Zork Corks?

[bucky_webb]

I'm having troubles with leakage. this is first time i've used them. It looks like the zorks are leaking in the little hole that you can see in the seam of the part you peel off. Haven't been able to find any info on this issue. Not sure if i'm doing something wrong or what?? I had high hopes for these but so far am disappointed. Hoping it's an error that I'm making that I can figure out and fix... :/

 

[BryanThompson]

They probably aren't seated well. Tap them on with a rubber mallet.

I sanitize mine by dipping them in boiling water for a few seconds.

 

[DeNomad]

I think that the seal should last for a while. When I was on vacation in the Outer Banks I saw a brand in the wine shop that was using those Zorks for all of their wine. (not sure what the name was)

I have some wine bottles in my rack with these. Red Knot from McLaren Vale. Here is a link: Wine McLaren Vale | Red wine McLaren Vale | Award winning wine McLaren Vale | Australian wine | Australian Shiraz |Shingleback wines, South Australia

 

[bucky_webb]

I think it was a combination of two different things. I had boiled the zorks to sanitize them and tried putting them on while they were still hot. This caused the black stopper part to bend crooked and not seal properly after it had cooled. Also, the mallet came in really handy getting them seated when they were cooled off. Thanks guys.

 

[nukinfuts29]

I just ordered a bunch of these, just hoping they work on my large assortment of collected bottles.

 

[daugenet]

make sure you are using the correct type of bottles with these corks as well. I have used them with no problems so far. i have only been using them for a year though so ymmv

 

[nukinfuts29]

Has anyone used them on 1.5L wine bottles? They say they fit most 750ML, but I didn't think about mine being 1.5L....

 

[beninan]

I have used these on all of my wine bottles so far, and I really like them. I have never had an issue with them sealing either, and so far my 2 year old apfelweins are perfectly fine. I haven't been degassing my wines, so whenever I pop the cork, I listen for the very light "hiss" from the excess CO2 from fermentation. Every bottle has held that tiny bit of pressure.

Has anyone used them on 1.5L wine bottles? They say they fit most 750ML, but I didn't think about mine being 1.5L....

I used them 1.5L bottles. The 1.5L bottles that I used have a thicker neck, but the inner hole is the same size. I really had a hard time forcing the corks on, and was afraid that the bottles would break from the force. I literally had to put almost all of my weight (175 lbs) to get it on. After they seated, some of the "peel off tabs" had cracked from the excessive outward force. They sealed perfectly fine though. I probably would not do that again for the 1.5 L bottles. Instead, I would take an old cork without the "peel off tab", or peel off the "peel off tab" from a new one, and use that as the cork instead. The hardest part is forcing the cork onto the bottle lip past the "peel off tab".

 

[nukinfuts29]

Thanks for letting me know

 

[Jacob_Marley]

I've used em for a couple years. Yup, using a leather glove is a good idea to avoid a sore hand. I think you need to be a fairly large person to push them in easily by hand. Using a corker to push them in is good otherwise (I do em by hand tho) ... yes a mallet is used by some to get them to seat if you have trouble doing it by hand. As far as sanitizing them, don't cook them ... just a soak in metabisulfite is fine.

Though they are being used by more and more larger commercial wineries, as I understand it the verdict is still out on their use when you are putting down wine to age for an extended time (not according to the manufacturer but according to folks who have been taking a "wait and see" approach). So, for grape wine being aged for 3 or 4 years plus, personally, I'd still be using natural corks. But I like zorks a lot, and as they are proven over the long haul I would switch to them in my wine put down for longer storage and aging. Zork SPK are the ones used for sparkling wine. While the SPK's are not suitable for hand corking, that system is available.
If you read a zork manual capping sheet for the STL (standard) zorks there is some extra "fitment" that is supposed to be done to insure that the zork has been installed correctly including the use of CO2 to chase the headspace in the bottle, none the less I have had good results so far using them to cork by hand at least in my wines expected to be drank sooner than about 3 years.

 

[samc]

I spray them with StarSan. Having the correct bottle is a must, nothing worse than collecting old bottles to find out that 30% of them are not going to work with the Zork, after you have already filled the bottles. I now have part of my last batch in EZ cap flip top beer bottles. My first batch with Zorks was 19 months ago and the remaining bottles are still in great condition, the wine is tasting better than ever.

Next time I'm going to consider kegging my wine using Argon and eliminate bottles except for a few each batch.

 

[pwortiz]

2nd thread I'm reviving tonight from it's hibernation.

I used these for the first time this weekend and was pleased. I've got all my blueberry mead bottles sideways in my wine rack and am happy to see NO leaks thus far knock on wood.

The method of sanitation was brought up: I just filled a tupperware with starsan and had them float around after being completely submerged. After that: Filled bottle, grabbed zork, used my ninja palm-strike and set the bottle aside. Then I hit all the bottles with a rubber mallet just for the heck of it because I haven't used before.

Has anyone used these for CARBED mead or wines by chance? I thought I saw a product out there for that application but am not sure :\

 

[daugenet]

zork does make one for sparkling wine i believe. You have to use a different bottle than the ones required for still mead.

 

[user 144271]

Everybody still loving the Zorks?

They are not much more than corks, and I will not have to buy a corker. I will probably only do a couple of batches per year so it would take quite some time to pay off a floor corker by using corks instead of zorks.

 

[WVMJ]

I use a tabletop beer corker to put the zorks in straight and even each time, they have been keeping our wines very nicely for a couple of years now, we can store a lot more bottles standing up than on their sides, they are easy to take out for a picnic, you cant forget the opener, we have used them on both regular and screwtop bottles. Buy them by the 100/bag a little cheaper. WVMJ

 

[Inner10]

Everybody still loving the Zorks?

They are not much more than corks, and I will not have to buy a corker. I will probably only do a couple of batches per year so it would take quite some time to pay off a floor corker by using corks instead of zorks.

They are crazy expensive compared to natural corks. I get solid natural corks 88 bucks for 1000.

 

[Sambucus]

Jacob, you say the SPK is not suitable for applying by hand? From ZORK SPK tech data sheet: "SPK can be applied by hand or at high speed
using change parts for standard corking equipment."

This aussie website also states that the SPK can be applied using a bench crown capper and 29mm bell: http://www.ibrew.com.au/products/zork-closures-sparkling-wine.

I received a few SPK's from Zork as samples, and have a 29mm bell.
I will be bottling some elderflower champagne tonight, and will try applying the SPK's. Will love to hear from anyone who has used this method.

BTW, during discussions with the UK rep it came up that they do have an adapter which will fit most bench crown cappers, it just cost a little more than what I would like to spend: 285 euros! Photo attached.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

Jacob, you say the SPK is not suitable for applying by hand? From ZORK SPK tech data sheet: "SPK can be applied by hand or at high speed

... I meant "by hand" as in, just for example, the "pwortiz ninja palm strike" (etc) recently posted above.

In my post from 2011 that you referenced, I meant literally doing it with your gloved hand.

Of course, you might be able to get an SPK inserted without a capper if you either go into training for some combination of Sumo wrestling and competitive power-lifting ... or for that matter have Magnus Ver Magnusson on staff.
The SPK takes about 350lbs of pressure to insert whereas the STL takes about 50lbs or so.

As a side note ... I am in the States (in Detroit) and the Zork SPK is not even available in the U.S.
For those in the U.S. that are hell-bent-for-leather to use Zork SPKs and have more than just a few to do ... they have to buy their bottles ... and Zork SPK's ... and in the case of a benchtop capper, the specific bell with the little button in it that pushes the spk in properly to do so .. all from overseas.
An expensive proposition.

(this is because the closures are meant for the European 29mm neck ... and so the SPK closures are not even distributed here)

 

[Sambucus]

So Zork is still contemplating the release of the SPK in the US. It's not available in homebrew quantities in the UK either, but since this is the only forum out there discussing the Zork and SPK for home brewing, I'll complete the test.

Bottled 7 bottles of elderflower champagne, and used the SPK on 2. Don't want to loose my whole batch if things go south. This stuff is volatile!
My £30 bench capper with the standard 29mm bell seems to have worked perfectly.

I will open the 1st one in 2 weeks' time, and the 2nd in a few months.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

So Zork is still contemplating the release of the SPK in the US.

They're working on a U.S. bottlemaker to produce a bottle that is compatible with the SPK. If they manage to move ahead then they will look at marketing the SPK in the U.S..
They don't have a time frame.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

... 7 bottles of elderflower champagne ...

Elderflower Champagne. Ah, yes ... "Sambucus" ...

Elderflower champagne does sound delicious.

 

[Sambucus]

Haven't opened a bottle, so cannot conclude this experiment yet.

But, bottled my 3rd batch of the season today, and pushed a Zork SPK on by hand alone (no bench capper), after sanitising and leaving it in hot tap water for a while.

Slow and steady. Looks fine.

 

[pwortiz]

I'm really curious to hear about this. Thanks for sharing! I'm assuming that cork is their version of the "pressure" type? Do you have the desire to share that recipe?

 

[AdamsCider]

Has anyone found a US Source for SPK? There is one in Traverse City MI, but they only sell them in Bulk, 1000pcs. That would last me about 10 years.

 

[WVMJ]

Midwest Supplies, 30, 100 or 1000 pcs.

 

[madscientist451]

Homebrew 4 Less.com has them,
Scroll down for the Zorks after the page loads:

https://supplies.homebrew4less.com/collections/corks