Bottling Advice

[Goaty]

Hi guys

I need some advice on using old screw top wine bottles. I have 20 clear bottles soaking in the bath for the last few hours and they are all screw top. Is there anything I should be aware of when using them ? I don't need to cork as well as use the lid do I ? Some may be stored for a long time to mature, most will be drunk in the next few months I can imagine. I can only imagine that they will seal ok, or is there a knack to re using them ?

 

[jasea3632]

I always cut off the metal neck cover to eliminate any nasties hiding under there and usually just chuck the caps away as the thread can become loose and not as airtight as originally was and then just cork as normal.

 

[spangles]

I've been using either reused screw tops or non screw top with plastic reusable corks without any problems so far. Though, I have struggled to acquire many non screw top bottles. As it's generally advised to only reuse screw top bottles once or twice I'd prefer to cork the screw top bottles but the plastic corks are clearly too small. How well do proper corks fit screw top bottles?

 

[jasea3632]

corks fit just as well as with screw tops as normal ones just watch out for a hungarian wine called Budovar as this has one of the slimmest necks i have ever seen and will not take a cork.

 

[Ardwyn]

I always use the screw top bottles as they are the easiest to get hold of. I use the waxed corks, put in a bag with a small amount of water and 2 campden tablets and given a good shake.

The only problem I found was that some would start to rise straight after corking, so would push them back in and screw on a top for a while until they settled. After a post on here, (thanks to whoever it was), I realised I was probably putting too much wine in the bottles, so now only fill to just above the base of the neck and no more problems with corks rising.

 

[Crastney]

I'm about to do this soon - so that I get the gist:
- soak the corks (for an hour?) before hand (in camden solution?)
- sterilised bottles
- wine racked, and cleared before hand
- ok, off on a tangent here - I've got issinglass finings, so do I rack off the lees, then leave to clear, then add issinglass, leave to clear, do I need to filter as well? Can I filter as it goes into bottles? What about CT and Pot Sorb - is this before or after the finings?

I need to know what I'm doing in what order, or it'll all go titsup.

 

[stu9000]

Ive been using screw top bottles without any issues for a year now.

 

[ingypingy2]

I'm about to do this soon - so that I get the gist:
- soak the corks (for an hour?) before hand (in camden solution?)
- sterilised bottles
- wine racked, and cleared before hand
- ok, off on a tangent here - I've got issinglass finings, so do I rack off the lees, then leave to clear, then add issinglass, leave to clear, do I need to filter as well? Can I filter as it goes into bottles? What about CT and Pot Sorb - is this before or after the finings?

I need to know what I'm doing in what order, or it'll all go titsup.

You'll need to rack off the lees, add CT and Pot Sorb, degass then add finings or leave to clear by itself, rack off when clear, sweeten if needed, then bottle :) I have never filtered my wine :)