Oak Barrel - 10L

The oak barrel is no longer reserved for professionals! Develop and refine your best beers in the style of Jester King, Popihn or Tilquin…

This Oak Barrel is traditionally made, in the same way as the wine barrels of the great Bordeaux houses.

The wood used for this 10L oak barrel is naturally dried. It is then polished to guarantee a uniform surface and a beautiful resistance between the staves. Finally, the stave is tapered so that it is wider in the center and narrower on the sides.        

The heating of the oak wood

The bousinage (or heating) is an essential step for the production of quality oak barrels. The heat simplifies the shaping of the wood but that's not all…

This small barrel is heated using a traditional method. The staves are exposed to an open brazier. This is where the aromas that the wood will transfer to the future beer are developed. 

The slight heating of this oak barrel will give woody aromas of vanilla, coconut, and roasting with a slightly spicy side. 

Ideal use :

If this 10L oak barrel is perfect for trying the famous cask ale or aging brett beers, it will not be limited to this use. 

It is the ideal tool for maturing and refining your favorite drinks: wine, arranged rum, cider, plant-based spirits (Gin or Tequila). It will also serve to personalize alcohols like Whisky, Cognac and Armagnac.

Technical characteristics :

• - European Oak
• - Heated
• - Steel hoop
• - Rough exterior
• - Paraffined inside
• - Drilled for wooden tap (provided)
• - Drilled for wooden plug (provided)
• - Wooden support provided

Dimensions : 

• Length : 35cm
• End diameter : 21cm
• Bilge diameter : 26cm

To facilitate maintenance and storage, this oak barrel is paraffined on the inside. This waxing improves overall sealing and limits the effect of woodiness. This is a good thing on any new wooden barrel.

Indeed, untreated and raw barrels generate woody flavors that are complicated to regulate (unless daily tasting). Many years are needed to achieve a balance that is satisfactory. The use of wax facilitates the control of aromas and makes maturation in a wooden barrel accessible to amateur brewing.

Before first use : 

1. Insert the provided tap into the hole provided for this purpose and make sure it is well fixed. 
2. Fill the oak barrel halfway (approximately) with boiling water mixed with salt (15/20g per liter).
3. Close the small barrel and shake it well so that the interior is completely moistened.
4. Let it rest for at least two days and shake it twice a day. 
5. Empty the barrel, rinse it abundantly and let it dry. 
6. Fill the small barrel with heated white wine and keep it always full for 10 days (you will have to check and fill sometimes, because the wood can absorb up to 10% of the liquid. After this operation, it will only absorb 2% of the liquid you choose to age). 
7. Finally, empty the barrel without rinsing it and let it dry.
8. You can now age the drink of your choice in this magnificent 10L Oak Barrel ! 

Storage of the empty barrel : 

If you do not use the barrel for several weeks, you must wrap it in plastic film and place it in a room with :

• - good humidity (75%-80% - in itself a room not too dry, not too humid)
• - absence of drafts
• - little light
• - little variation in temperature
• - cover the barrel with a cloth and avoid UV rays.

The size of this small wooden barrel does not suit you ?

Three other formats are available : 

• - Small wooden barrel - 4L
• - Small barrel - 6L
• - Wooden barrel - 25L

Bonus info:

We tested this little wooden barrel! If the provided stopper will do its job very well, we find that a conical cork stopper will be better suited.

It will maximize the barrel's seal. Moreover, when you are going to take your samples to taste your beer, the cork offers you the possibility to insert a syringe (with needle). This will minimize the oxygen intake.

The ideal size of the stopper is 18-23mm.