got some corks for me wine, the straight type, before using them i boiled the kettle and covered them in boiling water briefly to steralise them, but when i came to cork the bottles using the below tool, as i put the cork in loads of brownish liquid kept coming out the corks, whats the best way to sanitise corks
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corks
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Tufty
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Horden Hillbilly
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I mainly use the grade 1 silicon coated corks which I buy from Here, they are so easy to cork, no soaking required and the decent corking tool you have got will make life much easier.
If I am making a party wine which won't be bottled for long I use the cheaper grade 3 corks. Soak them for a short while in warm rather than boiling water, just enough to soften them, rinse in another jug of warm water before corking. As Tufty points out, you can make a mild metabi solution to soak them in.
Whatever method you use, I would also advise you to stand your bottles upright for 3 days after corking, this prevents "weeping" from the corks as the 3 days allows the corks to swell in the bottle ensuring a leak free bottle.
If I am making a party wine which won't be bottled for long I use the cheaper grade 3 corks. Soak them for a short while in warm rather than boiling water, just enough to soften them, rinse in another jug of warm water before corking. As Tufty points out, you can make a mild metabi solution to soak them in.
Whatever method you use, I would also advise you to stand your bottles upright for 3 days after corking, this prevents "weeping" from the corks as the 3 days allows the corks to swell in the bottle ensuring a leak free bottle.
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EasyBrew
Pongobilly
Were they waxed or silicon treated corks? If silicon treated you MUST NOT soak them as the silicon dissolves and the corks are then useless. With the corker you have, it is not necessary to soak the corks, just give then a quick sterilise. I actually only ever briefly rinse them in warm water and have never had any problems. If you buy pre-packed ones they are generally packed under clean conditions. However, if your local shop keeps them in a big bucket and you pick the number you want, you should sterilise them (I'm sure you all know the one about the amount of bacteria in peanuts on a bar!).
Were they waxed or silicon treated corks? If silicon treated you MUST NOT soak them as the silicon dissolves and the corks are then useless. With the corker you have, it is not necessary to soak the corks, just give then a quick sterilise. I actually only ever briefly rinse them in warm water and have never had any problems. If you buy pre-packed ones they are generally packed under clean conditions. However, if your local shop keeps them in a big bucket and you pick the number you want, you should sterilise them (I'm sure you all know the one about the amount of bacteria in peanuts on a bar!).