481 
what shape or colour the bottles are. French claret bottles are 
expensive, but brandy or whisky bottles answer just as well, or 
even beer bottles. The bottles are easily cleaned. It often happens 
that they have a cork inside; this is easily removed by using a 
special cork drawer made of wires armed with a spike or hook at 
the end, and costing 1s. or thereabouts. The bottles are placed in 
soak in water containing a small handful of washing soda for each 
gallon; they are then cleaned of stains and crust by using small 
shot or coarse sand and water. It is important that no shot be left 
in the bottle, as the action of the acid in wine on the shot would 
result in the wine containing in solution salts of lead, which are 
highly poisonous. When cleaned, the bottles are rinsed in fresh 
water and placed in cases, in baskets, or on crates to drain. 
Corks are also required; these vary in texture and in shape. 
If a powerful corking machine is available, a larger cork is prefer- 
able; if not, tapered corks should be procured; they cost from 3s. 
to 4s. per gross. Beer corks, which are cheaper, are unsuitable; 
they are too porous, and nof lasting enough. 
A Syphon is 
much more pref- 
erable than taps 
for drawing the 
wine from the 
eask’ and = run- 
ning it into the 
bottles. The best 
syphon is a flex- 
ible piece of in- 
dia-rubber tubing 
about #in. inside 
diameter. Gas 
piping answers 
the purpose very 
well; two yards, 
costing Is. 6d. 
a yara, are 
sufficient. 
A Corking Machine is very convenient. A good substitute 
is a hand-corking tube, made of boxwood, and costing only 2s. 6d., 
and a cork-driver, made of a piece of board cut into shape as shown 
in the illustration. 
Modus Operandi—tlt is supposed that the wine is bright and 
in good condition for bottling. If it is turbid and dull looking, 
write for information, or seek the advice of someone who knows 
how to handle wine. The cask has been allowed to rest on the 
stand, bung on top, for a week or so, and any sediment that. may 
Bottling by Syphon. 
