is this corking ok?
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Let me guess... double-lever 'Portuguese' corker?
I have had the same thing happen to many of my bottles. I too wish that they were all nice and even and slightly sunken below the lip of the bottle. But the seal is good. They don't leak or let air in, so I think they're fine. I also tried 'shaving' the top of the cork with a razor blade, but it mucks up the cork. I have found three tricks that seem to help about 50% of the time:
But your corked bottles should be fine as far as protecting the mead.
Maze on,
Joe
I have had the same thing happen to many of my bottles. I too wish that they were all nice and even and slightly sunken below the lip of the bottle. But the seal is good. They don't leak or let air in, so I think they're fine. I also tried 'shaving' the top of the cork with a razor blade, but it mucks up the cork. I have found three tricks that seem to help about 50% of the time:
- Warm the corks in warm sanitizing solution or even plain water for a couple of minutes before using them
- Adjust the cork inside the corker so that the plunger is dead-center
- Cover the mouth of the bottle and up-end it to wet the inside of the bottle neck just before corking
But your corked bottles should be fine as far as protecting the mead.
Maze on,
Joe
My lever action corker sometimes does that but sometimes it's the corks pushing back out a little bit (I use #8's sometimes and they're occasionally a little loose when first corked) and since I dip them in sanitizer and also sanitize my corker before using, they're just enough lubricated that I can often just push them back down with my thumb. I find dipping the corks and spraying down the corker with sulphite solution accomplishes the same But you've got most of a seal there, they should be fine. I've even had some bottles last years with half an inch of cork sticking out while I was first getting the corker adjusted.
I also found if I overfilled the bottles, the small amount of airspace for compressing as the cork is inserted, the corks push back out and I had to keep pushing them back in. Not a problem for yours, I can see the level's a little lower than I usually have
I also found if I overfilled the bottles, the small amount of airspace for compressing as the cork is inserted, the corks push back out and I had to keep pushing them back in. Not a problem for yours, I can see the level's a little lower than I usually have
Probably made a good enough seal, just that I always aim to get the top below the upper level of the glass as its better for presentation reasons and you can then use shrink caps or even wax and it looks better/smart.......
Can't you put a dime on the cork and carefully tamp it down?
Sent from my galafreyan transdimensional communicator 100 years from now. G
Sent from my galafreyan transdimensional communicator 100 years from now. G
I get this once in a while if I'm not careful on cork placement (I use a hand corker as well, and I soak my corks). It hasn't affected my brews at all.
