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 tank has a circumferential wall defined by a plurality of separate elements in the form of vertical staves. Adjacent elements are shaped so that they are squeezed together to prevent leakage past adjacent elements. Hoops surround the wall elements. One hoop is a plurality of segments. Truss rods connect separate elements of the hoop to a support inside the tank. The truss rods of the hoop connect the hoop segments to the inside support in the tank and are tightened thereto for drawing the hoop wall elements inward to the truss rod supports, squeezing the adjacent wall elements together for preventing leakage between adjacent elements. A divider across the tank has the supports thereon for receiving the ends of the truss rods in the tank. Other staves define a divider of staves. Vertical beams support them.

A cap adapted to cover an end of a cask for maturation of a spirit, comprises a body having an outer plate and a flange extending from the outer plate, and an inner plate spaced from the outer plate. The inner plate lies between the outer plate and the end of the cask when the cap is in place on the end of the cask. A layered or ridged spacer can separate the plates, and can permit fluid transfer in the space between the plates. The inner plate can be resistant to vapour transfer, and can be pressed against the outer surface of the end of the cask when the cap is in place on the end of the cask, and leaves an annular area of the end of the cask uncovered.

The invention relates to a composite stainless steel and wood barrel comprising a metal body, to which a gasket made of appropriate liquid-resistant material is attached. The wooden slats are inserted into a metal frame and tightened in a vertical sense with screws. The metal frame filled with slats, is attached to the metal body with screws. An arbitrary number of various connecting elements for attaching the fermentor, the inert gas system, the pump and for wine-sampling are added to the metal body. The structure provides for the barrel to be mounted on metal legs which, apart from providing stable positioning of the barrel, enables the barrels to be arranged in a row 10 cm apart from each other and is also used for raising the body of the barrel 40 cm from the ground, thus facilitating decantation.

A container assembly (10) for retaining a liquid (14) during aging of the liquid (14) includes a container (12), a first flavor insert (16), and an insert retainer assembly (18). The container (12) defines a chamber (12A) which receives and retains the liquid (14). The first flavor insert (16) imparts a flavor on the liquid (14). The insert retainer assembly (18) is positioned within the chamber (12A) and is secured to the container (12). The insert retainer assembly (18) includes an alignment rack (30) and a retainer rack (32). The alignment rack (30) includes a first alignment guide (30C) that guides the first flavor insert (16) during positioning of the first flavor insert (16) within the container (12). The retainer rack (32) has a first attacher (32C) that selectively and individually engages the first flavor insert (16) to inhibit large scale movement of the first flavor insert (16) relative to the retainer rack (32).

The present invention relates to a method for determining a profile for machining a stave from a strip of wood. For this purpose, computer means obtain a first piece of data representative of a wood strip profile and determine a second piece of data representative of said machining profile according to said first piece of data, said machining profile being inscribed in said wood strip profile and having a width changing along said stave. Said machining profile has a neutral axis having a non-rectilinear shape over the width of said stave, so that said machining profile follows said wood strip profile, maximizes the stave width and minimizes the losses of material between said strip of wood and said stave.

A wooden barrel apparatus for aging products includes an inner wooden barrel positioned in an outer wooden barrel. A first volume may be defined within the inner wooden barrel. A second volume may be defined between the inner wooden barrel and the outer wooden barrel. One or more surfaces of the inner wooden barrel and the outer wooden barrel may be charred.

A vessel includes a plurality of staves arranged around a vessel central axis and extending between a first vessel end and a second vessel end opposite the first vessel end to define a side wall of the vessel. A first end panel is located at and defines the first vessel end, and a second end panel is located at and defines the second vessel end. The first end panel, the second end panel and the plurality of staves define an enclosed volume of the vessel. At least one of the plurality of staves, the first end panel and the second end panel are formed from a wood material harvested prior to the year 1850.

A wooden cask for storing and aging wine. The cask may comprise a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels assembled together to define an internal storage volume. The cask may further comprise at least two associated pairs of vertical beams forming a buttress against external faces of two opposite side panels, and at least two compression rods per an associated pair of vertical beams. The compression rods may exert a horizontal force tending to bring together opposite vertical beams of a pair of associated vertical beams and opposite side panels against which these two vertical beams rest. The compression rods may pass at a distance above a surface of the top panel along an external face thereof or below the bottom panel in the vicinity of lower edges of at least one of the front, rear, and side panels.

Systems and methods for merging recycling a barrel are disclosed. The method includes removing one or more barrel bands from the barrel that holds one or more barrel staves radially around a circumference of the barrel. The one or more barrel bands are removed by sliding from an inner position on an outside of the barrel to a smaller end portion of the barrel. The method further includes reversing an arc of the one or more barrel staves. The method further includes determining a joint side angle of the one or more barrel staves. In addition, the method includes machining the joint side angle on two longitudinal sides of the barrel staves such that the barrel staves are assembled into a recycled barrel such that the outside of the barrel staves faces an inside of the recycled barrel.