help- corks!

[janeyo]

I am about to bottle the dandelion wine.

I have plastic corks and normal ones with a machine.
Not sure which to use. (all stuff from wilkos - Youngs brand)

a) How do I get the pastic ones out once in, to re-use? And do they leak? Wine will be stored horizontally.

b)The corks say not to soak as they are silicone treated. How do I sterislise them if not allowed to soak?

Thanks,

[Alison]

Do you mean plastic corks like the ones you get in quite a lot of shop bought wine or plastic stoppers? If it's the former then are you sure you're meant to be able to reuse?

Re the steralising bit - never even thought of that when I used to make wine, I just used them. Quite possible not the right attitude but I'm still here!

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'd use the plastic ones - they fit quite snugly so you can store the bottles horizontally.

Use a flat blade to ease between the top of the bottle & the cork and wriggle to remove - you only have to wriggle it up to the first 'notch' and you'll be able to grasp and turn and wriggle to get it out the whole way. I use a tea towel as the plastic cork can be rough on your hands.

[janeyo]

I mean plastic stoppers. The oens with ridges.

As regards sterilising, if I was going to use the wine within a few weeks I would just use the corks but it has to 'age' for a while first!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Do you mean plastic corks like the ones you get in quite a lot of shop bought wine or plastic stoppers? If it's the former then are you sure you're meant to be able to reuse?

Re the steralising bit - never even thought of that when I used to make wine, I just used them. Quite possible not the right attitude but I'm still here!

The wilkos stoppers are meant to be reused (called 're-useable plastic wine stoppers'), and I sterilise them by putting in a bowl and pouring on boiling water which is only slightly more steralised than Alison's, and I'm still here too!

[janeyo]

And how easy are they to get out when you want to sample the delights...

[Hazel at the Hill]

And how easy are they to get out when you want to sample the delights...

Not much wrestling required - especially give how determined you're gonna be!

[Don Vincenzo]

I am about to bottle the dandelion wine.

I have plastic corks and normal ones with a machine.
Not sure which to use. (all stuff from wilkos - Youngs brand)

a) How do I get the pastic ones out once in, to re-use? And do they leak? Wine will be stored horizontally.

b)The corks say not to soak as they are silicone treated. How do I sterislise them if not allowed to soak?

Thanks,

If you use plastic corks, there is not need to store the bottles horizontally as opposed with the normal ones ( cork ). You can sterilize them in cold water in milton or similar and then rinse in cold water. You can reuse them provided the bottle opener does not go through the cork. For a free supply ask your local restaurant / pub to keep some corks aside and why not also bottles. I store my bottles vertically even with normal corks and so far never had a problem. Even better you can use screw tops, again ask your local restaurant.
Regards
Don Vincenzo