# My Corks are Popping Off My First Wines !!!



## Helena (May 10, 2002)

:facepalm: Bottledour first home made wine this evening with corks and corker from wine company. Soaked my corks first. Husband put them in the wine rack..I think the pressure on the new corks was too much..and the corks needed to swell a little to seal. Anyone have any ideas and help for us !!!:buds:


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## Davidd (Nov 16, 2011)

Has it been fermenting for at least 45 days? There may be yeast still working


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Sorry you are experiencing this. Sounds like the wine wasn't finished. Did you use anything to kill off the remaining yeast spores? If not, you are making sparkling wine and regular corks won't hold in.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

I'm glad that your corks came out. You were spared cleaning up a bigger mess and possible injury from broken glass if the bottles gave way. Good tips here. Looks like yeast is still working. Part of the fun of learning about nature in a bottle. Good work.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

If you did stablize it and the corks are only working out an 1/8 to 1/4 inch, you layed them on the side too soon. Bottles should stand upright for a day or 2 before laying on there side.

WWW


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

You bottled a bit early. You can either put it back in bulk with waterlock to outgas or try cold storing it in the fridge for a month to kill the residual yeasts. I have done it both ways. While cold storing will retard the yeast there is the possibility of a bottle or cork popping but it is rare.

I always try to dark store my bottled wines at about 65 degrees in my storm shelter/wine cellar or in the crawlspace pit bin I had my maintenance man install in the floor of my kitchen in an out of the way corner. 

An advantage to the cold storage is when successful , the wine is generally effervescent as champagne when opened and a good choice of home wine for New Years.


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## boolandk (Sep 20, 2003)

May the wine was trying to tell you to drink it!!


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## BLUEBERRY1 (Feb 2, 2014)

It could have been Malo-Lactic fermentation or residual sugar still being fermented. Did you apply any sulfur?


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## chuckhole (Mar 2, 2006)

BLUEBERRY1 said:


> It could have been Malo-Lactic fermentation or residual sugar still being fermented. Did you apply any sulfur?


Ditto that.

We use one Campden tablet (sodium metabisulfite) per gallon of wine.

I also check it with the hydrometer to make sure that the sugar has been used up. After the first week of fermentation, rack it (siphon) from one container to another. Leave the sediments at the bottom to help clarify it and promote the final burn off of the sugar. That is when we add the Campden tablets.

If it hasn't finished and the alcohol content is below 10%, the chances are higher that it goes to vinegar. Besides, wine vinegar can cost more than wine so we like the occasional accidents.

Happy wine making.


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