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Bottling

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brentG

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Apr 20, 2014
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I bottled my first batch of mead today. The gravity has been at 0.998 since early July. I didn't use stabilizing chemicals though.
I put the bottles in a box a few hours ago, and I just noticed one of the corks came completely out. Another one came out about a quarter inch. The rest seem to be fine.
Does this sound like bottle bombs waiting to happen? Or is it maybe the wrong corks for those particular bottles? I used synthetic #9's.
They're in a locked Tupperware now.

Thanks for the help
 
WVMJack

WVMJack

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Feb 12, 2013
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Are they fizzy? How full are your bottles? Did you let them set upwards for a few days before putting them sideways? Got a pic? Congrats on your first batch. WVMJ
 
Chevette Girl

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
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Apr 27, 2010
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At a steady 0.998 you're probably fine, there's very little sugar available for the yeast at this SG.

But as WVMJack suggests, I'd check for fizziness in the one that popped all the way out, there could be CO2 gas still dissolved if you didn't stir it around a bit after it finished to get it to degas.

I found when I used to soak my corks (yeah, yeah I was a corksoaker, shut up, Manny) that the pressure created by shoving a cork into the bottle and compressing what air was in the neck of the bottle would often start the corks sliding back out again, I used to let them sit upright for a couple days before I turned them on their sides and sometimes I'd have to use my thumb and shove the corks back in... I found if I filled the bottles any more than my bottle filler wand would do at the bottom of the bottle, there wasn't enough airspace and compressing the air would push the corks out for the first few hours and sometims no matter what I did (including dropping my whole weight on my double lever corker) would get the corks in all the way.

 
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brentG

NewBee
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Apr 20, 2014
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Thanks!
They don't seem to be fizzy. I had them standing upright when the cork popped out, but then I got nervous so I put them in the tupperware because it locks (but they're on their sides now).
So far, so good, from the looks of things. What's the time frame for bottlebombs? If it's going to happen, will it be soon, or could they blow in a month or two?
 
skunkboy

skunkboy

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May 30, 2005
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The few 'bottle bombs' with corks that I did long ago took about a month to show any signs of fizzyness...

If they are that dry and you didn't add any sugar when you bottled they should fine.

Also agree with CG about wet corks ...
 
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brentG

NewBee
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Apr 20, 2014
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What about using old bottles? I've read both yes and no. Some friends gave me a case of bottles that have been laying around for who knows how long. Some weren't even rinsed out. Can I just soak them and scrub them or are they no good?
 
skunkboy

skunkboy

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As long as they don't show any cracks, or other deformities. I like to soak them in warm/hot bleach water, then rinse well with hot water afterwords... I also prefer nonscrew top bottles beer bottles...
 
Chevette Girl

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
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The only wine bottle I've ever broken was a new one, but I've pulled the tops off of or cracked many a beer-like bottle... Don't even think about reusing Mike's Hard Lemonade bottles, just return them for deposit...

Give it two weeks and then pop a cork. If it gets messy, well, you know you have a problem (might wanna do it over that tupperware or in the kitchen sink or something).

I had one blow a cork at 6 months and I had one cork out of 12 bottles go after a year or more but none of the rest of that batch had carbonated so I have no idea what happened there.
 
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