A method for treating wooden barrels, including a step of spraying a grit-based and/or a slag-based abrasive onto at least one portion of the inside surface of a wooden barrel to remove a damaged layer to separate the grit and/or slag from other residues.

A method for treating wooden barrels, including a step of spraying a grit-based and/or a slag-based abrasive onto at least one portion of the inside surface of a wooden barrel to remove a damaged layer to separate the grit and/or slag from other residues.

The interior or core of a toasted wine barrel is milled along the longitudinal grain to varied depths to increase the surface area of the core available to the wine and to present a gradient of the toast surface. The core is milled with a V-shaped corrugated pattern to create a reusable (potentially value-added) barrel. A box-shaped pattern milled into the core doubles the toast surface to expedite oak-wine interaction.

Arrays of closely-spaced holes or cross-grain grooves are formed on the inside surfaces of the staves of a barrel, and/or on an elongated wooden member to greatly increase the amount of end grain wood exposed to the liquid and thereby increase the rate of aging the liquid. The holes and grooves in the staves extend only pa.it-way through the wood in order to maintain the structural integrity of the staves. The amount of end grain wood exposed is selected to produce the desired degree of aging in the desired amount of time. Used barrels can be reconstructed by cutting grooves in the inside surface of the barrel's side wall to expose new end grain wood To produce aging during re-use of the barrel.

Arrays of closely-spaced holes or cross-grain grooves are formed on the inside surfaces of the staves of a barrel, and/or on an elongated wooden member to greatly increase the amount of end grain wood exposed to the liquid and thereby increase the rate of aging the liquid. The holes and grooves in the staves extend only pa.it-way through the wood in order to maintain the structural integrity of the staves. The amount of end grain wood exposed is selected to produce the desired degree of aging in the desired amount of time. Used barrels can be reconstructed by cutting grooves in the inside surface of the barrel's side wall to expose new end grain wood To produce aging during re-use of the barrel.

A heating/bending/forming and heating/toasting device of barrels, casks, vats or the like comprising: heating/toasting means (brazier) suitable to generate heat to produce the heating/toasting of an inner side wall of a wooden container for ageing food substances, such as a barrel, cask, vat or the like, said container comprising a plurality of staves arranged side by side along the perimeter with each other to form a polyline closed at a first longitudinal end thereof, bending/forming means of said staves wherein the device comprises centering means operatively connected to the heating/toasting means and suitable to be operatively connected to the staves on the side of the free ends of the staves opposite, along a longitudinal extension axis, the first longitudinal ends, said centering means moving the heating/toasting means to said central axis of symmetry of the barrel, cask, vat or the like.

A heating/bending/forming and heating/toasting device of barrels, casks, vats or the like comprising: heating/toasting means (brazier) suitable to generate heat to produce the heating/toasting of an inner side wall of a wooden container for ageing food substances, such as a barrel, cask, vat or the like, said container comprising a plurality of staves arranged side by side along the perimeter with each other to form a polyline closed at a first longitudinal end thereof, bending/forming means of said staves wherein the device comprises centering means operatively connected to the heating/toasting means and suitable to be operatively connected to the staves on the side of the free ends of the staves opposite, along a longitudinal extension axis, the first longitudinal ends, said centering means moving the heating/toasting means to said central axis of symmetry of the barrel, cask, vat or the like.

A system for reconditioning barrels comprising: a robot arm; a router assembly for routing the inside surface of a barrel; and a laser assembly for measuring the inside profile of a barrel, wherein: the router assembly is fixedly attached to the robot arm; and the laser assembly is removably attached to the router assembly thus allowing the laser assembly to be removed while the barrel is being routed in order to protect the laser from airborne particles and vibrations from the router.

A system for reconditioning barrels comprising: a robot arm; a router assembly for routing the inside surface of a barrel; and a laser assembly for measuring the inside profile of a barrel, wherein: the router assembly is fixedly attached to the robot arm; and the laser assembly is removably attached to the router assembly thus allowing the laser assembly to be removed while the barrel is being routed in order to protect the laser from airborne particles and vibrations from the router.

An apparatus for toasting the inside surface of a barrel. The apparatus generally includes a base member and an arm member. The arm member includes a central support member and at least one radially disposed electric infrared heater configured to heat the inside surface of the barrel evenly, and an extending arm disposed at an upper-most end of the arm member such that in application, the inside surface of the barrel rests on the extending arm and not the heater. The arm member includes at least one heater reflector plate disposed between each of the at least one infrared heaters and the central support member. The at least one heater reflector plate requires having a smooth, reflective surface for increasing the intensity of heat emanating from the respective infrared heater.