"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message
om...
> Tom,
> I used the 1 3/4" supremecorq and 1 3/4" naturals as controls; the
> supremecorq lost on average, 12 PPM more than the natural controls,
> worst case was 18 PPM. That number stayed constant over the 5 years,
> I did not test the first one until 3 months. It was a Chenin Blanc,
> all the same lot, 25 bottles. (I used titrettes, I know a lot of
> people prefer aspiration techniques, but it was a white and the same
> method was used on both...) Worst side effect was more browning,
> (deeper tint of yellow), probably due to the lack of SO2. That was
> noticable to me at around 3 years, more pronounced at 5. (I am no
> expert...)
>
> I don't have a vacuum corker, that's what supremecorq suggests to get
> around this. My headspace was between 1/2" and 3/4", I drove the air
> in just like I do with a natural. Sparging with inert gas may help
> this too. To be honest, if I used these I would use the 1 1/2"'s;
> there is no good reason to waste the plastic and the longer ones look
> a little goofy in a burgundy bottle, they do not expand enough at the
> base...
>
> I know Bully Hill quit using them a few years back, but they were
> upset with the extraction force. Supremecorq had changed from using a
> screen printing ink to a laser applied toner and the toner absorbed
> all of the lube; Bully Hill was stuck with 2 million corq's that were
> nothing but aggravation and fighting with Sumpremcorq at the time. (I
> forget whether they made it right or not, to be honest.) Supremecorq
> wants them used as shipped; no washing or wetting, they want that lube
> to stay in place.
>
> Who is NuCorq? I'll look them up. I like the look of these
> Nomacorq'a I'm playing around at now. I have some in bottle close to a
> year so I guess it's time to look them over soon.
>
> Hope that helps.

Thanks for the info, Joe.

I think I misspelled that name. It's "NuKorc". They're in Australia, but
they have reps all over the world.

Did you have any extraction issues with SupremeCorqs?

As far as my application goes, the bottling line has a vacuum corking head,
and I know they're savvy enough not to wash the corqs prior to use. I'm
going to continue to lobby for a screw capper though, as I'm sure that's the
wave of the future.

Tom S