Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
racking tube to transfer wine into final wine bottles for
corking.
Racking tubes come in two sizes; one that is smaller and will
fit into a gallon jug and one that is larger and will not. Get the
smaller one initially as it will work for both gallon jugs and
five-gallon carboys.
Always clean your racking tube and plastic tubing before and
after use, and run a gallon of sulphite solution through it to
sterilize the components. Otherwise, it will accumulate debris
attractive to fruit flies that carry vinegar bacteria and you will
unwittingly start manufacturing vinegar instead of wine. The
tubing is inexpensive and it is best to replace it after several
uses.
Corker
Corkers are used to insert corks into wine bottles. As you've
discovered if you have ever tried to put a cork back into a
wine bottle, corks are slightly larger than the holes they are
intended to fit. A corker compresses the cork enough for it to
slip inside the bottle. Corkers come in many sizes and styles,
but I would recommend a metal two-armed lever model
which, although somewhat more expensive than the plastic
models, does a better job and will serve you well for your
lifetime.
