Life Hackery

A wine bottle, without having a corkscrew, is a tough nut to crack. Removing the cork, which is wedged through the nozzle, is not easy to dislodge, especially if you don’t have a tool to pull it out. Good thing the makeshift world presents more than one solution to this problem. In fact, you will realize that the corkscrew is not all too important with your available options. Here are three distinct ways to open a bottle without using a corkscrew.

Use a Knife

A long and sharp blade can do the trick in getting the wine cork out of the way. You can either pull it, as if you were using a corkscrew, or push it down the bottle. Pushing the cork is much easier, but the drink will look tacky, with the cork floating on the wine. Pulling the cork, on the other hand, requires more effort, but you can the reseal the bottle using the cork.

• Pulling - Grab a thin and long knife with a pointed end. Carefully push the pointed end through the cork’s middle, penetrating its surface. Continue pushing until the knife reaches the middle of the cork. Once done, slant the blade a little then pull it out. If done correctly, the cork should join the knife out of the bottle.
• Pushing - Get a butter knife or any thin and dull object. Position the knife’s handle on the cork’s middle. Push the handle down slowly to gradually ease the pressure the beneath the cork. Continue pushing until the cork until it falls. Be careful if the pressure jerks out, making some of the wine splash out of the bottle. Make sure to do this on a flat and steady surface.

When pushing the cork, have a towel ready in case the wine suddenly splashes out. You can also cover the nozzle with your finger then remove it slowly, so the pressure inside the bottle can escape in gradual fashion.

The Screw, Screwdriver and Pliers Method

The toolbox, normally used for home carpentry, holds three items that can you consume your favorite alcoholic beverage, namely pliers, a screwdriver and a long screw. When used in conjunction, all three tools function like a disassembled corkscrew. The screw and screwdriver are used to capture the cork while the pliers dislodges it from the bottle.

Procedure:

1. Position a long screw at the middle of the cork.
2. Insert the screw using a screwdriver. Turn the screwdriver until the screw is more than halfway down the cork.
3. Clamp the portion of the screw sticking out with a pair of pliers.
4. Pull at the screw until the cork comes out of the bottle.

Without pliers, you can use the claw end of a hammer. Just fit the screw onto the claw and yank it out. Be careful when pulling the cork because the hammer’s head can easily shatter the bottle.

Knot Method

If a sturdy piece of string is built to stop rampaging racehorses, it can surely pull out the cork off of a wine bottle. You just have to select a strong material and knot it tightly to the stubborn bottle cover. With a decisive tug, your wine glasses will be ready to carry your preferred dinner beverage.

Procedure:

1. Choose a sturdy string. Leather is a popular choice for this purpose.
2. Tie a tight knot on the cork. Make sure the connection is totally secure, otherwise you won’t be able to pull out the cork.
3. With the knot tied, tug at the string until the cork is yanked out.

If the method does not work, just repeat the entire procedure, only this time make the knot tighter. The cork will be out of the bottle in no time.

From Corkscrew to Human Corkscrew

The instruments used in the three methods present different ways to get the cork out of the way. Capture the logic of all three methods and you can use other objects to dislodge the cork. Just don’t be surprised when your friends start calling you the human corkscrew. If you’re interested in reading this article, might as well read how to make wine.