The Auswine Forum

I have got about 5 different types of corkscrew from the cheap to the exoensive, but none of them can do a good job on Old wine where cork is fragile.

So what cork screw do you guys use for those wines?

I hear you Rob,

I use the ubiquitous waiters corkscrew while my better half uses an Ah So (Sp?). Typically what happens is I am succesful 75% of the time if I am very careful. The rest of the time she salvages the job with the Ah So. Oh well.

Best

Paul

I'm a big fan of the screwpull table model for older wines. At the recent Penfolds wine clinics, I saw a technique using the corkscrews from two screwpulls. They were both screwed into the cork to get even more purchase. Seemed to work well.


Jamie

For older wines the best is "Butler's friend" (two-pronged extractor which allows the cork to be extracted and replaced with no damage)
If u use a screw n drill the old cork, it might disintregrate.


http://www.corkscrew.com/sales_monopol_ahso.html

I have a mean looking device with a long, strong syringe-like needle that pierces downwards right through the cork - then you give the little compressed gas canister a quick tap, and the released gas expands in the space between the top of the wine & bottom of the cork so effectively, that in 98% of cases the cork is driven clean out of the neck (still stuck on the needle) Brilliant thingamijig, which has removed countless old corks that would otherwise have crumbled or cored out. One brand name is "corkpops" The gas canister is good for 30 - 40 openings, and is easily replaced.

Mark S wrote: One brand name is "corkpops" The gas canister is good for 30 - 40 openings, and is easily replaced.

Hi Mark,

Do you know how much is it and where can I get that corkscrew?

Cheers
Rob

Agree the table model Screwpull works most times, just watch out for deterioration of the teflon on the corkscrew after many years service and a design weakness in the T-piece by holding it too tight or not tight enough (it breaks).

My friend swears by the Air Pump device, although if the seal is less than perfect, you're stuffed!

And when all else fails there is always the ol' reliable - The Champagne Sabre!

Agree, Screwpull has done a remarkable job for me.

Draws a 30 yo cork which you can crush in your hand with a little bit of pressure.

Leverpull (Screwpull) does the job pretty well, as long as the worm is sharp - and hasn't suffered driving through too many of those bloody awful wax discs Rosemount stick on top of their corks.

Just occasionally I'll get a bottle that's not been stored that well, and the Screwpull will 'core' out the cork (if I have one criticism of the Leverpull, it's that the worm diameter could be a bit larger). Then it's the Ah-So to the rescue (thieving butler I think, not butler's friend...)

I know with the traditional waiter's friend there's a bit more scope to put pressure on the side of the bottle when corks are crumbly or have broken in half, but I find the waiters friend irritating because it doesn't pull the cork straight up, and in fact the its 'legs' that sit over the rim of the bottle actually cover the edge of the cork, increasing the odds of something going wrong...

The little gas-gun pump gadgets are all very well - you are relying on the cork tension being less than the strength of the bottle to prevent a very messy accident...

cheers,
Graeme

I don'y worry too much about old corks - I usually just push it in and decant with my super fine sieved funnel. The Ah-so Is OK but not if wine is already loose or saturated and Screwpull OK. Usually easiuer to push it in if possible - ur gonna decant anyway!

Screwpull table model - always. If it's really tricky, you can just use the screw itself to extract the (crumbling) cork.

Rob wrote:

Mark S wrote: One brand name is "corkpops" The gas canister is good for 30 - 40 openings, and is easily replaced.

Hi Mark,

Do you know how much is it and where can I get that corkscrew?

Cheers
Rob

Rob, there's a website http://www.corkpops.com.au/ and a phone no. 07 32527794 I have the others mentioned in this post, but believe that the Corkpops is an essential tool in the wine armory.

regards, Mark S

Another vote for Screwpull. I have the Delux table model (The spinning version is no good for older corks, too much play) This has never failed with a multitude of older bottles back to the 50s. Occasionly the very end of the cork start to break away but this always comes up with the worm as long as you go slow.

I've been using the CorkPops for a couple of years now.
Bought one from Wine Australia a while back and I think the canisters last more like about 100 opens.
Certainly does the job, and great on old fragile corks. Doesn't seem to affect the wine. The only thing I was a little worried about was the compressing of the wine for that instant as you open it, but I doubt it has had any impact and I've certainly enjoyed many wines opened that way.
They certainly researched the propellant to make sure it was inert enough.
Better than getting bits of cork in your teeth certainly. I think they're available through either David Jones and/or Myer at the moment.