Corker question

[HLA91]

Hey everyone

I just bottled my banana wine but my 2 handled corker has let me down. It has 2 adjusting nuts on the corker but the problem is just picking up the corker causes the nuts to spin they are so loose. This led to 6 bottles of wine with **** looking corks, some of them, the center where the "pin" pushes, is level with the top of the bottle but the warped sides of the cork ride high etc...

Some other as you can see dont go in all the way and it really annoyed me as everything was going perfectly.

Looking at a new corker online the ones I have seen dont appear to have the 2 adjusting nuts.

The one I have is 10+ years old and where as the new corkers have 'rectangular' handles mine has circular handles.

I take it the new ones, as far as I can see don't have any adjusting nuts and work each time every time? If so I will pick one up I just wanted to check before placing an order.

Thanks

HLA91

 

[oldbloke]

I have one like your first pic and it sometimes fails to get the cork all the way in.
I'd assumed it was to do with neck shape and back pressure as much as owt.

 

[HLA91]

Right now all I am looking for is a corker that can give me consistent results as mine currently won't even give me that, I have read that Moley suggests a piece of wood and mallet to encourage corks that won't go that little bit, and I don't mind having to do that as long as its only a small percentage that need encouraging.

 

[screamlead]

I have the same one as your first pictured one and it does not push the corks fully home either and leaves a dent in the cork as well.
Mine also broke - the inside 'plastic' cork squeezing thing split so i got a new one made from teflon but it still doesnt push the cork in fully. BUt what i did notice was that it can help if the cork is rammed home in one full hard movement to push it home and not as some do by trying to ram the cork home in 2 to three attempts, the bottle needs holding between the feet and legs and one steady movement to push the cork in and not jerk it 2 or three times as some do. :thumb:
SO i adapted one from a 2nd hand Sanbrini corker which does push the cork fully home, as mentioned too sometimes i think the cork wont fully go in due to pressure or there being just a little too much wine in the bottle. I always give about 3 inches of space in the neck and have never had a problem.
I have a pic somewhere i'll post later as not on my comp at the min.
Check this thread out - right at the bottom - viewtopic.php?f=48&t=22254&hilit=+What+did+you+make+this+winter

 

[Moley]

Fix the old one, it looks like a far better tool.

Do you ever adjust the nuts? If not, get a spot of superglue on the thread.

 

[HLA91]

I did try adjusting the nuts yesterday but to no avail, like I said they adjust themselves which is a pain and the amount of corks I would have to use to calibrate it is going to be painful, that is if I can calibrate it why hasn't someone designed one that pushes them in fully? They could make a fortune.
@screamland that looks a nice piece of kit.
What's the success rate on your one moley?

 

[screamlead]

why hasn't someone designed one that pushes them in fully? They could make a fortune. - Its because a lot of bottles are different ie the rim round the top of the bottle where the corker grips are often different sizes and slightly in different places, and non of us use the same bottles every time do we?

@screamland that looks a nice piece of kit - Thanks Must admit mine does not grip the rim thing as its an old sanbrini one that just sits on the top of the bottle thus giving a more consistant operation. It is adjustable too but never needed to do anything and it rams home perfectly every time. I had to do over 1500 bottles this year and make it idiot proof for even the most thug like ham fisted turk! even they can use it and it doesnt end up with smashed bottles flying all over the place. If you look at the design i made a recess for the bottles to sit in using piping which when in will take 750ml bottles and when removed takes 1 ltr bottles and also any sized taller ones. :thumb:

 

[The Goatreich]

I've never been able to get the corks rammed home, I've just started to accept it as the wine inside still tastes nice (apparently).

 

[Moley]

What's the success rate on your one moley?

10% are perfect, 10% drive a bit too far and 80% need varying amounts of persuasion.

 

[HLA91]

Only 10% perfect I expected more than that, I have been lurking on winesathome site and quite a few of them have floor corkers and from what I can gather the success rate is pretty good on them, they are looking more appealing than a lever one right now.

 

[Moley]

Well, it might be slightly higher than 10%, but the majority will usually need some fine tuning.

From your photo above, you would appear to have a matching set of bottles. I don't, so if the corker sits differently on top of the bottles or the side grippers hold slightly higher or lower, there is bound to be a variation in how the corks get driven.