Sanitizing Bottles and Corks

On WineMakingTalk, there is a lot of discussion regarding the sanitization of bottles and corks at bottling time.

Bottles? I was taught to pour K-meta solution from bottle to bottle, shaking out residue.

Corks? I was originally taught to boil corks, which is a bad idea as it makes them brittle. Later I was taught to douse corks in K-meta solution.

Some folks make a “corkidor”, which is made from 2 buckets. The bottom bucket contains K-meta solution, while the top bucket has holes drilled in the bottom and is inserted into the bottom bucket. The idea is that SO2 fumes rise up and sanitize the corks.

I learned to listen to professional winemakers, who do none of the above. Clean bottles come from the factory and are placed in the bottling line with no treatment. Corks come in large bags — the bag is cut and poured into the cork hopper of the bottling machine.

Early in my winemaking career I tried arguing with the professionals, and got completely shot down. This taught me to listen to the people who do it for a successful living.

Bottles

The process I’ve used for 30+ years is to clean bottles well and let them completely dry. Inspect the bottles, and re-wash any that exhibit any contaminants. The dried bottles are placed mouth-down in clean cases until use. There is nothing in the bottles on which microbial life can grow, and bugs cannot climb into the bottle.

At bottling time, I inspect the bottles and line them up. I’ve had to reject about 1 bottle in 200 for re-cleaning.

Corks

Corks are easier, as they are never re-used. Corks come in plastic bags, which I cleanly cut open with a sharp knife.

I use a clean paper towel to wipe the counter with K-meta solution, so it’s clean and sanitized. I remove 6 to 12 corks from the bag at a time, lining them up on the counter, corking bottles as they are filled.

When done, I roll the cork bag tightly and secure it with a binder clip. This protects the corks from dust and bugs.