On Wed, 19 May 2004 09:15:06 -0500, jcoulter
> wrote:

>"Bill Davy" > wrote in news:c8foan$epi$1
:
>
>> Cool it off in the fridge and then carefully poor hot water round the
>> outside of neck.
>> With luck it will come free and the glass will not crack.
>>
>> "bofromtherock" > wrote in message
>> om...
>>> i have a crystal wine decanter which i just cant seem to get open.
>>> i've tried soap and water but that didnt work.Any ideas how i could
>>> get it open.Im not sure why it stuck to begin with.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Another version of that is to ice the stopper while keeping the bottle as
>warm as possible.

You guys scare me. Cooling in the fridge and then hot water on the
neck sounds like a sure recipe for cracked crystal.

Here's my solution. The stopper is stuck because the decanter was
rinsed in warm water, then stoppered and has now cooled. The cooling
has created a slight vacuum in the decanter. Simply rinse the decanter
in warm water (hold it under the tap) long enough to raise the
temperature of the air inside. Increased pressure from expanded air
should aid in pushing the stopper out.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8