How to re-wax bottles

[LGTrotter]

Three a week! I have some shopping to do.

He was being conservative. You are British, after all. Any lower of an estimate and one might have thought you were American.

You all went off and left us three bottle men too befuddled to follow.

[PhilW]

This was a most complete set of instructions. Does it not belong in a resource index somewhere

An excellent idea. A link to Tom's post has been added to this index in the Reference section.

I suggest this post on re-waxing procedure is worth breaking out as a separate item, entitled something like "How to re-wax bottles" or similar; this would make it easier to find for the future. Also, Tom was kind enough to demonstrate/teach this to me recently and I took a few photos of the process, which could be uploaded and attached to such post if desired.

A couple of additional remarks from a newbie to this process, based on the experience:

- Dip the neck of the bottle into the wax...

i.e. fully invert the bottle and quickly dip the neck of the bottle into the wax...

- Next, check the new wax for air bubbles...

and if you're not sure whether something is an air bubble, wave a (lit) match near it briefly to see if it pops; it usually is and does.

And the last question is do I go and get another one? I should really try the one I’ve got before venturing on the next. But I always think that having two bottles of a wine is better that just a singleton, one to wash and one to wear so to speak. Or Einmal ist kienmal if I was feeling sophisticated.

I agree; I almost always buy in a minimum of a pair where possible, with preference for 3 off. That way, when you drink the first bottle and find it is delicious, you know you have a treat waiting for you for another day (and if you bought 3, one treat you can drink sometime without running out, therefore avoiding the "I can't drink that one, it's the last one" issue!)

[DRT]

This was a most complete set of instructions. Does it not belong in a resource index somewhere

An excellent idea. A link to Tom's post has been added to this index in the Reference section.

I suggest this post on re-waxing procedure is worth breaking out as a separate item, entitled something like "How to re-wax bottles" or similar; this would make it easier to find for the future. Also, Tom was kind enough to demonstrate/teach this to me recently and I took a few photos of the process, which could be uploaded and attached to such post if desired.

An easier solution would be for me to rename this thread. Would that be acceptable?

[LGTrotter]

Perfectly acceptable.

[DRT]

Perfectly acceptable.

Done.

[JB vintage]

This is great information about re-sealing & waxing. I will order some wax from British wax. May I ask how much wax is needed, if someone with experience could offer suggestions for how much to order?

[Alex Bridgeman]

This is great information about re-sealing & waxing. I will order some wax from British wax. May I ask how much wax is needed, if someone with experience could offer suggestions for how much to order?

If I recall correctly, there is a minimum order of 25kg or something similar - which costs about £15-20 depending on the colour you want. I last bought some about 6 years ago and still have about 10kg left!

Incidentally, I use bright red so if you want to distinguish your rewaxed bottles from mine, please choose a different colour.

[JB vintage]

25 kg being the minimum order makes it not be too difficult to chose order quantity. Choosing between minimum order and any alternative.... I think the tiny amount of 25 kg would suffice.

Are you satisfied with it? Does it stop initial leakage? Or does it seep through anyway? I am not really enthusiastic about dipping very old and fragile port into hot wax... but if that is the best alternative I will try it.

I have actually used cling film with quite good result. I thought I was the only one in the world using such a solution but I saw in this thread that I am not alone. However, I do not trust it for more than a few months even though I have never experienced it to fail. I believe I have used cling film for 5 years or so, but it feels a bit too temporary and I an eager to try a better alternative.

[DRT]

I am not really enthusiastic about dipping very old and fragile port into hot wax... but if that is the best alternative I will try it.

I re-waxed three 1965s and a 1955 today without any problems and the seals look good. I think I am using the wax Tom recommended, mainly because he gave it to me!

[Alex Bridgeman]

I have rewaxed a large number of bottles and it does seem to be very effective. With one exception, I've not needed to rewax for a second time.

The heat from the molten wax does not seem to affect the port. I guess the cold glass cushions the port from the immediate surge of heat and by the time the glass is hot you already have the bottle upright again!

[uncle tom]

If I recall correctly, there is a minimum order of 25kg or something similar

I think the minimum order is 3Kg.

[benread]

Is there a standard waxing procedure?

2) Secure a supply of the wax sold as bottle sealing wax by British Wax (http://www.britishwax.com) This is a more rubbery wax that makes a superb seal, which I've been using for the past five years.

I just noticed that British Wax are based about 2 miles from me! If anyone I see regularly ever wants assistance with a collection/delivery, please ask.

[SushiNorth]

Is there a standard waxing procedure?

There are two main approaches to this: ...

Thanks for this, Tom, I shall be giving it a try.

[marc j.]

This process requires some trial & error before it can be perfected. I've rewaxed quite a few bottles over the past few years and just by doing it a few times I've perfected the process a bit which has resulted in a much better, cleaner capsule.

[Christopher]

This is an excellent thread!
I have just purchased 5 kilos of dark green wax, if anyone wants to share some please let
me know.

Thanks

[uncle tom]

A couple of recent observations:

1) Waxing over old foil capsules.

This works, but the heat of the wax causes the small amount of air beneath the foil to expand and create a blow-hole, somewhere along the edge of the foil. Sealing this hole and dipping again is effective, but in most cases, removing the foil prior to dipping is probably preferable.

2) Priming.

Capsules with deep cracks or voids caused by cork decay also tend to sport large air bubbles when dipped. Priming the tops of the bottles by painting on wax to fill these voids prior to dipping is very effective at preventing this. It is even possible to create a temporary seal on a bottle that has been stored vertically and physically leaks when brought to the horizontal. Wax can be painted on using either a cheap disposable artist's paintbrush, or the back end of a long matchstick.

Note: If a bottle has a depressed cork, you may regret filling the void with wax as it can be difficult to get out again. Fill the void using a a stiff mix of ordinary flour and water, and leave the bottle upright for a couple of days to dry out, prior to waxing.

[djewesbury]

Would flour and water left for a couple of days not encourage bacterial growth around the top of the cork, perhaps?

[uncle tom]

Would flour and water left for a couple of days not encourage bacterial growth around the top of the cork, perhaps?

If made as a stiff mix (as specified) and put in a place of moderate humidity, it quickly dries to form a hard mass without evident fermentation or other bacterial activity. I chose this formula for having the least risk of tainting the content of the bottle.

A similar formulation, but with the addition of salt, was used to create naval hardtack - or ship's biscuits - food that did not readily go bad.

[DaveRL]

For me, wheat flour potentially poisons the bottle!

[DRT]

Seems a bit risky to me, particularly if the underside of the flour plug becomes moist when the bottle is laid down.

A wax plug intuitively feels safer, even if a little tricky to remove when the bottle is eventually opened.

[uncle tom]

For me, wheat flour potentially poisons the bottle!

I've experimented with this a couple of times, and both the theory and practice seems OK - why do you reckon wheat might be poisonous?

The alcohol content should be too high for fermentation to kick off from the wine, and even then the products should be taste neutral - or am I missing something..?

Another option is to fill the void with pure plaster of Paris, but I'm concerned it may be too hard - will do a trial..

[Alex Bridgeman]

For me, wheat flour potentially poisons the bottle!

Whether or not this is what is being referred to, a significant minority are gluten intolerant so drinking something that has been in contact with wheat flour paste could create problems - especially if that contact was unknown or unexpected.

[DaveRL]

For me, wheat flour potentially poisons the bottle!

I've experimented with this a couple of times, and both the theory and practice seems OK - why do you reckon wheat might be poisonous?

.

Ah. Poisonous to me. I can only have gluten at 20ppm as I have Coeliac disease, as do about 1 in 100 in the UK apparently (though only 1 in 4oo actually diagnosed), so I'd have to pass on any bottle sealed with wheat flour. Many other flours would be OK.

[jdaw1]

The wheat flour is outside the cork, not in the drink, so it should still be safe. But you might be more cautious than that.

[Alex Bridgeman]

The wheat flour is outside the cork, not in the drink...

True, but only if every last trace were successfully removed when pulling the cork. If any of the paste adhered to the neck of the bottle as the port was poured out, some would dissolve in the liquid to be consumed - but whether more than 200ppm I cannot estimate.