KNOW YOUR OAK and how to tell the quality before your rush in and buy any old barrel ..cheap barrels are usually cheap barrels.

American Oak, along with French Oak , are considered the finest maturing oaks in the world.

These smaller size American Oak casks are a much sought after product for home enthusiasts who are serious about enhancing their wine, port or spirit with oak enhancing qualities usually only available in larger commercial casks.

These casks are of the highest quality. A close comparison with other casks reveals a superior finish and workmanship. (Many decorative oak casks on the market, are often made from a large array of recycled timbers, loosely referred to as American or French oak).

Each cask is cooper made and no glues or waxes are used. The thickness of the staves and weight of the oak is obvious to anyone picking up these casks and feeling the weight. For example the barrel weight of these 5 litre oak barrels is 5kg. This is due to the very relevant tight grain quality of the oak and the extra thickness of the staves.

In comparison there are 5 litre oak casks which weight 2.5kg. These would serve their purpose as a decorative bar item rather than for their maturing abilities and they should not be considered in the same league as genuine Cooper made maturing barrels. In short the lighter weight the oak cask is, the looser the wood grain and subsequently the lesser life span as it is easy for these casks to absorb too much liquid and eventually warp and swell out of shape. A simple quide to life span and quality of the cask you are purchasing is revealed in the weight of the oak which is a direct result of grain tightness.

Another important point to consider is that the wood used in the process should be adequately seasoned in natural conditions a long while before the cask is made into a barrel. Craft barrels or decorative barrels are often made from unseasoned oak which can in the long run warp out of shape in varying temperature conditions.

These casks can be used for red wines where an oak aroma is desirable. This is achieved after only a SHORT PERIOD, (because unlike larger commercial barrels the wine is in contact with more oak in a smaller barrel) The wine should be removed and bottled and another batch of wine put in the cask. American Oak casks are predominantly used for spirits and fortified wines and ports.

contact for a quote

for information on second hand barrels see below...

American Oak

Cooper made 50 litre American Oak Barrel ona stand and with a quality tap.

By order only

Okanagan American Oak Barrels have arrived in Australia click here

French Oak Winery Barrel

Natural finish French Oak winery Barrels:
Currently available in 50 litre, 100 litre and 240litre

60 litre French Oak Winery Barrel.

dressed with light oak stain, black hoops and carved grape emblem.

MAGRENNAN AMERICAN
Oak Chips

Oak chips give a barrel aged complexity and flavour to wines, Spirits etc. They can be used in the primary fermentation or at the maturing stage to give oak enhancement.

Magrennan American Oak Chips are renowned for their enhancement of Whiskeys and Bourbons and provide a stronger intensity of flavour than French Oak.

200gm Medium Toasted MAGRENAN American Oak Chips...........$ 7.00. Product of U.S.A.

VICARD FRENCH
Oak Chips

Vicard French Oak Chips, although slightly more toasted than the Amrican Oak, give a milder oak enhancement and are very popular for flavouring some varietal white wines and Red Wines and Ports.

200gms VICARD FRENCH Medium Toasted Oak Chips....$ 8.00
Product of France

Metal Barrel taps

Metal taps imported from Italy to suit 25 litre and up to 200 litre

1. red handle: length 14cm
17mm smallest diameter tapering up to 25mm

2. blue handle: length 12cm
15mm smallest diameter tapering up to 20mm

3. black handle: length 11cm
10mm smallest diameter tapering up to 15mm

Wooden Italian Barrel taps to suit 25 litres and up to 100 litres

1. length 23cm. Narrowest point 25mm tapering up to 35mm ..$25.00

2. length 20cm. Narrowest point 21mm tapering up to 28mm l..$19.00

3. length 18cm. Narrowest point 19mm tapering up to 25 mm . $17.00

Nickel plated tap most suited to spirit or high alcohol storage. Fits barrels up to 25 litre
Length 7cm.. fit hole 10-12mm....$

Also available in BRASS..$

SECOND HAND BARRELS

We believe that new wine barrels become a cherished member of your family while second hand barrels can become unwanted guests.

If you are in the market for a second hand winery barrel you should consider very seriously the implications of putting the wine you have taken great care to make into a barrel of dubious background. Your precious wine could turn out to be a nice vinegar.

New quality oak barrels are an expensive item. To be viable a winery will use the barrel to its maximum life span. The oak enhancing qualities of the barrel are relatively short lived, (squashing the myth that old barrels are better) and over time their ability to enhance a wine in a positive manner is slowly lost. When this occurs they will make their way onto the second hand market. In the best case scenario, you could get a barrel that has been used for only a short period and has been maintained correctly to prevent mould growth (quite rare to get as good viable barrels usually move around within the commercial industry) OR you could get a barrel that is good only for furniture, water features or plant pots. If you want it for maturing wine...buy quality from a reputable source or your wine (or port or spirit) will suffer the consequences.

We do have some good contacts in the industry and occasionally get second hand barrels that we are proud to sell and confident that they will enhance your wine. If we are not absolutely confident of its quality, we do not purchase for resale.

Another thing to consider is how the second hand barrel has been stored after use. When one considers that stale wine can very quickly turn to mould you would be very cautious to the condition of the barrel inside.(take note of what a bit of wine left in a glass wine bottle does over a period of time). Outside appearance is not a guide to what is going on inside the barrel. If mould has infiltrated the pores of the timber you can expect your wine to take on those characteristics.

Garage sales are not generally the source of quality large size winery grade barrels....you could be lucky but more likely than not you won't be... Or you could pick up a small used barrrel that has been used a few times by an amateur winemaker but stored at the back of a garage for a few years unused. If incorrectly maintained it could house a multitude of bacteria. Because a barrel is advertised as 'used only a few times' is not a reliable indication of the condition of the barrel. it could have been used only once but housed a very inferior home made wine that had gone off through poor winemaking technique and handling.

Consider what could have been in it before you get it!

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CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR OAK CASK

We supply comprehensive care and maintenance instructions when you purchase a barrel from us so you can be informed on the correct procedures for getting the best long term value from your barrel.

Using small Casks for Wine, port or spirit maturation:

Due to their size, the much larger casks used in wineries expose less area of oak to the wine. This means that in a smaller oak barrel, the desired flavour and colour extraction to the wine is much more rapid. The first fill of the cask should therefore be a fairly short period, about one month or less. In new casks this first blend will have strong oak characteristics with subsequent blends becoming less aggressive.

Test the first blend every couple of days and if it develops strong oak flavours, decant half the contents and top up with fresh wine. Keep the decanted wine for drinking or bottling and repeat the process as frequently as necessary, gradually extending the time between decantings.

Amateur winemakers and spirit makers often get on much better with using new oak chips. These are also widely used in the commercial industry particularly as good new oak is becoming a very expensive commodity and not as vialble for some wineries to use.