look a bit like particle board. It's essentially a cork which has been exploded into a million different pieces and then glued back together. They are treated for TCA so no chance of taint, unlike typical corks you find at the homebrew store. They also seal tighter. I've yet to see wine seep past a conglomerate.