What size corks do I need?

[z-bob]

I'm going to bottle some Concord grape wine, and intend to drink it all in a year or two. I've never used corks before, but I have my dad's old red plastic Gilda corker (I don't think he ever used it) and want to give it a try instead of using up all my swing-top cider bottles. I'll be using assorted recycled 750ml and 1.5L wine bottles.

Do I use #8 corks, or #9 x 1.5", or #9 x 1.75"? And do I soak them first or insert them dry? I'm thinking #8's the first time just to make it easier while I'm learning...

Are there any tricks to getting the depth set correctly? Thanks.

 

[lukebuz]

Either will work, 8's are easier, will seal for 2-3 years+. #9 for 5+ years. Length doesn't really matter.

Depth = they should just go in. Tap down with a dowel if not.

I float mine in starsan for a few mins prior, the #9's go in easy that way, with hand dual lever corker.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

If you are using standard 750 ml bottles, you'll want to use the #9, either the 1.5 or the 1.75 will work fine. If you plan on making wine again and bottling, I'd spend the money on an Italian floor corker, the Golda corker is a pain in the arse if you're corking more than a case, in my opinion.
If the corks have been sitting and they feel hard as a rock, you're going to want to make a "Corkidor":

You'll need 2 plastic bowls, the bigger bowl needs to have a lid, and water.
Take a large plastic bowl that has a lid that fits tight, get another smaller bowl, fill it with water (you can add meta to the water), I microwave the small bowl of water until it is just about boiling and I set it back into the bigger bowl, I add all of the corks that I'll be using in the bowl and around the small bowl of water and put the lid on the bigger bowl to trap all of the steam inside.
After 5 mins or so, the corks will be soft enough to use without getting a hernia every time you try to put a cork in.

I hope that this helps.

 

[Yooper]

If you are using standard 750 ml bottles, you'll want to use the #9, either the 1.5 or the 1.75 will work fine. If you plan on making wine again and bottling, I'd spend the money on an Italian floor corker, the Golda corker is a pain in the arse if you're corking more than a case, in my opinion.
If the corks have been sitting and they feel hard as a rock, you're going to want to make a "Corkidor":

You'll need 2 plastic bowls, the bigger bowl needs to have a lid, and water.
Take a large plastic bowl that has a lid that fits tight, get another smaller bowl, fill it with water (you can add meta to the water), I microwave the small bowl of water until it is just about boiling and I set it back into the bigger bowl, I add all of the corks that I'll be using in the bowl and around the small bowl of water and put the lid on the bigger bowl to trap all of the steam inside.
After 5 mins or so, the corks will be soft enough to use without getting a hernia every time you try to put a cork in.

I hope that this helps.

I agree, except with that gilda corker, I don't think there is anyway to get #9s compressed enough to go in.

I'd use #8s, with just about any hand corker but with the double levered hand corker you can probably squeeze in #9s with some effort.

I gave away my gilda corker because it's one of the most difficult hand corkers I ever used, except for that "hand mallet" that came with my original wine set up.

 

[lukebuz]

Yoop, I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FRWJNE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

and I get unbeveled #9's in super easy...and I'm not a big guy. I guess it depends on how much space you have!

 

[Yooper]

That's what I was talking about- those work ok with some effort, but the gilda corker (which costs about three times as much) is a no-go with #9s, at least in my experience.

I paid something like $35 for mine. The idea is great- you simply squeeze the handle to compress the cork, and then put it over the bottle and press the plunger. That's why I bought it- when the double lever corker I had the corks sticking out about 1/4" some of the time and it bothered me. I never got ONE cork in correctly with the gilda corker, so I wouldn't think that a #9 with a gilda corner would be doable. I think #8s might, if it was done by a guy with strong hands.

 

[kh54s10]

Yoop, I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FRWJNE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

and I get unbeveled #9's in super easy...and I'm not a big guy. I guess it depends on how much space you have!

Right in the description for the linked corker:

Will work on #9 size corks, but works best on #8 corks

Get a floor corker, expensive but you won't regret it!

 

[z-bob]

I just ordered a bag of #8 x 1.75" corks from Amazon. (LHBS has a better price, but only #9's). I almost bought #8 x 1.5" because those were significantly cheaper, but I'm not going to use all of them on this batch, and I might want to bottle something and actually age it next time.

 

[passedpawn]

I have a floor corker and man there's some serious satisfaction using that thing. I have to say, one of those little things in life that, for some reason, make me smile.

So, if you ever invest in a floor corker, #9 is no problem. BTW, $66 is what I paid for my floor corker, free 2-day shipping. So much win for that price. I wish I had more stuff to bottle!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007PTG1C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[lukebuz]

Where do you store that monstrosity when you aren't using it for the 25 seconds you need to bottle a batch of wine? Maybe my house is too small...but for the average winemaker (I make about 140 bottles a year) or more, just seems like overkill. Opening a small winery? Well, sure!

 

[Yooper]

Where do you store that monstrosity when you aren't using it for the 25 seconds you need to bottle a batch of wine? Maybe my house is too small...but for the average winemaker (I make about 140 bottles a year) or more, just seems like overkill. Opening a small winery? Well, sure!

I have one, too.

It's my fourth corker, I believe. I had the 'mallet' one, then the gilda one, then the double lever one. I should have saved all the money I spend on those three, and just bought this one (I think it was around $55 or so).

Mine is stored in the basement, along with the carboys and bottles. It's not as big as the picture makes it look, but it probably is not suited for small apartments.

It takes less than about 10 minutes to cork 6 gallons of wine with it, and for the 375ml bottles, I just put a hockey puck under the bottle to cork those as well. Of course, we have hundreds of hockey pucks laying around, so someone who lives in Florida may have difficulty there.

Once I bought it, I couldn't believe I ever used anything else. I know some homebrew stores loan them out, or rent them out. They aren't as expensive as the Italian floor corkers, but they work just as well.

 

[passedpawn]

Where do you store that monstrosity when you aren't using it for the 25 seconds you need to bottle a batch of wine? Maybe my house is too small...but for the average winemaker (I make about 140 bottles a year) or more, just seems like overkill. Opening a small winery? Well, sure!

Closet. I have space.

I've only made 1 batch of wine, ever. But this looked like the right way to cork to me.

 

[z-bob]

I've added it to my Amazon wish list. But I need to use my dad's corker at least once. (he's still alive. I want to tell him about using it. If it's difficult, that makes a better story

BTW, will that Portuguese floor corker do Belgian beer corks? Much larger than #9's, and you only insert them halfway then cage them like champagne stoppers. Or would I need the champagne corker that costs twice as much for that?

 

[z-bob]

I bottled 3 gallons of wine today. I bought a case of new bottles, but I had just enough old recycled bottles for this batch.

The Gilda is a PITA to use. I had trouble getting the corks seated all the way; the corker kept sliding off the top of the cork. I figured out 2 things:

1. You have to squeeze the handles all the way together, in spite of warnings not to do so (using #9 corks would probably break it if you did that too many times, but I was using 8's.) I did some of the corks dry and some wet, and wet seemed to do better but my technique was also evolving so I don't know.
2. Some of the problem was the bottles. Not all of them had a little indent (I'm sure there's a word for it) around the top edge, so the corker didn't seat all the way down. Those bottles originally had tasting stoppers instead of corks. I could probably drive the corks down the last 1/8" with a rubber mallet but that's asking for trouble.

I got them all corked, and I got a story out of the deal. I'll probably buy that Portuguese corker from Amazon next time I start a batch of wine.

 

[passedpawn]

FYI, the price is down to $62.