Please Help A Noob With Corking Trouble

[mrsscary]

Hello All,
I am new to this site and new to making wine. I am having trouble with corking. I have a kit with a double level corker. I used 1 3/4 in. Agglomerated 1+1 corks. I did not soak the corks before hand (I didn't know if I had to and the instructions didn't day anything about it). The corks didn't go all the way in the bottles. It is a batch of Pinot noir and needs to sit for another 3-6 months or so before drinking. Will this wine be okay or do I need to take all the corks out and re-cork them? Also can I store them on their sides without leaking? Thank you for all of your help.

 

[liquiditynerd]

Well you came to the right place. Although, I have to apologize, I have never had a cork nit go flush with the top of the bottle. I do kinda soak them, really just sanitize them is all, I never weighted them down or anything.

I am thinking if they are tipped upside down and hold liquid they should be ok. I am not sure which corks you have but with my floor corked I have to squeeze that last quarter inch. I store them both ways, some in a box in the closet upright and some in the rack. I havent noticed any difference.

I hope someone here has a better response cause that's all i got

Cheers and welcome to the group!

 

[Yooper]

You don't want to soak or boil corks- that will damage them. It sounds like you did fine, but it isn't easy to get #9 corks fully into a wine bottle with a hand corker. Many people will use #8 size corks with a hand corker. As long as the wine bottle isn't leaking around the cork, you'll be ok.

 

[Dicky]

I have a double handed corker and I very often have the same problem. With some bottles it just won't go, and it takes me some time to persuade it. Panic not.

I think it's Yooper's idea that I nicked; I put boiling water with a crushed campden tablet in the bottom part of a vegetable steamer, and put the corks I'm going to use in the top part. Leave the lid on and let them steam. Off the heat of course!

Dicky