How to Prepare Wine Corks

Solid corks come prepared in sterile packaging.

Wine corks prevent oxidation of the liquid and stop any accidental leaking during transport. Professional wineries use sophisticated machines to fill and cork their bottles. However, if you are running your own home brew system, it is not likely that you will have that equipment at your disposal. You can cork your own wine bottles, but, in some cases, you will need to prepare your corks. Real corks will not need any processing, but synthetic corks will need preparation before using them.

Things You'll Need

• Shallow pan with lid
• Water
• Tongs

Instructions

1. Place a shallow pan of water on the stove and bring it to a boil.

2. Turn off the heat once the water reaches the boiling point. Drop the corks in the water.

3. Place a tight-fitting lid on top of the pan with the corks. This will allow the corks to steam.

4. Leave the corks in the lidded pan and allow them to steam for three minutes.

5. Remove the corks with tongs and immediately cork your wine bottles.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not steam corks for longer than three minutes, as this make the corks too soft.

• Boiling the corks will cause them to fall apart.

References

• Eckraus: Corking Your Wine Bottles
• Wild Fermentation: Bottling Alcohol Ferments