[enso]

Being the pack rat that I am I save all the wire cages and corks from Belgian and champagne style bottles.  I know I can get at least one use out of the cages.  Never was sure why I saved the corks though. 

Now I have a corker and I am sorely tempted to reuse corks.  I have some new Belgian corks, but man are they expensive overall!  When they run out, well.  My half baked idea is that I can sulfite the corks or steam them or...

Seriously asking for contamination aren't I.     I just need to hear someone else (other than the little voice in my head) tell me NO!


 

[Hokerer]

Seriously asking for contamination aren't I.     I just need to hear someone else (other than the little voice in my head) tell me NO!


 

umm, ok...   NO

never used corks but figured I could still help you out.

[bluesman]

I use new corks on all of my wine bottles. They're fairly inexpensive. I recommend purchasing new corks and sanitizing them. It's an insurance policy of sorts...and peace of mind. 

[dontblake]

Yeah, what are you thinking?   You're in the home stretch here - after all that time, effort and money to make a good beer, cheap out on corks? 
Don't do it!

[mikeypedersen]

Yeah, what are you thinking?   You're in the home stretch here - after all that time, effort and money to make a good beer, cheap out on corks? 
Don't do it!

+ A Million.

[enso]

Phew.  Okay.

Thanks for talking me down. 


 

[enso]

I use new corks on all of my wine bottles. They're fairly inexpensive. I recommend purchasing new corks and sanitizing them. It's an insurance policy of sorts...and peace of mind. 

Yes, wine corks are rather inexpensive.  Belgian corks are 3x the amount of regular wine corks though.


But I remain convinced.   

[euge]

I don't think you're asking for contamination.

You could pressure-cook the corks raised up on a trivet so they'd just get steamed. This is basically an autoclave and surely they would be sterilized as opposed to sanitized- which is probably how you'll treat your "new" corks.


Why not give it a try on a few bottles and drink these last. If they are infected then you know...

[corkybstewart]

And I wouldn't bother with re-using the wire cages.  Most of them will break long before you get them twisted tight enough.

[1vertical]

I've re-used some wire cages with pretty good results, usually they bust in the process
of spinning em down tight...then ya know ya gotta use a different one..

As for your used corks, take em fishin with ya...