Shredding and recycling barrel staves

Stave production and wood waste

Producing each stave requires a rip saw that is designed to cut the white oak strips into that specific curved shape. The strips of wood that are ripped off of each side can fall onto a strategically-placed conveyor next to the saw, which will deliver the scrap wood directly into a horizontal wood grinder nearby. This is a hands-off approach to scrap management and can save time and space within a cooperage. This frees up workers to focus on more lucrative tasks than moving bulky wood waste from one side of the plant to another.

Charring the barrels

Once the barrels have begun to take their shape, the inside of the barrels are treated with open flame and high heat– a process called “charring.” The heat allows the staves to be tightly molded together for a tighter seal.

Each distillery has its own “recipe” for the charring process. This process adds flavor to whatever liquid will be stored inside of the barrel and is the reason whiskey aficionados frequently will converse about the different flavors of (what would appear from the outside to be) very similar drinks. The richness of flavor and the tradition of barrel making is a cultural and time-honored experience both in the United States and around the world.

The life cycle of barrels and casks

We are always thinking in terms of a circular recycling process. Many whiskey distilleries opt to distill their spirits in a single barrel, which means it is never transferred to another barrel or combined with liquor that was distilled in another cask. Many opt to use their barrels only once as part of their flavor profile (“single-barrel whiskey”), and sometimes these casks are sold to vineyards or craft breweries for further use. The flavor left over from the first batch of spirits lends itself well to the flavor profiles of whatever beverage is distilled in it later on.