An apparatus for aging a liquid in a container includes: an elongated bung having a top and a bottom, the bottom having a male or female connector; and an elongated wooden piece having a longitudinal axis, an upper end, a lower end, and a side, the upper end having a male or female connector adapted to connect to the male or female connector of the bottom of the elongated bung, whereby the elongated bung and the elongated wooden piece are removably connected by connecting the male or female connector of the bottom of the elongated bung with the male or female connector of the upper end of the elongated wooden piece. The bung may have a first opening, a side with another opening, the first opening being fluidly connected to the another opening by a pathway adapted to transmit a gas from the container through the first opening.

There is provided a method for the treatment of wood particles for use in the production of alcoholic beverages, comprising the steps of: (a) washing the wood particles with water under agitation at a temperature of at least 60° C.; wherein the wood particles may optionally already be toasted; (b) removing the water from the wood particles; (c) thermally drying the wood particles; (d) toasting the wood particles to obtain wood particles according to the invention; (e) optionally, incubating the wood particles according to the invention with an aroma-bearing liquid, the subsequent removal of any overlying aroma-bearing liquid, and, optionally, the subsequent drying the wood particles according to the invention to obtain aromatised wood particles according to the invention.

There is provided a method for the treatment of wood particles for use in the production of alcoholic beverages, comprising the steps of: (a) washing the wood particles with water under agitation at a temperature of at least 60° C.; wherein the wood particles may optionally already be toasted; (b) removing the water from the wood particles; (c) thermally drying the wood particles; (d) toasting the wood particles to obtain wood particles according to the invention; (e) optionally, incubating the wood particles according to the invention with an aroma-bearing liquid, the subsequent removal of any overlying aroma-bearing liquid, and, optionally, the subsequent drying the wood particles according to the invention to obtain aromatised wood particles according to the invention.

A feedstock solution flow concentration system, which has a first step for counterflowing or parallel flowing a feedstock solution flow a containing a solute and a solvent b, and a draw solution flow d via a forward osmosis membrane o and transferring the solvent b in the feedstock solution flow a to the draw solution flow d to obtain a concentrated feedstock solution flow c, which is the feedstock solution flow which has been concentrated, and a diluted draw solution flow e, which is the draw solution flow which has been diluted.

A feedstock solution flow concentration system, which has a first step for counterflowing or parallel flowing a feedstock solution flow a containing a solute and a solvent b, and a draw solution flow d via a forward osmosis membrane o and transferring the solvent b in the feedstock solution flow a to the draw solution flow d to obtain a concentrated feedstock solution flow c, which is the feedstock solution flow which has been concentrated, and a diluted draw solution flow e, which is the draw solution flow which has been diluted.

A liquid storage vessel having a base with a bottom and an interior floor; a continuous side extending vertically from the base and having an interior surface, the bottom and continuous side each including an internal layer and an external layer separated by a material barrier and configured such that the interior layers form an inner containment liner, and the external layers form a continuous exterior structural shell enclosing the inner containment liner. A top is affixed to the continuous side and has an interior ceiling. Access to the tank interior is provided by one or more manways. Mounting and connecting structures enable the tanks to be stacked directly atop one another and then structurally connected. The exterior structural shell is fabricated from high performance fiber reinforced concrete, and the inner containment liner is fabricated from a geopolymer concrete blend.

A liquid storage vessel having a base with a bottom and an interior floor; a continuous side extending vertically from the base and having an interior surface, the bottom and continuous side each including an internal layer and an external layer separated by a material barrier and configured such that the interior layers form an inner containment liner, and the external layers form a continuous exterior structural shell enclosing the inner containment liner. A top is affixed to the continuous side and has an interior ceiling. Access to the tank interior is provided by one or more manways. Mounting and connecting structures enable the tanks to be stacked directly atop one another and then structurally connected. The exterior structural shell is fabricated from high performance fiber reinforced concrete, and the inner containment liner is fabricated from a geopolymer concrete blend.

There is provided a method for the treatment of wood particles for use in the production of alcoholic beverages, comprising the steps of: (a) washing the wood particles with water under agitation at a temperature of at least 60° C.; wherein the wood particles may optionally already be toasted; (b) removing the water from the wood particles; (c) thermally drying the wood particles; (d) toasting the wood particles to obtain wood particles according to the invention; (e) optionally, incubating the wood particles according to the invention with an aroma-bearing liquid, the subsequent removal of any overlying aroma-bearing liquid, and, optionally, the subsequent drying the wood particles according to the invention to obtain aromatised wood particles according to the invention.

There is provided a method for the treatment of wood particles for use in the production of alcoholic beverages, comprising the steps of: (a) washing the wood particles with water under agitation at a temperature of at least 60° C.; wherein the wood particles may optionally already be toasted; (b) removing the water from the wood particles; (c) thermally drying the wood particles; (d) toasting the wood particles to obtain wood particles according to the invention; (e) optionally, incubating the wood particles according to the invention with an aroma-bearing liquid, the subsequent removal of any overlying aroma-bearing liquid, and, optionally, the subsequent drying the wood particles according to the invention to obtain aromatised wood particles according to the invention.