My first attempt to cork my wine bottles resulted in a lot of shredded
corks.

I have an "Itallian wing corker" with 2 levers and a tapered channel - with
a metal plunger that pushes the cork into the bottle.

I am using #9 1 3/4' "super corks" that I soaked in water for a few hours.
I put them in the corker, set the corker on the bottle and bring the wings
down. I've tried it fast and slow. What seems to happen is the top of the
cork rips in a ring. Sometimes the lower portion of the cork gets messed up
as well.

I also tried it with a dry cork with the same result. Finally, I tried an
Altec cork with the same result.

Is there a technique with using this corker, or is this particular corker
prone to this problem?

Jeff,
I would and do use a floor corker. For one thing its much easier. On
the down side it cost more. Ask around and you may find a fellow wine
maker who has one. If someone I know asked and was close by I would let
him / her borrow it.
Tom

Home of the
Moon river Brewery
&
Delanco Vineyards

Jeffrey Hallett wrote:
> My first attempt to cork my wine bottles resulted in a lot of shredded
> corks.
>
> I have an "Itallian wing corker" with 2 levers and a tapered channel - with
> a metal plunger that pushes the cork into the bottle.
>
> I am using #9 1 3/4' "super corks" that I soaked in water for a few hours.
> I put them in the corker, set the corker on the bottle and bring the wings
> down. I've tried it fast and slow. What seems to happen is the top of the
> cork rips in a ring. Sometimes the lower portion of the cork gets messed up
> as well.
>
> I also tried it with a dry cork with the same result. Finally, I tried an
> Altec cork with the same result.
>
> Is there a technique with using this corker, or is this particular corker
> prone to this problem?

Jeff,

It's the corker, we had one a long time ago. Sorry, you have done
everything most people do to get it to work; it's just not a good
design for a corker.

If you are looking for an inexpensive hand corker take a look at the
Ferrari Gilda. It has an iris to compress the cork. It's still a bit
of a pain to use, but it works much better. It is hard to keep
everything lined up as you drive the cork in; the bottle can try to
move like the one you used. It can't do synthetics either.

The best inexpensive floor or bench corker I have seen is the
portuguese one with a plastic iris. It will compress any cork. If you
do 375 ml bottles you may need a little shim, it doesn't fit those well
without one. I use a Polar water cap, it's perfect. (It does not miss
by much, you only need another 1/4 inch.)

The Gilda is around $20 to $30US, the floor corker around $60.

Joe
>
> Is there a technique with using this corker, or is this particular corker
> prone to this problem?