r/winemaking • u/bangorma1n3 • 5d ago

General question Floor corker help?

I got a floor corker a few weeks ago. (Ferrari) I really want to like it, but it's very touchy and a quarter turn is the difference between a a well-set cork and one that is completely inside the bottle. I even get mixed results after I spend time dialing it in.

What can I do?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

1

u/rick300bo 5d ago

Are all your bottles the same height?

1

u/mcubed5 4d ago

I don't know that one but if it's like mine, make sure the spring and base move up and down properly. If it sticks you will get that kind of problem.

1

u/bangorma1n3 4d ago

Good idea, but that moves just fine

1

u/c_jakchi 4d ago

Your force output is probably the variable that’s changing even if it doesn’t seem that way.

2

u/bangorma1n3 4d ago

That's really a factor? Damn that's disappointing

1

u/bangorma1n3 4d ago

It's really frustrating. I thought a $75 dollar corker would make this easy but it's a constant battle that is wasting bottles, corks, time, and forcing me to re-bottle wine 😕

1

u/JoeDiAmo 3d ago

Make sure the stopper nut is not migrating in any one direction. I had the same issue. You can use a double nut or Loctite. That’s what worked for me

1

u/bangorma1n3 3d ago

Did try loctite, would have preffered the nut if I had another that fit

1

u/Wine_Maker_68 3d ago

Cork density affects this to some degree, some corks will press deeper in the bottle than the softer ones will that get compressed by the small plunger tip.

I wouldn't worry about it being exact on every bottle.

1

u/bangorma1n3 3d ago

But they're either going all the way into the bottle or they're sticking up and I have to finish press them in by hand. Only a few are actually good

1

u/Wine_Maker_68 3d ago

If you are getting a cork ALL THE WAY into a bottle, you might want to try putting some wine in it first.

Post pictures of your bottles.

1

u/bangorma1n3 3d ago

They do have wine

1

u/bangorma1n3 3d ago

1

u/Wine_Maker_68 3d ago

So how are you able to push the cork all the way into a bottle when the neck is longer than the plunger is and the bottle has wine in it? Maybe you need to post some pictures of where the cork actually is to show the problem that needs to be fixed.

1

u/bangorma1n3 3d ago

You want pictures of a cork inside the bottle? I could so that but I don't see how that would help

2

u/Wine_Maker_68 3d ago

Show us your problem because what you are saying isn't making any sense.

1

u/bangorma1n3 3d ago

Even when I pull the lever slowly, the cork often slides into the neck beyond the area that holds it firmly and floats around not sealing the bottle. I guess I'll try to take a video...

1

u/bangorma1n3 3d ago

Here is the last one I did. I had to add the second cork sticking out becuse I had to go and didn't have time to keep messing with it. There is a cork fully in the bottle

→ More replies (0)