Ian
priscilla 1Coopering
September 16th 2009 13:24
A cooper is someone who makes wooden casks or barrels usually for the alcohol producers.
Traditional cask names and sizes are as follows: Pin — 4.5 gallons; Firkin — 9 gallons; Kilderkin — 18 gallons; Barrel — 36 gallons; Hogshead — 54 gallons; Puncheon — 72 gallons; Butt — 108 gallons.
Thanks to Time Magazine, today we look at the craftspeople who perform this careful and well practiced craft.
Oak is the only wood that can be used to produce casks for quality wines and spirits, as it prevents seepage and allows the contents to breathe without spoiling the flavour.
The inside of the barrel is charred or "toasted". The amount of char has an effect on the wine aged in the barrel.
The type of tools used today are exactly the same as those used for centuries: side-axe, bick Iron, round stave, bung-hole borer, chive, topping plane, and flagging iron.
A typical wine cask will take eight man-hours to complete. It can take 100-150 years before the oak required is ready for harvesting, at which time it is selected for Speyside's casks, which can last up to 50 years.
In the U.K., whisky has to mature for at least three years. In 2007, 94 million cases were exported worldwide. Laid end to end, they would stretch six times the distance between Edinburgh and New York.
Traditional cask names and sizes are as follows: Pin — 4.5 gallons; Firkin — 9 gallons; Kilderkin — 18 gallons; Barrel — 36 gallons; Hogshead — 54 gallons; Puncheon — 72 gallons; Butt — 108 gallons.
Thanks to Time Magazine, today we look at the craftspeople who perform this careful and well practiced craft.
Oak is the only wood that can be used to produce casks for quality wines and spirits, as it prevents seepage and allows the contents to breathe without spoiling the flavour.
The inside of the barrel is charred or "toasted". The amount of char has an effect on the wine aged in the barrel.
The type of tools used today are exactly the same as those used for centuries: side-axe, bick Iron, round stave, bung-hole borer, chive, topping plane, and flagging iron.
A typical wine cask will take eight man-hours to complete. It can take 100-150 years before the oak required is ready for harvesting, at which time it is selected for Speyside's casks, which can last up to 50 years.
In the U.K., whisky has to mature for at least three years. In 2007, 94 million cases were exported worldwide. Laid end to end, they would stretch six times the distance between Edinburgh and New York.
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