Wine is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world. It began to be produced in ancient times. The first wine was made to preserve perishable grape varieties. Each ancient religion had its own god of wine. The Bible mentions him more than 500 times. Thanks to Christianity, wine spread throughout Europe.
Vessels and plugs
At first, people used animal stomachs to store drinks. Later, vessels for hides, wood, clay and metal were used for this. Tanks had to be clogged with something. After all, a tightly closed wine does not come in contact with air and, over time, improves its taste. Corks were made from soft varieties of wood. They absorb moisture, increase and break vessels. To solve this problem, the upper part of the cork began to be filled with resin, coated with clay and wrapped in a rag. So clogged amphoras in ancient Greece. It was convenient to transport wine in these vessels. Archaeologists still find during excavations vessels with hardened wine inside.
History
The Romans used oak bark to make corks. After the collapse of the empire, the lands on which this type of tree grew were captured by the Ottomans. As a result, this material was forgotten for a long time. Champagne creator French monk Pierre Perignon invented a universal cone-shaped cork.
In ancient Russia, wine was not produced. It was bought in other countries. In those days, wine was called any alcoholic beverage. The situation changed only after the Crimean Peninsula became part of the Russian Empire. In the XVII century, the production of glass vessels began. They could already be hermetically sealed with plugs. After the invention of the corkscrew, the shape of the plugs changed significantly. Wooden cylinders began to be driven into the neck of the bottle.
Corkscrews
As the first corkscrews used drills, which pulled the jammed bullets out of the weapon during a misfire. A corkscrew was invented in England by an unknown gunsmith. Initially, it was used to open pharmacy bottles and perfume bottles. The first models had a special brush to whisk cork and wax crumbs.
In 1802, Edward Thomason received a patent for the manufacture of double-acting corkscrews. Napoleon Bonaparte introduced a corkscrew into the list of mandatory items of ammunition for French soldiers. In 1894, dentist William Robert Maud developed a device with a central part in the form of a molar. Such a tool did not break the cork when opening the bottle. They began to sell the new tool in pharmacies along with medicine bottles.
In 1979, Herbert Allen created a Teflon-coated corkscrew that made pulling the cork effortless. He also owned the invention of the lever form of a corkscrew. The world's largest corkscrew weighs 350 kilograms. It was collected by Rob Higgs. The design allows you to uncork a bottle and pour wine into a glass. It took 3 years to make.
Currently, there are 350 types of devices for opening wine bottles. Corkscrew has become a collectible. Rare copies are bought at auctions for several thousand dollars. The largest museum of corkscrews is located in the French city of Rouen. His collection has 15 thousand copies. Professional sommeliers use a special knife to open bottles. It was invented by Karl Veinke in 1883.
Cork production
In the XIX century, the industrial production of corks began. Currently, the main material for them is cork tree bark. This evergreen tree was specially grown in many countries with a hot climate. Its bark is very elastic and does not leak fluid. However, it is easily separated from the tree. For the manufacture of corks use the thick bark of twenty-five-year-old trees.
After the first cut, the bark is removed from the oak once every ten years. The removed bark is dried for 5 months. Then it is transported to the factory, where it is boiled in purified water. Next, the bark is rolled into flat sheets and cut into blanks. Corks are cut out of them using a special machine. Finished products are carefully polished and waxed. Then they put the logo of the manufacturer. Also on the cork indicate the year of manufacture of the wine. The information on the bottle label must match the information on the cork. At all stages of production, all cork raw materials are carefully sorted. Also for the manufacture of corks use rubber, plastic, glass and metal.
How to remove a cork from a bottle without a corkscrew?
Often there is a situation when you need to open a bottle of wine, but there is no corkscrew at hand. How to get a cork out of a bottle? There are several ways to solve the problem.
At the beginning, it is necessary to free the neck of the bottle from polyethylene. The first method is the safest of all. He will need pliers and a self-tapping screw. The greater the distance between the turns of the screw, the better. Procedure: screw a self-tapping screw into the cork, leaving a protrusion of a couple of centimeters on the surface. Pull it out with the cork with pliers, a nail puller or a fork.
You can also pull out the self-tapping screw, clasping it with two pencils. If there is no suitable self-tapping screw, you can hammer a number of short nails into the cork.
Cork pushing
How to get a cork out of a bottle? The next way is to push the cork into the bottle. The cork is pierced with a sharp object. This reduces the pressure in the tank. After the bottle is placed on a horizontal surface. Then the cork is pushed into the bottle with your finger or any object with a blunt cylindrical end. You can push the object against the wall and push it with the neck. When using this method, part of the wine will be spilled, so it is worth stocking up with napkins. If the cork is broken, it is necessary to transfer the wine into another vessel using gauze or a strainer.
Pump and other methods
How to get a cork out of a bottle? For the third method, you will need a pump. The cork is pierced. Insert the pump hose into the hole and pump air into the bottle. Under pressure, the cork comes out of the bottle. This principle is used in corkscrews of the pump type. The container must be wrapped with a towel. It may burst due to strong pressure. How else to get the cork out of the bottle?
The vessel can be opened using a key or knife with a serrated blade. To do this, insert the tool into the cork at an angle of 45 degrees and pull it out by scrolling and pulling it towards you.
How to get a cork out of a bottle of wine? For the next method, you will need a towel. They wrap the bottle in it and start tapping the bottom of the wall. With a strong blow, the cork will jump out of the bottle and the wine will spill. You can place a book between the wall and the bottle so that the container does not break.
If you don’t have a towel on hand, you can use a shoe with a hard sole. Insert the bottle into it with the bottom down and tap the heel on the wall. In nature, you can use a tree or a suitable board.
The cork is knocked out with a plastic bottle filled with water. How to get a cork out of a bottle of vodka? For the next method, you need two paper clips and a pencil. The paper clips are straightened and inserted between the cork and the neck. Then their upper ends are held together and the cork is pulled out using a pencil.
How to remove a plastic stopper from a bottle? A hole is drilled in the cork. A lace with a knot at the end is inserted into it. The cork is pulled out of the bottle. The next method is to screw a suitable hook into the cork. For example, bicycle. You can make it from wire. A rope is tied to it, for which the cork is pulled out.
How to remove the cork from an empty bottle? The last way is to heat the neck of the bottle. The cork will gradually rise up and pop out of it.
Security measures
How to get a failed cork out of a bottle? You can break the bottle in a pan by wrapping it with a towel. All shards must remain in the towel. When using the above methods, safety measures must be observed. A broken bottle can cause serious injury. All tools and items used must be clean. Do not try to open the bottle with your teeth.