Disclosed herein is a process for the conditioning of wood barrels, in particular, a process for the rapid conditioning of wood barrels. The disclosed process may comprise one or more steps comprising: subjecting a wood barrel to heat to increase the temperature of the wood; contacting the heated internal surface of the wood barrel with a fluid additive; and then optionally: subjecting the interior of the wood barrel to a pressurised environment; and/or subjecting the wood barrel to further heating; repeating one or more steps; and allowing the wood barrel to cool, or cooling the wood barrel, to provide a conditioned wood barrel. Also disclosed is another process comprising the step of providing a bladder and a liquid additive within the interior of a wood barrel for a predetermined time to facilitate absorbing the additive into the wood, wherein the bladder reduces the interior volume of the wood barrel such that the liquid additive is in contact with the internal surface of the barrel. Also disclosed herein are conditioned wood barrels and uses thereof.

The staves for producing wooden barrels are assembled of individual segments which are fixedly connected to each other at end faces. The individual segments are shorter wood pieces that are assembled such that the stave has the required length. The wooden barrel is produced of such staves which are placed against each other seal-tightly with their narrow sides. The individual segments are machined at their end faces such that individual segments resting against each other after assembly are positioned at an angle relative to each other and form a raw stave that is curved across the length.

A dual-species barrel stave, the stave including a first portion that faces the interior direction of a barrel defined by a premium material such as American White Oak and a second portion that faces the exterior direction of a barrel defined by a second material, this second material of a different quality of wood that may not be intended to important aging and/or flavoring characteristics to the liquid within the barrel, is provided. The first stave portion defines a male projection or “tail” that commences at a first longitudinal end of the stave and widens substantially the entire length of the stave, terminating at the opposing longitudinal end of the stave. Cooperatively, the second stave portion defines a female dovetail groove that commences at a first longitudinal end of the stave and extends substantially the entire length of the stave, terminating at the opposing longitudinal end.

An elongated container has a convex shape with a bulge defining a center width of the elongated container. An apparatus and method for lifting the elongated container are described. The apparatus performs a pick operation from a front side of the elongated container. The pick operation includes approaching and gripping the elongated container from the front side. During the pick operation, an outer dimension of the apparatus in a direction perpendicular to an elongated direction defined by the elongated container is smaller than the center width of the elongated container.

A cask lid and cask assembly system are provided. The cask lid includes a first cast lid plate and a second cask lid plate to allow for stack-ability of multiple casks. The cask assembly system includes a mount base, a pivot device, and an insertion board to allow for efficient production of multiple casks. A bottom disk, a center ring and a top ring of a cask are inserted into the cask assembly system where a plurality of staves are fixed. A pivot device of the cask assembly system enables the cask to rotate while fixing the staves. The cask lid is placed over the opening of the cask and is reversible to allow for multiple casks to be stacked.

A wooden bottle for storing and aging a beverage, includes a bottle body comprising a plurality of curved wooden staves arranged to form a barrel shape for the bottle body, a neck at one end of the bottle body, and a bottom cap at the opposite end of the bottle body. A spacing between adjacent curved wooden staves is configured to permit an exchange of gas between the content of the wooden bottle and the environment outside the wooden bottle to enhance aging of the beverage.

A container assembly (10) for retaining a liquid (16) during aging of the liquid (16) comprises a container (12) and an oxygenator (230). The container (12) includes a container body (14) that defines a chamber (14A) that receives and retains the liquid (16). The oxygenator (230) is positioned substantially within the chamber (14A). The oxygenator (230) includes a fluid source (662), one or more diffusers (672), and a valve (670). The one or more diffusers (672) are in fluid communication with the fluid source (662). The valve (670) selectively controls the introduction of a fluid from the fluid source (662) into the liquid (16) through the one or more diffusers (672). The container assembly (10) further comprises an insert retainer assembly (338) and one or more flavor inserts (440) that are received and retained by the insert retainer assembly (338). The container (12) further includes a container aperture (20) that extends through the container body (14). The container aperture (20) can have a size that is less than approximately twenty-five percent of the total surface area of a top of the container body (14). Additionally, the container aperture (20) can extend outward radially from the center of the top of the container body (14).

A capped barrel system includes a barrel for aging and a device for capping the barrel. The barrel includes a plurality of staves made of a wood suitable for aging liquids, a plurality of hoops for holding the staves together, a head having a flat circular top, a bunghole in the head, and a chime formed by raised ends of the staves. The device includes a lid sized to span across the head and beyond the chime, a flange extending downwardly from the lid for engaging an external side of the staves, an opening in the lid to generally align with the bunghole, and a closure sized to seal the opening.

The present disclosure relates generally to toasted barrels or staves for aging wine. In particular, the present disclosure provides toasted barrels and staves for providing a wine contact surface having at least two crosswise portions to address the need for providing multiple flavor profiles releasable from a toasted barrel or stave, wherein the toasted barrel or stave includes multi-levels of toasting. The toasted barrel comprises a plurality of staves forming a barrel body having a wine contact surface. The barrel body includes at least a first crosswise portion and a second crosswise portion. The wine contact surface of the first crosswise portion is characterized by a first structural toast level and the wine contact surface of the second crosswise portion is characterized by a second structural toast level. The first and second structural toast levels are configured to release first and second flavor profiles, respectively, extractable to the wine.

Package (1) for beverages having an alcoholic contents (B) comprising: a wood barrel (2) configured for containing a predetermined quantity of an alcoholic beverage (B), at least one jacket (4) made of a plastic material film engaged outside the barrel (2) for covering at least a preponderant part of a lateral wall (2c) of the barrel itself, the jacket (4) comprises an elastically deformable tubular element (5) fitted at least partially around the lateral wall (2c) and exhibiting at least one elastically deformed portion intimately adhering to the barrel (2) lateral wall (2c); further an apparatus and process for making the package (1) by applying on the barrel (2) the jacket (4) having the shape of a first and second shells (7, 10) opposite to each other, are described.