I have a portuguese floor corker. It works great with natural corks. I
fill the bottle and allow excess wine to squirt out when I cork it. With
synthetic corks, the bottle explodes. Yike!! Do I need to leave a head
space when I use synthetic corks?

Andie Z

On Mar 9, 7:51 am, "Andiez" wrote:
... Yike!! Do I need to leave a head
space when I use synthetic corks?

You should leave 1/2 inch of ullage no matter what corks you are
using.

Greg

On Mar 9, 2:59 pm, wrote:
On Mar 9, 7:51 am, "Andiez" wrote:

... Yike!! Do I need to leave a head
space when I use synthetic corks?

You should leave 1/2 inch of ullage no matter what corks you are
using.

Greg

To be honest in my experience you sometimes need to leave more like
3/4" - 1" with a synthetic cork if you expect it to plug the neck
without soon rising above the rim. I presume it is their limited
permeability that causes this. With natural corks I have always
found 1/2" to be plenty. I have re-corked 6 or 7 wines when I'd left
1/2" gap before the synthetic so I try to be a little more liberal
with it now.

Jim

"Andiez" wrote in message
news:vPSAj.3874$e52.1118@trndny01...
I have a portuguese floor corker. It works great with natural corks. I
fill the bottle and allow excess wine to squirt out when I cork it. With
synthetic corks, the bottle explodes. Yike!! Do I need to leave a head
space when I use synthetic corks?

Andie Z


Back to basics. Air is compressible, liquids are not.

To be honest in my experience you sometimes need to leave more like
3/4" - 1" with a synthetic cork if you expect it to plug the neck
without soon rising above the rim. *

I've never done this, so if there is someone with exerience with this,
please join in: I have heard of placing a stainless steel wire
alongside the cork during the insertion of the cork. This leaves a
small space for the air being compressed by the cork's insertion to
pass by the cork. Then, the wire is removed, and since the cork is
still just freshly inserted, it re-expands to take up the space the
wire held, creating a full seal. I would think this is more useful
with a synthetic cork than a regualr cork.

As Frederick says below, "Air is compressible, liquids are not." Air
is also expandable, which means that the removal of the cork when
you're ready to drink is a lot easier with a little air space between
the wine and the cork.

Rob

On Mar 10, 6:29 pm, Rob wrote:
To be honest in my experience you sometimes need to leave more like
3/4" - 1" with a synthetic cork if you expect it to plug the neck
without soon rising above the rim.

I've never done this, so if there is someone with exerience with this,
please join in: I have heard of placing a stainless steel wire
alongside the cork during the insertion of the cork. This leaves a
small space for the air being compressed by the cork's insertion to
pass by the cork. Then, the wire is removed, and since the cork is
still just freshly inserted, it re-expands to take up the space the
wire held, creating a full seal. I would think this is more useful
with a synthetic cork than a regualr cork.

As Frederick says below, "Air is compressible, liquids are not." Air
is also expandable, which means that the removal of the cork when
you're ready to drink is a lot easier with a little air space between
the wine and the cork.

Rob

I'd be interested to hear replies to that too. Frankly I have been
too concerned that I will etch a narrow channel down the side of my
cork (when I remove it) and create a leaker. Maybe even fishing line
would work. I'd be surprised if leaving 3/4" ullage was a critical
problem, but a simpler superior solution would be great

Jim

I hate exploding bottles also. here is what I learned:

I agree with Greg,
3/4 inch is what I shoot for. I spend a few minutes with a straw moving
wine around before I go into corking mode, but it worth it. I just put
the straw into over full ones and place thumb over top - then move the
wine to another bottle that needs the wine to get to 3/4 inch from top.

and, yes, I'm a Type A personality with a focus on detail. haha. Except
when a glass of wine is in my hand. Then I'm slow, relaxed and friendly.

DAve

jim wrote:
On Mar 9, 2:59 pm, wrote:
On Mar 9, 7:51 am, "Andiez" wrote:

... Yike!! Do I need to leave a head
space when I use synthetic corks?
You should leave 1/2 inch of ullage no matter what corks you are
using.

Greg

To be honest in my experience you sometimes need to leave more like
3/4" - 1" with a synthetic cork if you expect it to plug the neck
without soon rising above the rim. I presume it is their limited
permeability that causes this. With natural corks I have always
found 1/2" to be plenty. I have re-corked 6 or 7 wines when I'd left
1/2" gap before the synthetic so I try to be a little more liberal
with it now.

Jim

On Mar 10, 7:38 pm, Dave Allison wrote:
I hate exploding bottles also. here is what I learned:

I agree with Greg,
3/4 inch is what I shoot for. I spend a few minutes with a straw moving
wine around before I go into corking mode, but it worth it. I just put
the straw into over full ones and place thumb over top - then move the
wine to another bottle that needs the wine to get to 3/4 inch from top.

and, yes, I'm a Type A personality with a focus on detail. haha. Except
when a glass of wine is in my hand. Then I'm slow, relaxed and friendly.

DAve

jim wrote:
On Mar 9, 2:59 pm, wrote:
On Mar 9, 7:51 am, "Andiez" wrote:

... Yike!! Do I need to leave a head
space when I use synthetic corks?
You should leave 1/2 inch of ullage no matter what corks you are
using.

Greg

To be honest in my experience you sometimes need to leave more like
3/4" - 1" with a synthetic cork if you expect it to plug the neck
without soon rising above the rim. I presume it is their limited
permeability that causes this. With natural corks I have always
found 1/2" to be plenty. I have re-corked 6 or 7 wines when I'd left
1/2" gap before the synthetic so I try to be a little more liberal
with it now.

Jim

Ha ha, that made me smile. I thought it was only me that crept around
with a straw...

On Mar 10, 11:41*am, jim wrote:
On Mar 10, 6:29 pm, Rob wrote:





To be honest in my experience you sometimes need to leave more like
3/4" - 1" with a synthetic cork if you expect it to plug the neck
without soon rising above the rim.

I've never done this, so if there is someone with exerience with this,
please join in: *I have heard of placing a stainless steel wire
alongside the cork during the insertion of the cork. *This leaves a
small space for the air being compressed by the cork's insertion to
pass by the cork. *Then, the wire is removed, and since the cork is
still just freshly inserted, it re-expands to take up the space the
wire held, creating a full seal. *I would think this is more useful
with a synthetic cork than a regualr cork.

As Frederick says below, "Air is compressible, liquids are not." *Air
is also expandable, which means that the removal of the cork when
you're ready to drink is a lot easier with a little air space between
the wine and the cork.

Rob

I'd be interested to hear replies to that too. *Frankly I have been
too concerned that I will etch a narrow channel down the side of my
cork (when I remove it) and create a leaker. *Maybe even fishing line
would work. *I'd be surprised if leaving 3/4" ullage was a critical
problem, but a simpler superior solution would be great

Jim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I used to do this with a fishing line but don't anymore, it just seemd
like too much work for little effect. One problem with the line was
that it'd break sometimes because it got chewed up by the corker, and
I'd have to pull the cork and repeat the try with another. And yes, it
could leave a channel in the cork, particularly a synthetic one
because those are less malleable.

Pp

On Mar 11, 12:15 am, pp wrote:
On Mar 10, 11:41 am, jim wrote:



On Mar 10, 6:29 pm, Rob wrote:

To be honest in my experience you sometimes need to leave more like
3/4" - 1" with a synthetic cork if you expect it to plug the neck
without soon rising above the rim.

I've never done this, so if there is someone with exerience with this,
please join in: I have heard of placing a stainless steel wire
alongside the cork during the insertion of the cork. This leaves a
small space for the air being compressed by the cork's insertion to
pass by the cork. Then, the wire is removed, and since the cork is
still just freshly inserted, it re-expands to take up the space the
wire held, creating a full seal. I would think this is more useful
with a synthetic cork than a regualr cork.

As Frederick says below, "Air is compressible, liquids are not." Air
is also expandable, which means that the removal of the cork when
you're ready to drink is a lot easier with a little air space between
the wine and the cork.

Rob

I'd be interested to hear replies to that too. Frankly I have been
too concerned that I will etch a narrow channel down the side of my
cork (when I remove it) and create a leaker. Maybe even fishing line
would work. I'd be surprised if leaving 3/4" ullage was a critical
problem, but a simpler superior solution would be great

Jim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I used to do this with a fishing line but don't anymore, it just seemd
like too much work for little effect. One problem with the line was
that it'd break sometimes because it got chewed up by the corker, and
I'd have to pull the cork and repeat the try with another. And yes, it
could leave a channel in the cork, particularly a synthetic one
because those are less malleable.

Pp

Ah! Great feedback Pp thanks for that

I will settle for a tiny bit more ullage as a best solution for
synthetics...

Many thanks, Jim

Natural corks take longer to decompress and return close to their
original diameter and the pressure created will leak out over time if
you leave the bottles upright./ That is why the advice is to store
them upright for a day after corking. Synthetics bounce back
immediately and seal the bottle as they are inserted making them the
piston and the bottle the cylinder. They will never leak any of the
bottling pressure out and I have always wondered if that is the reason
sulfite levels measured in a synthetic corked bottle are often lower,
they have more oxygen to scavenge. Sumpremecorq recommended either
vacuum bottling or the fishing line trick for homewinemakers. If you
use a decent test line and pull it slow it could work. String
trimmer line might work better. I use Nomacorc and don't bother, I
have wines under them for 3 to 4 years and have no complaints.

As an aside, anyone with a brass jaw corker needs to be careful with
synthetics, you need to examine the seal area closely to make sure
your corker is not scoring the corc and creating an imperfect seal.
Natural corks are much more tolerant. If you are getting scoring the
jaws can be adjusted. Iit's a pain to do and the jaws are under a lot
of pressure, if you are not mechanically inclined you shouldn't take
one apart.

It's good practice to leave 1/2 to 3/4" headspace on wines corked with
anything to allow temperature changes to be absorbed within that
headspace. A corked wine bottle is a big thermometer....

Joe

String trimmer line might work better.

Be very careful that the string trimmer line doesn't have raised
"cutting edges," as that will no doubt score the cork!

On Mar 11, 3:23 pm, Rob wrote:
String trimmer line might work better.

Be very careful that the string trimmer line doesn't have raised
"cutting edges," as that will no doubt score the cork!

Out of interest, has anyone actual read or conducted studies showing
that 3/4" - 1" of ullage produces an inferior result than 1/2"?

If there is no discernable difference, surely a little more ullage is
the simplest bet?

Jim

jim c wrote:
On Mar 11, 3:23 pm, Rob wrote:
String trimmer line might work better.
Be very careful that the string trimmer line doesn't have raised
"cutting edges," as that will no doubt score the cork!

Out of interest, has anyone actual read or conducted studies showing
that 3/4" - 1" of ullage produces an inferior result than 1/2"?

If there is no discernable difference, surely a little more ullage is
the simplest bet?

Jim

Not here. My wine making partner and I usually bottle about 12 cases at
a time and eyeball it. Well he eyeballs 'em and I cork 'em. Probably
fall somewhere in the 1/2 to 3/4 range and no I can't taste the difference.

Steve

On Mar 12, 2:48 pm, Steve Landis wrote:
jim c wrote:
On Mar 11, 3:23 pm, Rob wrote:
String trimmer line might work better.
Be very careful that the string trimmer line doesn't have raised
"cutting edges," as that will no doubt score the cork!

Out of interest, has anyone actual read or conducted studies showing
that 3/4" - 1" of ullage produces an inferior result than 1/2"?

If there is no discernable difference, surely a little more ullage is
the simplest bet?

Jim

Not here. My wine making partner and I usually bottle about 12 cases at
a time and eyeball it. Well he eyeballs 'em and I cork 'em. Probably
fall somewhere in the 1/2 to 3/4 range and no I can't taste the difference.

Steve

Good to hear Steve thanks. I couldn't tell the difference so far
between those I bottled under synthetic with 3/4"+ ullage and the ones
I bottled under natural corks with 1/2" but then none of my wines are
over 18 months yet. I do bottle some under each with a view to seeing
eventually if I think I can tell any difference, but I think with my
newbie nose it is unlikely...

Jim