![](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=davsweb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0937381845\")
\u00a0by Phil Markowski, I decided to brew a bi\u00e8re de noel.\u00a0 To complete the package I wanted to use bottles that matched the style.\u00a0 After a fruitless Internet search and little luck from my local homebrew shop (LHBS), I finally came across the supplies I needed from Beer, Beer, and More Beer<\/a>.<\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/h3>\n\n- Page 1 – Intro, Tools and Supplies, The Process – Step 1<\/li>\n
- Page 2<\/a> – The Process – Step 2 through 5<\/li>\n
- Page 3<\/a> – The Process – Summary, Storing Your Beer, What I’d Do Differently<\/li>\n
- Page 4<\/a> – The Process – Q&A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Tools and Supplies<\/h3>\n\n- Colonna Capper\/Corker<\/a> – about $60.\u00a0 I got mine from my local homebrew shop.<\/li>\n
- Belgian Style Beer Bottles<\/a> – case of 12 for about $30.\u00a0Alternatively you can use recycled bottles from your favorite Belgian brews.<\/li>\n
- Belgian Corks<\/a> – about $6 for 25.<\/li>\n
- Belgian Bottle Wire Hoods<\/a> – about $4 for 25.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You can also find these at the Northern Brewer website<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe Process<\/h3>\n
The process of bottling in Belgian bottles isn’t that different from normal.\u00a0 I’m not going to cover the steps of sanitization and priming because you just do those as normal.<\/p>\n
I haven’t thought through carbonating in the keg.\u00a0 Doing that should reduce the amount of yeast in the bottle but that yeast is probably beneficial to the bottle conditioning process.<\/p>\n
Finally, I apologize for the slightly blurry pictures.\u00a0 The wasn’t much light in my kitchen and my camera was running low on batteries so I couldn’t use the flash.<\/p>\n
Step 1: Adjusting Your Corker<\/h4>\n
\u00a0![\"Adjusting](\"https:\/\/www.slobrewer.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/\/thumbcorking_belgians_001.jpg\" "\\"Adjusting")
<\/a><\/p>\nI start by setting the base height to just below the cork holder. I experimented with both different base height settings and amounts I needed to turn the handle in order to get the right amount of cork sticking out of the bottle. This has to be done just once and then you can mark the base height with a sharpie so you can get repeatable results.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 2: Inserting the Cork<\/h4>\n
![\"Inserting](\"https:\/\/www.slobrewer.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/\/thumbcorking_belgians_002.jpg\" "\\"Inserting")
<\/a><\/p>\nI drop the presoaked cork in the cork holder and then turn the handle about 180 degrees to push it into the bottle with about 3\/4 inch still sticking out (see my comments below on what I’d do differently.) I didn’t have to use an unnatural amount of pressure to get the cork in there. It seemed well within the working capacity of the corker.<\/p>\n
Step 3: Removing the Cork from the Corker<\/h4>\n
![\"Removing](\"https:\/\/www.slobrewer.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/\/thumbcorking_belgians_003.jpg\" "\\"Removing")
<\/a><\/p>\nOkay, here’s where it gets interesting. The cork holder on the corker is like a funnel so that it compresses the cork before pushing it into the bottle. When you only press the cork in part of the way you’re left with the cork still in that funnel bit. So how did I deal with it? Well I removed the base from under the bottle so the corking mechanism no longer had leverage to push the cork into the bottle. I could then hold the bottle to prevent it from falling and then turn the lever to it’s full extent, pushing the cork through the cork holder without pushing it any further into the bottle.<\/p>\n
Step 4: Admire the Result<\/h4>\n
![\"Admire](\"https:\/\/www.slobrewer.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/\/thumbcorking_belgians_004.jpg\" "\\"Admire")
<\/a> <\/p>\nAdmire the result. It’s extremely easy to get repeatable results so if you wanted to push the cork in more or less than I did you certainly could.<\/p>\n
Step 5: Cage the Cork<\/h4>\n
![\"Cage](\"https:\/\/www.slobrewer.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/\/thumbcorking_belgians_005.jpg\" "\\"Cage")
<\/a> <\/p>\nPut on the wire cage, tighten it down with the shaft of a screwdriver or pencil, and you’re good to go. Note that I secured the cage into the groove rather than below the second ridge. See my notes in the summary about why I did this (the B3 corks are longer than normal commercial Belgian corks). Also see my notes on what I’d do differently in the future below.<\/p>\n
One good trick when tightening the cages is to pull away from the bottle while tightening. This tension ensures that you get a nice even twist on the wire.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Summary<\/h4>\n
Once I had the process down it took about 2 minutes to fill, cork, and cage each 750 ml bottle.<\/p>\n
The results were pretty good. The cork is sealing the bottle well and overall the corked bottle looks fabulous. The process was almost as quick as using crown caps once I figured out the technique.<\/p>\n
Storing Your Bottled Beer<\/h3>\n
Similar to corked wine bottles, you want to store Belgian bottles on their sides so the corks remain hydrated. Unlike wine you're going to get yeast settling out. Most people will store bottles upright for several days before serving so that the yeast settles on the bottom rather than the side. In any case make sure whoever's pouring the bottle knows to be careful to not stir the yeast up.<\/p>\n
What I’d Do Differently<\/h3>\n
While I’m happy with the results I plan to change a few things the next time.<\/p>\n
\n- Cork Depth – I was worried that pushing the corks in too far would make removing the cork later too difficult. At the time I was using a Castelain bottle as a reference and they use shorter corks. Since then I've seen that Unibroue bottles use the same corks that More Beer and they push them in an extra quarter of an inch. The end result looks better and there's no problem getting the cork out once it's carbonated. The right measurement is about 1\/2 sticking out and should line up with the cage securing under the second ridge on mouth of the bottle.\n
![\"Cork](\"\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/\/thumbcorking_belgians_007.jpg\" "\\"Cork")
<\/a>\n<\/li>\n- Cages – I used a fairly thick shaft screwdriver to tighten the cages. The end result was a very tight cage and a loop that's too small to comfortably twist with your fingers. I would instead use something closer to the diameter of a pencil and turn six half turns as is standard on Champagne bottles.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Update<\/h3>\n
Here's a picture of the cork at the correct depth:<\/p>\n
Tools and Supplies<\/h3>\n\n- Colonna Capper\/Corker<\/a> – about $60.\u00a0 I got mine from my local homebrew shop.<\/li>\n
- Belgian Style Beer Bottles<\/a> – case of 12 for about $30.\u00a0Alternatively you can use recycled bottles from your favorite Belgian brews.<\/li>\n
- Belgian Corks<\/a> – about $6 for 25.<\/li>\n
- Belgian Bottle Wire Hoods<\/a> – about $4 for 25.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You can also find these at the Northern Brewer website<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe Process<\/h3>\n
The process of bottling in Belgian bottles isn’t that different from normal.\u00a0 I’m not going to cover the steps of sanitization and priming because you just do those as normal.<\/p>\n
I haven’t thought through carbonating in the keg.\u00a0 Doing that should reduce the amount of yeast in the bottle but that yeast is probably beneficial to the bottle conditioning process.<\/p>\n
Finally, I apologize for the slightly blurry pictures.\u00a0 The wasn’t much light in my kitchen and my camera was running low on batteries so I couldn’t use the flash.<\/p>\n
Step 1: Adjusting Your Corker<\/h4>\n
\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nI start by setting the base height to just below the cork holder. I experimented with both different base height settings and amounts I needed to turn the handle in order to get the right amount of cork sticking out of the bottle. This has to be done just once and then you can mark the base height with a sharpie so you can get repeatable results.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 2: Inserting the Cork<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nI drop the presoaked cork in the cork holder and then turn the handle about 180 degrees to push it into the bottle with about 3\/4 inch still sticking out (see my comments below on what I’d do differently.) I didn’t have to use an unnatural amount of pressure to get the cork in there. It seemed well within the working capacity of the corker.<\/p>\n
Step 3: Removing the Cork from the Corker<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nOkay, here’s where it gets interesting. The cork holder on the corker is like a funnel so that it compresses the cork before pushing it into the bottle. When you only press the cork in part of the way you’re left with the cork still in that funnel bit. So how did I deal with it? Well I removed the base from under the bottle so the corking mechanism no longer had leverage to push the cork into the bottle. I could then hold the bottle to prevent it from falling and then turn the lever to it’s full extent, pushing the cork through the cork holder without pushing it any further into the bottle.<\/p>\n
Step 4: Admire the Result<\/h4>\n
<\/a> <\/p>\nAdmire the result. It’s extremely easy to get repeatable results so if you wanted to push the cork in more or less than I did you certainly could.<\/p>\n
Step 5: Cage the Cork<\/h4>\n
<\/a> <\/p>\nPut on the wire cage, tighten it down with the shaft of a screwdriver or pencil, and you’re good to go. Note that I secured the cage into the groove rather than below the second ridge. See my notes in the summary about why I did this (the B3 corks are longer than normal commercial Belgian corks). Also see my notes on what I’d do differently in the future below.<\/p>\n
One good trick when tightening the cages is to pull away from the bottle while tightening. This tension ensures that you get a nice even twist on the wire.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Summary<\/h4>\n
Once I had the process down it took about 2 minutes to fill, cork, and cage each 750 ml bottle.<\/p>\n
The results were pretty good. The cork is sealing the bottle well and overall the corked bottle looks fabulous. The process was almost as quick as using crown caps once I figured out the technique.<\/p>\n
Storing Your Bottled Beer<\/h3>\n
Similar to corked wine bottles, you want to store Belgian bottles on their sides so the corks remain hydrated. Unlike wine you're going to get yeast settling out. Most people will store bottles upright for several days before serving so that the yeast settles on the bottom rather than the side. In any case make sure whoever's pouring the bottle knows to be careful to not stir the yeast up.<\/p>\n
What I’d Do Differently<\/h3>\n
While I’m happy with the results I plan to change a few things the next time.<\/p>\n
\n- Cork Depth – I was worried that pushing the corks in too far would make removing the cork later too difficult. At the time I was using a Castelain bottle as a reference and they use shorter corks. Since then I've seen that Unibroue bottles use the same corks that More Beer and they push them in an extra quarter of an inch. The end result looks better and there's no problem getting the cork out once it's carbonated. The right measurement is about 1\/2 sticking out and should line up with the cage securing under the second ridge on mouth of the bottle.\n
<\/a>\n<\/li>\n- Cages – I used a fairly thick shaft screwdriver to tighten the cages. The end result was a very tight cage and a loop that's too small to comfortably twist with your fingers. I would instead use something closer to the diameter of a pencil and turn six half turns as is standard on Champagne bottles.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Update<\/h3>\n
Here's a picture of the cork at the correct depth:<\/p>\n
You can also find these at the Northern Brewer website<\/a>.<\/p>\n The process of bottling in Belgian bottles isn’t that different from normal.\u00a0 I’m not going to cover the steps of sanitization and priming because you just do those as normal.<\/p>\n I haven’t thought through carbonating in the keg.\u00a0 Doing that should reduce the amount of yeast in the bottle but that yeast is probably beneficial to the bottle conditioning process.<\/p>\n Finally, I apologize for the slightly blurry pictures.\u00a0 The wasn’t much light in my kitchen and my camera was running low on batteries so I couldn’t use the flash.<\/p>\n \u00a0 I start by setting the base height to just below the cork holder. I experimented with both different base height settings and amounts I needed to turn the handle in order to get the right amount of cork sticking out of the bottle. This has to be done just once and then you can mark the base height with a sharpie so you can get repeatable results.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I drop the presoaked cork in the cork holder and then turn the handle about 180 degrees to push it into the bottle with about 3\/4 inch still sticking out (see my comments below on what I’d do differently.) I didn’t have to use an unnatural amount of pressure to get the cork in there. It seemed well within the working capacity of the corker.<\/p>\n Okay, here’s where it gets interesting. The cork holder on the corker is like a funnel so that it compresses the cork before pushing it into the bottle. When you only press the cork in part of the way you’re left with the cork still in that funnel bit. So how did I deal with it? Well I removed the base from under the bottle so the corking mechanism no longer had leverage to push the cork into the bottle. I could then hold the bottle to prevent it from falling and then turn the lever to it’s full extent, pushing the cork through the cork holder without pushing it any further into the bottle.<\/p>\n Admire the result. It’s extremely easy to get repeatable results so if you wanted to push the cork in more or less than I did you certainly could.<\/p>\n Put on the wire cage, tighten it down with the shaft of a screwdriver or pencil, and you’re good to go. Note that I secured the cage into the groove rather than below the second ridge. See my notes in the summary about why I did this (the B3 corks are longer than normal commercial Belgian corks). Also see my notes on what I’d do differently in the future below.<\/p>\n One good trick when tightening the cages is to pull away from the bottle while tightening. This tension ensures that you get a nice even twist on the wire.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once I had the process down it took about 2 minutes to fill, cork, and cage each 750 ml bottle.<\/p>\n The results were pretty good. The cork is sealing the bottle well and overall the corked bottle looks fabulous. The process was almost as quick as using crown caps once I figured out the technique.<\/p>\n Similar to corked wine bottles, you want to store Belgian bottles on their sides so the corks remain hydrated. Unlike wine you're going to get yeast settling out. Most people will store bottles upright for several days before serving so that the yeast settles on the bottom rather than the side. In any case make sure whoever's pouring the bottle knows to be careful to not stir the yeast up.<\/p>\n While I’m happy with the results I plan to change a few things the next time.<\/p>\n Here's a picture of the cork at the correct depth:<\/p>\nThe Process<\/h3>\n
Step 1: Adjusting Your Corker<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nStep 2: Inserting the Cork<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nStep 3: Removing the Cork from the Corker<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nStep 4: Admire the Result<\/h4>\n
<\/a> <\/p>\nStep 5: Cage the Cork<\/h4>\n
<\/a> <\/p>\nSummary<\/h4>\n
Storing Your Bottled Beer<\/h3>\n
What I’d Do Differently<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/a>\n<\/li>\nUpdate<\/h3>\n
![\"Corked](\"\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/\/thumbcorking_belgians_008.jpg\" "\\"Corked")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Cork](\"\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/\/thumbCorking_Belgians_012__448x336_.jpg\" "\\"Cork")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"