Thread: wine keg

...that's really nice keg, very jealous.

Looks good. Are you planning to build a small rack too ?

Don't forget to season it.

Thanks Wolften and Dabbler, I'm actually thinking of making a stand of five - two on top and three on the bottom. I'll need to get some more oak first.

Members of the white oak group of species (Quercus alba & others) have tyloses which occlude the vessels (aka 'pores') such that the wood does not leak. That's partly why they are used for barrels.
Members of the red oak group of species (Q. rubra & others) have no such tyloses and the wood can leak like a sieve. I don't know of a food grade sealer compatible with wines or other spirits (real or etherial!)

If the wood of that beautiful keg is neither of the above true oak groups, I'd investigate what might leach out of the wood and into the drink. . . . . . possible toxic properties and at the very least, a badly damaged port!

Thanks Robson Valley,I know it's definitely white oak, (French or American),because I use recycled barrels.

Nice one! I'd like to see how you do it- how about a WIP for the next one you do? I've got a few plastic 5l bottles of bulk port from my last trip to SA, I'd like to store that in a keg.

Originally Posted by Thunder54

It seems a shame to drill any holes in this keg, but I will have to get the port in and out somehow!

Just as long as you do not pour in one day and pour out the next.

Well done on the barrel.

Thunder, you have hit a home run (or is it a "six" for you?). GOOD WOOD.

Possibly something from Rutherglen, possibly from the mid-1960's perhaps?
Chambers and Morris' made some lovely ports and Muscats back in the day.

That's really good looking; well done

Did you use a commercially available plan or did you just figure it out yourself? Making my own rum barrel is on my bucket list (actually, I need to make it now.....drinking it is on my bucket list ).

We have our own cooperage here in Bundy; as well as making the distillery rum vats they do a thriving business with minature barrels for home use. It's very interesting to watch them at work....right up to the end were they spin them on a lathe and round them off; I would prefer that they left them with a hand-tooled finish.

i"ll drink to that!!

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

That's really good looking; well done

Did you use a commercially available plan or did you just figure it out yourself? Making my own rum barrel is on my bucket list (actually, I need to make it now.....drinking it is on my bucket list ).

We have our own cooperage here in Bundy; as well as making the distillery rum vats they do a thriving business with minature barrels for home use. It's very interesting to watch them at work....right up to the end were they spin them on a lathe and round them off; I would prefer that they left them with a hand-tooled finish.

Traditional, self-respecting coopers always leave them hand finished, if it's really special then it gets hand sanded and a coat of varnish, but definately not lathed.

I didn't use a "plan". My father and the two generations before him were coopers so I guess it's in my blood. I still remember being dragged out of a warm bed at the age of seven to go to the cooperage on Saturday mornings to fill bags of shavings for a shilling a bag. I usually earnt about 15 shillings for the morning. That's $1.50 these days.

If anyone wants to try some coopering I suggest the best way to start would be to make a bucket. It will have straight sides and not require bending but it will give a good introduction to some of the techniques used later for a barrel. I use traditional coopering tools but some improvisation could be possible. I'm not sure which is the proper forum/thread to explain this process.

Any takers?

Originally Posted by Thunder54

If anyone wants to try some coopering I suggest the best way to start would be to make a bucket. It will have straight sides and not require bending but it will give a good introduction to some of the techniques used later for a barrel. I use traditional coopering tools but some improvisation could be possible.
Any takers?

Yes please Thunder; if you have a set of plans or a description.

I can draw up developments of all the individual pieces and work out cutting angles, what I have no idea about is things like timber selection (other than oak!), timber thickness and how to join the join the staves to the ends.

Originally Posted by Thunder54

Traditional, self-respecting coopers always leave them hand finished, if it's really special then it gets hand sanded and a coat of varnish, but definately not lathed.

I didn't use a "plan". My father and the two generations before him were coopers so I guess it's in my blood. I still remember being dragged out of a warm bed at the age of seven to go to the cooperage on Saturday mornings to fill bags of shavings for a shilling a bag. I usually earnt about 15 shillings for the morning. That's $1.50 these days.

If anyone wants to try some coopering I suggest the best way to start would be to make a bucket. It will have straight sides and not require bending but it will give a good introduction to some of the techniques used later for a barrel. I use traditional coopering tools but some improvisation could be possible. I'm not sure which is the proper forum/thread to explain this process.

Any takers?

Thunder, I am very interested in learning this, have been for sometime but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much written about the whole process so any advice would be much appreciated.