Hand corker help

[ProfessorWoland]

i bought a load of old second hand brewing and wine making equipment on Saturday.

Apparently the photo is for corking bottles of wine by hand.

Any idea on how it works? I can't find anything online that looks like it.

I can take other photos if necessary.


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[bluesportster02]

this is simeler to the one you have

 

[ProfessorWoland]

this is simeler to the one you have http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtyy3F2zHtc

That seems to be the basic mechanism ! Just tried it with an empty bottle and succeeded it just getting the cork stuck in the corker and knocking the bottle over.

Is there anything else I need to think of?

The corks were part of the purchase; would the corks being old make a difference?


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[Homercidal]

I am not a big winemaker, but this much I am pretty sure of. Corks come in several sizes. You may need to find corks that best fit the bottle AND will fit that corker.

I've used the type in that second photo and had good luck with it, except for my hand getting sore from pushing it down. It actually went in pretty easy when I dipped the corks in starsan. I've heard a rubber hammer can make it easier, but I haven't actually tried that yet.

Check your cork sizes and try again. I was very happy with the $11 price on my cheap hand operated corker.

 

[ProfessorWoland]

I'm trying the corks that came with the bottles the seller provided. Tried loads of for after soaking the corks and it's stuck fast it the corker.

I'm hoping it's just old corks!


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[bernardsmith]

Don't soak corks. If you need to sanitize them place them in a colander above a bowl of K-meta and allow the fumes to do the work.
As for how these corkers work I assume that you are using a rubber mallet to whack the head and so push down on the cork. I used one of those corkers for a few years before it disintegrated on me. One trick that you might try is to fix a pipe fitting to a wooden board and use the fitting as a rig to hold the bottle upright. Less chance of you miss-hitting the corker and sending a full bottle of wine across the floor.

 

[yetijunk]

Man we used the same corker and it stinks! You should just invest in one that's a little nicer, they sell great ones for 15-25$

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Try #8 size corks with that hand corker; they'll still be a PITA, but should work. Better yet, if you plan on bottling a case or more at a time, invest in a floor corker, this is the one I have:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/italian-floor-corker.html

The Portuguese version is cheaper, but the Italian version is better made IMHO. Either one will run rings around any style of hand corker & make bottling MUCH easier.
Regards, GF.

 

[Homercidal]

Try #8 size corks with that hand corker; they'll still be a PITA, but should work. Better yet, if you plan on bottling a case or more at a time, invest in a floor corker, this is the one I have:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/italian-floor-corker.html

The Portuguese version is cheaper, but the Italian version is better made IMHO. Either one will run rings around any style of hand corker & make bottling MUCH easier.
Regards, GF.

+1. I borrowed a floor corker from a guy at work for my first batch and it was great. I only bought a cheap one for myself because I rarely bottle and didn't want to have to store a large floor corker.

 

[JaeCee]

Do yourself a favor and order the floor corker.

 

[kh54s10]

Do yourself a favor and order the floor corker.

I looked at them online before I started making wines and decided to bypass all the trouble and sprang for a Portuguese Floor corker. I do not regret the decision or the $$ for one second!