Corks as tight as a ducks ****!

[love6060]

Hey guys first I would like to say thanks to all that helped with my batch of wine. 6 bottles went down a treat over Christmas. Everyone that drank it enjoyed it.

However every bottle I opened the cork was so tight I took ages to open and I had to give it all my strength, I am not weak either.

I used a 2 handed corker and each cork went in ok but passed the lip of the bottle by about 2 mil, the corks are waxed and so only needed a rinse in cold water in case of dust etc.

The guy in the hop shop in Plymouth assured me that those are the right corks for the bottles I am using.

The corking tool left a indentation in the top of the cork it's self. Is this a problem?

All bottles were left standing upright due to a little sediment incident while bottling, (a lesson I have learned as I realized racking is a good idea) but I bottled Xmas Eve and last was drunk about a week ago!

I have a feeling I pushed them in too far creating equal pressure around the cork, if I had the cork say level with the top of the rim the pressure at the top of the cork will be less than the bottom and with the increase in pressure at the bottom as I pull it should help to force it up!

Right?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MattN]

Everything in your post is what I do except I do lie them down. The corkscrew that I use is a 'waiters friend'.

Maybe if you don't lie them down the cork sticks to the bottle and that is why you have had the issue removing them. :hmm:

Matt

 

[Padster]

Ah! I'm not the only one then!! I have had a similar problem. First 6 bottles in my wine making career. 3 opened and all very hard to get the cork out. The last one was so tough the cork came out in pieces. I think I should have soaked the corks for longer (gave them 10 minutes) before putting them in the bottles? I got the corks and corking tool from Lakeland. It was very hard to get the corks in too - and I'm not a weakling, took hubby ages!!

Any suggestions?

 

[love6060]

Ah! I'm not the only one then!! I have had a similar problem. First 6 bottles in my wine making career. 3 opened and all very hard to get the cork out. The last one was so tough the cork came out in pieces. I think I should have soaked the corks for longer (gave them 10 minutes) before putting them in the bottles? I got the corks and corking tool from Lakeland. It was very hard to get the corks in too - and I'm not a weakling, took hubby ages!!

Any suggestions?

I was told mine don't need soaking as they have been treated in a wax, but still mine came out as yours did in pieces. Last one Broke 2 bottle openers I had to result in pushing the cork in to get a drink :wha:

Hopefully we can get so experience on this tread to teach us padwans the way of the force!

 

[Moley]

I used a 2 handed corker and each cork went in ok but passed the lip of the bottle by about 2 mil, the corks are waxed and so only needed a rinse in cold water in case of dust etc.

The corking tool left a indentation in the top of the cork it's self. Is this a problem?

That sounds just about perfect, your corking tool works better than mine, which usually leaves them standing proud by about 5mm and they need tapping down with a stick and a rubber mallet.

Indentations are fairly normal. Some corks need soaking, waxed ones don't but still benefit from wetting before driving them. The ones which need soaking are more likely to break up on removal.

Main problem is probably that your bottles were left standing, understandable due to your sediment issue, but corked bottles should be laid on their sides.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I am only tyre kicking here as I dont use corks, if the cork protrudes a couple of millimeters inside of the bottle would this swell a little as its not being held within the neck, this would make it difficult to remove?

 

[Moley]

if the cork protrudes a couple of millimeters inside of the bottle would this swell a little

Protrudes inside :wha:
Get a dictionary

But there shouldn't be any sort of internal lip, corked bottle necks are usually parallel.

 

[love6060]

I am only tyre kicking here as I dont use corks, if the cork protrudes a couple of millimeters inside of the bottle would this swell a little as its not being held within the neck, this would make it difficult to remove?

Chippy my old pal! That wine was fantastic all thanks to your support!!

Just wondering what do you use as you don't use corks?

 

[Moley]

Just wondering what do you use as you don't use corks?

Screw tops, presumably.

 

[evanvine]

if the cork protrudes a couple of millimeters inside of the bottle would this swell a little as its not being held within the neck, this would make it difficult to remove?

I don't think corks are long enough to do this, but if they were, yes they would!

 

[love6060]

Just wondering what do you use as you don't use corks?

Screw tops, presumably.

That or plastic stoppers lol

I am going to experiment with a screw top!

It's one my wife drank from a clear bottle of her favourite rosè, now I was under the impression that clear bottles could affect the flavour, and I take it with screw tops you can leave them standing. And so long as it gets drunk within a few months it won't be much of am issue?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

if the cork protrudes a couple of millimeters inside of the bottle would this swell a little

Protrudes inside :wha:
Get a dictionary

But there shouldn't be any sort of internal lip, corked bottle necks are usually parallel.

protrude
verb /prəˈtruːd/
› to stick out from or through something:

I misread the OP and thought he meant the cork stuck out of the neck at the bottom as if he had pushed it too far in, i realise now this is not what he meant, at least it gave you the opportunity to show us your pedantic side. :lol:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I don't know what happened there, i got a page error and now have 4 of the same posts, can a moderator remove this post and three of the ones above. :thumb:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I am only tyre kicking here as I don't use corks, if the cork protrudes a couple of millimeters inside of the bottle would this swell a little as its not being held within the neck, this would make it difficult to remove?

Chippy my old pal! That wine was fantastic all thanks to your support!!

Just wondering what do you use as you don't use corks?

Glad to hear it turned out fine.

I use 1.5 litre PET spring water bottles, i don't give my wine away or store it for very long periods so don't need glass, plastic also has the advantage of ageing the wine faster as it is permeable allowing air to get to the wine.

 

[bobsbeer]

Replacement screw tops can be got. See THIS topic re the Novatwist caps.

 

[love6060]

[quote="Chippy_Tea":2cro0rsj]I am only tyre kicking here as I don't use corks, if the cork protrudes a couple of millimeters inside of the bottle would this swell a little as its not being held within the neck, this would make it difficult to remove?

Chippy my old pal! That wine was fantastic all thanks to your support!!

Just wondering what do you use as you don't use corks?

Glad to hear it turned out fine.

I use 1.5 litre PET spring water bottles, i don't give my wine away or store it for very long periods so don't need glass, plastic also has the advantage of ageing the wine faster as it is permeable allowing air to get to the wine.[/quote:2cro0rsj]

Ooooooooo might give that a go!

 

[love6060]

Replacement screw tops can be got. See THIS topic re the Novatwist caps.

And once on the cap be re-used again and again? Or is it once only?

 

[bobsbeer]

You can re use the Novatwist caps a few times no problem. The original metal ones can only be re used a couple of times, and even then they may leak as the metal is fairly thin and not designed to be re used.