Quick answer
- Shrink caps protect corks from dust and pests while still letting the wine breathe, and they give your bottles a professional finish.
- The easiest home method is steam from a boiling kettle: rotate the bottle over the steam for 2 or 3 seconds.
- For lots of bottles, a shrink cap sealer machine is faster.
Why Use Shrink Caps?
Shrink caps protect the cork from dust and basement critters, and they make homemade wine look store-bought. That matters when you give wine as a gift. Before shrink caps, bottles were dipped in wax. Wax is slow, costly and messy, and it leaves crumbs everywhere when you open the bottle. Old lead capsules have been banned in many places. Plastic shrink caps are the easy, neat alternative.
How to Apply Shrink Caps
Kettle Steam (Our Favourite)
- Bring a kettle to a full boil. A kettle without automatic shut-off works best, because it keeps steaming.
- Slip a shrink cap over the cork and neck. Make sure it sits straight.
- Hold the bottle over the steam and rotate it. The cap shrinks in 2 or 3 seconds.
Keep your hands clear of the steam.
Boiling Water
Hold the cap in place with a fork or spoon and dip the top of the bottle into boiling water. It works, but it is a bit awkward.
Hair Dryer or Heat Gun
A hair dryer works, but often heats the bottle before the cap fully shrinks. A heat gun is faster. Keep it moving so the cap shrinks evenly.
Shrink Cap Sealer
Bottling often? A shrink cap sealer machine or a shrink capsule fast seal tool gives even, quick results.
Choosing Colours
Match the cap to the wine, or colour-code your batches so you can tell them apart in the rack: burgundy for reds, gold for whites, pink for rosé, black for big reds. Add a wine label with the bottling date for a finished bottle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do shrink caps seal the bottle?
No. The cork seals the bottle. Shrink caps protect and decorate it, and still let the cork breathe.
Should I put the shrink cap on right after corking?
Yes. It is easiest to wipe, label and shrink-cap each bottle as you go, before you forget which wine it is.
Will shrink caps fit any wine bottle?
Standard shrink caps fit standard 750 ml wine bottles. Use large caps for wider necks.
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Need a hand with your batch? Call us toll-free at 1-877-668-6160 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern) or send us a message.
This guide is adapted from the ABC Crafted Series booklet Wine From Kits: What the Instructions Don’t Always Tell You. Always follow the instructions that come with your kit.