The popping open of a champagne bottle is a common sight in celebrations. This could raise curious questions about getting corks into bottles and there’s one clear answer: a champagne bottle corker.
A champagne bottle corker is a tool that safely and effectively corks champagne bottles. It uses a lever mechanism that generally does two things: compress and insert the cork into the bottle’s neck. Most models also offer cork depth and bottle size variations.
There are two kinds of bottle corkers: hand and floor champagne corkers. Which one you should get will depend on your usage.
Champagne Bottle Corker
Champagne is an integral part of parties and celebrations. Whether you’re celebrating an occasion, a milestone, or a special event, they’re all worthy of popping open a bottle of champagne.
When we hear the popping sound of opening a bottle of champagne, one can’t help but wonder how exactly the cork gets inside the bottle and what causes it to make that sound.
As we all know, champagne is a sparkling wine made and produced in the historical Champagne region of France. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes are three of the most common grape varieties used in the brewing process.
Champagne, unlike other still wines, is carbonated. This means it contains fizz and bubbles that cause great pressure buildup inside the bottle after corking and will continue to rise as the bottle rests and remains unopened. This pressure is the reason for both the iconic mushroom shape of the champagne cork and the loud “pop” sound the bottle makes once opened.
When you look at the champagne that comes out of the bottle’s neck and try to squeeze it back in, you will find out that you can’t. So how did it get inside in the first place?
The answer is this: champagne bottle corker.
What is a champagne bottle corker?
A champagne corker is a special tool that helps winemakers and wine enthusiasts to quickly, safely, and effectively cork a bottle of champagne.
The machinery uses a compressing and inserting motion in a single motion. Once the cork and bottles are both in position, you only need to pull down the lever (or two, depending on the machine’s design). As long as both the cork and bottle are positioned correctly, a champagne bottle corker will insert the cork without problem.
The depth of the cork and the size of the bottle used can be changed and varied on the machinery itself.
If you’re serious about using a champagne bottle corker for your winemaking needs, you should know that there are two types you can choose from:
Hand champagne corker
A hand champagne corker is a handheld corking device. As all champagne corkers go, this does two things: compress the cork and then insert it into the neck of the champagne bottle.
This is a double-levered corker with a unique mechanism that can hold the cork and bottle in place and insert the cork into the bottle. The depth of the cork and how far it goes into the champagne neck bottle is easily adjustable on the corker.
However, hand champagne corkers will not work for synthetic corks. This works only for natural corks.
This wing corker from Ferrari is an example of a hand champagne corker.
Floor champagne corker
If you’re on the lookout for the best champagne cooker available in the market, you might also want to include a floor champagne corker in your list of prospects.
A floor champagne corker is a standing bottle corker that can get the job done quickly and hassle-free. It does two things: compress the cork to fit into the small diameter of the bottle’s neck and insert the cork into the bottle.
It also holds both the cork and bottle in place to make sure the champagne inside is securely sealed.
The sizes of the cork and bottle used and the depth of the cork can all be varied as well.
There are floor champagne corker options that include a second station to apply the champagne’s traditional metal hood or caging. There are also variations that can work on both champagne corks and straight corks.
Ferrari also has a floor corker in its roster of offered products.
How to Use a Champagne Bottle Corker: How to Insert Champagne Corks Using a Bottle Corker
The mechanics of the use of champagne bottle corkers would vary depending on each one’s mechanism and design. But generally, here’s how you can use a champagne bottle corker:
- Adjust the depth setting according to the size of the cork you have. Most models also allow you to adjust the size of wine bottles so do that according to what bottle size you have at hand.
- Load the cork into the cork chamber. Place the bottle on the corker as well.
- Typically, there is one lever you need to pull to do both the compressing and inserting of the cork. Some models have two levers. Regardless, pull down the lever to start the process of corking.
- Once the bottle has been corked and a tight seal has been formed, store the sealed bottles in an upright position forts for a day or two before storing them on their sides. Waiting before storing them horizontally will allow the corks to keep swelling to maintain an airtight seal in the bottle. If you’re storing the bottles for a long time, make sure you store them horizontally after a maximum of two days to prevent the drying out of the corks.
How to Reinsert Champagne Cork for Storage
After the cork pops out of the champagne bottle, the cork expands and will continue to expand. So if you try to place the wine cork back into the bottle, you will find out that you can’t fit it in anymore.
Champagne is meant to be consumed after opening the bottle cap. But if you can’t, you can use a wine stopper instead to keep the fizzy content safe. For this storage solution, ensure that you have the right stopper size. Some would tell you that these plastic cork replacements might be large for champagne bottles but small for Belgian bottles with Belgian corks so ensure that you have the right size.
You have to remember though, that the fizz and bubbles stay contained in the wine bottle only up to three days after opening even if you store the bottle correctly. By then, the champagne will have lost its flavor, aromas, and bubbles.
Conclusion
Champagne is often synonymous with celebrations. If you’re used to the sight of making a champagne cork pop, you might be curious about how it gets in such a tight place. The answer to this is a champagne bottle corker.
A champagne bottle corker is a specialized tool that does the corking of champagne bottles. It uses a compressing and inserting motion in either a single or two levers. It does both the compressing and inserting of corks into the neck of the bottle.
If you’re in search of a champagne bottle corker, you will find that there are two types: hand champagne corker and floor champagne corker.
