Well, This beer wasn't fun.
- Thread starter Fisher kel Tath
- Start date
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I could be wrong, but I thought those ones WERE the champagne corkers, an upgrade from the normal ones.
There's got to me a major structural difference between that one and the ones I've used (and talked on this site about using for this before), because the hole the cork goes through is partially obstructed by the squeezers when it is in it's fully open position, and there's only about a 1/4" clearance between that hole and the bottle itself.
I'm going to have to buy one of these that you speak of!
Using regular wine corks and one of these, I've left over 1/2" sticking out before I figured out how to adjust the plunger depth properly, although these were also coated corks that wouldn't slide through the corker nicely, I don't remember getting any stuck in the corker though, but it might have been that the clamps that hold the bottle loosened up as I was wrestling with the stupid things so it was just pushing the cork out instead of also pulling the bottle in...
I, actually have too much cork sticking out, Um I caged them wrong, i set the cages in the groove, not under the lower lip...
Anyway, If I shake a bottle, It foams, that means it is carbonating right?
Anyway, If I shake a bottle, It foams, that means it is carbonating right?
I was able to leave ~1/2" out of the top of the bottle (so that there was only about 1" between the bottom of the cork and the top of the brew)... Just enough to get the cage on, and the lower wire around the bottom rim on the neck. I didn't use the middle indent in the bottle, since I figured that would be too little cork inside the bottle.
When setting the depth (the stopper was almost all the way to the bottom of the threads on the plunger) I just needed to make sure to stop it before it went all the way down past the small lip above the jaws. I plan on making a more solid spacer before I use the corker again, so that I can get more consistent results.
Still, the little red floor corker did just fine for me. I might get the more expensive champagne corker if I use those actual bottles, and corks. From my understanding, the jaws in that one open up more, and the hole where the bottle top goes is wider.
To get the bottles out of the corker, I simply needed to use a little bit of muscle, and leverage to gently pull them down and out of the corker. Left the cork exactly as it was supposed to be, so I was able to cage it up.
I'm thinking of making something to go into my cordless drill to help wind the cage wire better. Using the screwdriver was not as much fun. Plus, I got sliced really nice (a couple of times) on the metal piece at the top of the cage. The 'tool' could be something as simple as a short piece of stiff wire, bent to hold the cage loop while I let the drill turn slowly. Should give more consistent results there. I'll let you know if/when I make that, and how it works...
I've used a Portugese floor corker many times for corking Belgians. I put a number 6.5 stopper over the cork pusher to set the depth and use the handle of a screwdriver to push the cork out of the iris while pulling the bottle down at the same time. With a little practice it isn't any harder than corking wine bottles -- in fact, getting the cages on prefectly requires a bit more practice than getting the corks right. 
If you have chloramines in your water I suggest drawing your brewing water off the night before and adding 1/4 of a crushed campden tablet to each 5 gallon bucket. Cheap and easy insurance, well worth it to avoid ruining a batch!
If you have chloramines in your water I suggest drawing your brewing water off the night before and adding 1/4 of a crushed campden tablet to each 5 gallon bucket. Cheap and easy insurance, well worth it to avoid ruining a batch!
Exactly what I'm looking for... Just hope the LHBS has one on hand for the next time I go there... I might call them ahead and see if they have any in stock, or not. If not, then I'll just order up one, along with some more corks and cages. I'll get the bottles locally, since I won't need to deal with shipping costs...
Still thinking about making one of those to go into my drill chuck... I'll probably try the official one first, then decide if I should make a mechanical version...
Keeping this at about 75 degrees (on the floor near the heater in the living room in boxes) Inverted and swirled each bottle today to bring yeast back into suspension, some of the bottles were clear enough to see through
putting the bottles on their sides allows for the cork to stay moist, and keep a tight seal, so IMHO I would say to go for it if you want to put the corked bottles on their sides, definetly wont hurt.
Well if I wasn't fucked before, I am now, lost power for 2 days, temp dropped to 55-60 in the house, when i was holding it at 75 to help carb. Now it's probally a lost cause
I disagree. The yeast will just wake up when it warms up, none the wiser. 55 F isn't cold enough to kill them.
It's only been ~2 weeks since bottling, right? I wouldn't worry yet. If after two months, still no carbonation, then I'd be worried. 
Plus, not sure if this is just anecdotal, but most things I bottle take longer to carb if bottled in larger containers compared to 12 oz bottles.
Plus, not sure if this is just anecdotal, but most things I bottle take longer to carb if bottled in larger containers compared to 12 oz bottles.
So chilled down a bottle (whole point of bottling 12oz bottles was for carbonation checking 
) and it developed about a half inch head when poured.
Now I drank it following a Rochefort 10. It's not bad, no Rochefort, but yea...
) and it developed about a half inch head when poured.Now I drank it following a Rochefort 10. It's not bad, no Rochefort, but yea...
hrm... I wonder, there is a flavor to this beer, that I cannot place at all...
Smell is sweet malty-ness with hint of banana esters, carbonation isn't high yet, but it's drinkable.
taste is i'd say green, like hop green not acetaheldahyde green, holding it on the tongue it kinda stings, also seems yeasty.
Maybe I should dump this...
Smell is sweet malty-ness with hint of banana esters, carbonation isn't high yet, but it's drinkable.
taste is i'd say green, like hop green not acetaheldahyde green, holding it on the tongue it kinda stings, also seems yeasty.
Maybe I should dump this...
