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We’ve all been there before. Crack open the only bottle we have and it smells of wet cardboard. In other words the wine is corked which means it is contaminated with 2,4,6 trichloranisole or TCA.
This time it was the turn of my wine group finishing off an evening drinking tasting Dominique Laurent Burgundy (another post). We finished with a bottle of port and the room is packed with some of Melbourne’s top sommeliers. The port was  corked and somebody suggests that Gladwrap - Clingfilm – can solve the problem.

Sure enough a giant role comes up from the kitchen. We all rip handfuls of the stuff and shove it in our glasses already charged with port. One bright spark keeps a glass without the film so we have a control. Initially the results seem good and a discussion ensues. We all agree that the film has  removed some of the corking from the port.
Is it a chemical on the wrap? My own suggestion was that it is the electrical charge on the wrap does something.

Home to Google where I find, via Winecast which experiments with Gladwrap, this from the LA Times (registration required)

“In a glass pitcher, wad up roughly a square foot of Saran Wrap or other polyethylene plastic wrap. Pour the tainted wine over the plastic wrap in the pitcher. Expose all of the wine to the plastic wrap by gently swirling the wine in the pitcher for five or 10 minutes. The more pronounced the taint, the longer the wine should be exposed to the plastic wrap. For stubborn cases, repeat the plastic soak with a fresh wad of wrap.”

Apparently, polyethylene “absorbs TCA like a sponge”. One company is even developing Polyethylene filters to help remove TCA from wine. I also discover, via Chowhound, that TCA disappears when wine is cooked.

I can’t find anything that describes the chemistry of the process. Any ideas?

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My personal choice is the Jack Russell test: If he gets inside the dishwasher it’s probably dirty. If he doesn’t it is definitely clean.

He was the one who spotted the cat meat-covered fork  and a couple of dirty dishes mixed in with the clean. Of course, the mixing of the dirty with clean is all my fault.
You see what I should empty the machine before I start cooking in the evening because the person feeding the cat can’t tell a dirty machine from a clean one.
The same thing goes for breakfast time. The person, who is not at fault, flings open the door, slips a yoghurty spoon and jammy knife and the yoghurty bowl and jammy plate with their clean cousins.

On occasions I have pointed this out. The response: Oh shudup. You always have to pick.” That’s right, I have to pick the dirty from the clean.

So remember this very important kitchenhack. To stop people mixing dirty utensils and plates with the clean simply empty the dishwasher as soon a humanly possible.

This will mean that nobody ever has to open the door to the dishwasher, see it is full, and ask the question: “Is it clean or dirty?” Or use the Jack Russell test.

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Margo and Steve (more about this crazy jazz improv trifle guy soon) in Brisbane know how to make a small amount of money go a long way with style. In some ways they are the ultimate lifehackers. I reckon this is the coolest drinks cooler I’ve ever seen. This double-skinned copper or laundry boiler does the job and looks excellent.
Steve got his from his local dealer. We need our own dealer down here, antiques dealer that is.

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The picture says it all. Hardbaked, burnt and just darn difficult to clean pans? Never be bogged down by washing-up kitchen mistakes again and save water.
Simply make the terrier work for a living. The advantage of these small breeds is that they are exactly what they say they are: tenacious.
Combine that with needle sharp teeth and the need to seemingly lick the patterns of fine china, the Jack Russell of Fox Terrier and the like are the ideal kitchen companion.
Works with scrambled egg and porridge pans, burnt pasta and rice.
Also an excellent cleaner of kitchen crumbs and spills.
food and drink kitchenhack Lifehack

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My breakfast lifehack: Trouble spreading hard butter from the fridge? A cheese slice produces thin sheets that can be easily spread. Banal but effective.

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