Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mordor.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!ut-sally!mordor!wct From: wct@mordor.UUCP Newsgroups: net.wines Subject: corks in wine, crystals in wine Message-ID: <2000@mordor.UUCP> Date: Thu, 22-Mar-84 13:56:09 EST Article-I.D.: mordor.2000 Posted: Thu Mar 22 13:56:09 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 23-Mar-84 21:35:53 EST Organization: S-1 Project, LLNL Lines: 18 I concur with the general suggestion that the corks should be kept covered, but note that for long aging, most books also suggest a slight upward angle so that any sediment thrown by the wine will tend to fall (slide) to the bottom for easy decanting. Crystals deposited on corks are not usually sugar crystals-- even sweet wines do not have the concentrations of sugar which would normally precipitate sugar crystals. They are instead potassium hydrogen tartrate (reference: "Scientific Winemaking" J.R. Mitchell). I believe this compound is commonly known as cream of tartar. -- William C. Thompson III (S-1 Project, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) U.S. Mail: LLNL, S-1 Project, P.O. Box 5503, L-276, Livermore, Ca., 94550 Phone: (415) 422-0758 MILNET: wct@s1-c or s1-a UUCP: ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!wct