coopering-msg – 7/13/06
Making and maintaining wooden barrels, casks and kegs. Period barrels, casks and kegs.
NOTE: See also the files: wood-bending-msg, wood-msg, tools-msg, woodworking-msg, commerce-msg, wine-msg, beer-msg.
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From: corliss at hal.PHysics.wayne.EDU (David J. Corliss)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Kegs
Date: 31 May 1994 14:18:47 -0400
(....OK, now you've pushed one of my buttons, and I just have to respond....)
hedonisim at aol.com writes:
> Last thing I want at an event is (a) beer keg out in the middle of our
> Medievel campsite; keep it in back where we all can't see it.
Beer kegs?? What's wrong with beer kegs??
Just get some white oak, a little green, and cut planks about two inches wide
and half an inch thick. Miter the ends to a 45 degree angle. Plane the sides of
each plank to give a small angle to each. Arange the planks around copper hoops
so they fit together. Check the fit of each joint so it is tight; fine tune the
fit with a plane where necesary (Far easier said than done: using a jig to
plane the planks the same helps and practice makes perfect). Cut the last plank
so that it is just a bit too big to fit and pound it in with a mallet: the
copper will stretch and tightly close the keg all around. (Do _not_ try this
with _steel_ hoops, like modern barrels. Modern barrels are made by machine:
their staves are identical and, so, interchangable. Hand made staves will not
work with (essentially) non-stretching steel hoops.)
Make boards for the ends, chamfer the edges to fit the ends of the staves, and
nail on the bottom. Remember never to fill a dry barrel with anything you want
to store: fill it with water first. This will make the wood swell and close
tiny gaps. A barrel may leak a little at first but soon become sound, if the
only gaps are very small ones. Empty the keg, fill with beer, and nail down
the lid.
Some people like to do this with beech instead of white oak, as it imparts a
slight flavor to the beer that they prefer. I like strong tasting beers, so the
mild quality of beech does not come through. It works best for pilsners. _Never_
use _Red_ oak: it is naturally porous and will always leak.
Why don't more people do this?? It is a lttle tricky and takes practice, but so
is making good chests and musical instruments.
Beorthwine of Grafham Wood
From: "David R.Watson" <crossbow at moontower>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Date: 29 Sep 1995 14:40:36 GMT
Organization: New World Arbalest
Regarding your oak barrel. Cooperage (the art of making stave-built
vessels) has two large divisions, wet and dry coopering. Wet coopering
is for holding liquids. Wet coopered containers should never leak very
much, even when they've been left empty for some time. Of course a
really old barrel might have deteriorated, or the wood shrunk
substantially. Most of the cooperage you see for sale today is dry
cooperage, it's sort of the period cardboard box. It is designed to
hold goods, keep out the rats and the rain, but will not hold water at
all. You may have a dry-coopered barrel. The joints just don't fit as
tightly. Some dry-coopered pieces are sold with a waterproof coating:
anything from wax through tar, to epoxy. They'll hold water fine, if
you can live with strange taste of the beverage, flakex of wax, or what
have you.
Iolo crossbow at moontower.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: rmcateer at chat.carleton.ca (Richard McAteer)
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Organization: Carleton University
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 19:07:11 GMT
I have to say that I have been brewing for a while, and do not fear,
my barrels leak when they have been sitting for a while. Contrary to
the previous post on wet / dry barrels, a wet barrel will leak quite a
bit when dry. It takes about 4 days to a week to swell my 15 gallon
barrel up to tightness, but then I can actually carbonate a beer in
it. I brewed a fifteen gallon batch of dark ale last year for one of
the local events. Your barrel is small enough to leave on its side in
a bathtub for several days, filled with water. That is how I would
swell it.
Richard McAteer | "This is grain, which any fool can eat but for
Carleton University | which the Lord intended a more divine means of
Zymurgist | consumption. Let us give praise to our maker
Math / Philosophy | and glory to his bounty by learning about
SCAdian (Caldrithig) | ... beer" - Friar Tuck, (RHPoT)
Email address: rmcateer at chat.carleton.ca
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: scott_mills at hp-loveland-om10.om.hp.com (Scott Mills)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Date: 3 Oct 1995 16:31:32 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
In article <812399447snz at vonkopke.demon.co.uk>, Garick at vonkopke.demon.co.uk
says...
>
>Thanks folks. After considerable swelling, the barrel is now water tight.
>Now to the important question, with what shall I fill it?
>--
>Viscount Sir Garick von Kopke
If your cask is watertight now almost anything will do. Beer, Mead, Wine, you
name it. I would suggest you fill it with whatever you and your household are
most likely to drink and you can find in good supply.
Before putting anything in your cask make sure it is good and clean. Go to
your local homebrew store and buy a substance called BarroKleen and let it set
for a while full of this stuff.
After sitting for a while with the Barroclean, empty about three-quarters of
the cleaning solution out and drop in a handfull of nuts, bolts, and other
assorted small hardware. Then put in the bung and pick the thing up and shake
it until your arms give out. You don't know what was in that cask last time
it was used or what type of gunk might be adhering to the inside. After
cleaning with the Barroclean you might want to use a a sanitizing solution
such as TSP or some other Idophor cleaner to satitize since it has been
sitting for a long while. After all this rinse it a couple of times and you
are ready to go.
Once you have you cask in a usable condition NEVER leave it empty. Always
keep it full of water with a little citric acid in it. The water will keep
the cask in good shape and the citric acid will inhibit the growth of any
unwanted microbes. It is real hard to wear out a cask if it is properly
stored and kept wet.
As for contents... Well, since essentially everything in period would have
been stored in casks tale your pick. It depends entirely on what you enjpy
drinking. An old caks might not impart much oak flavor to the brew so that is
good. European oak really doesn't lend "oak" character in the way that
american oak does. The India Pale Ale style of beer in known for its oakey
qualities becuase it was stored for a long time in casks as it made its voyage
from Britain to India so that might be a good place to start
Whatever ya do.. Relax, Don't Worry.
Eadric Anstapa
Brewer and Drinker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott Mills
Scott_Mills at hp-loveland-om10.om.hp.com
970-635-1075
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kel Rekuta <krekuta at tor.hookup.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Date: 11 Oct 1995 00:01:28 GMT
Organization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, CANADA
> In article <44roh5$esf at hplvec.lvld.hp.com>,
> Scott Mills <scott_mills at hp-loveland-om10.om.hp.com> wrote:
>
> >such as TSP or some other Idophor cleaner to satitize since it has been
>
> Last I heard, Tri-Sodium Phosphate was corrosive. I don't know if it
> would kill you to drink it, but I am sure it wouldn't be very tasty.
>
> Akimoya
>
Sorry my boyo, but I won't be able to clean all my beer bottles you're
so fond of if it weren't for TSP. It rinses off very nicely, thank you.
Much more effective to clean and rinse off glass that household soap.
I also use a food grade Iodophor solution to sterilize plastic beer bottles
and caps before use. Quick contact with the bottle and rinse with cold
water.
Works like a charm.
Ceallach
From: 75767.1464 at compuserve.com (J Klessig)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 16:56:51 GMT
Organization: CompuServe Incorporated
"David R.Watson" <crossbow at moontower> wrote:
>Regarding your oak barrel. Cooperage (the art of making stave-built
>vessels) has two large divisions, wet and dry coopering. Wet coopering
I believe the more common standard divisions are;
Dry loose (such as nail kegs) { WIll never hold water}
Dry tight (flour barrels) {Might hold water}
White (mostly open coopering for dairy use) {will hold water}
wet {should never be used for water if something better is available}
>is for holding liquids. Wet coopered containers should never leak very
>much, even when they've been left empty for some time.
This is unfortunately untrue
I have had barrels that were originally water tight (after some
initial soaking) fail to retighten after they had been let go dry. The
leaks were minor, but not inconsequential
Jim Klessig, ETI
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: cs911275 at ariel.cs.yorku.ca (MICHAEL A MACDONALD)
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Organization: York University, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 03:36:33 GMT
For those who want to clean wooden barrels I strongly advise against
using TSP as it is A) Very caustic, and B) residue is not health.
I reccomend using Potassium Meta-BiSulphate which is very effective
at sterilization and trace amounts will not harm you. I am a vinter
and brewer and have used it for some time. It is also commonly
refered to as a Sulphite solution or a sulphur dioxide solution.
It is available from most reputable home brewing/vinting shops
such as WineArt.
Cheers,
-Mike MacDonald
From: Kel Rekuta <krekuta at tor.hookup.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Date: 13 Oct 1995 01:59:52 GMT
Organization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, CANADA
>
> Quoting KelRekuta<krekuta from a message in rec.org.sca
>
> >> >such as TSP or some other Idophor cleaner to satitize since it has
> >been >
> >> Last I heard, Tri-Sodium Phosphate was corrosive. I don't know if it
> >> would kill you to drink it, but I am sure it wouldn't be very tasty.
> >>
> >> Akimoya
> >>
> >Sorry my boyo, but I won't be able to clean all my beer bottles you're
> >so fond of if it weren't for TSP. It rinses off very nicely, thank you.
>
> From GLASS. The discussion was on the care and feeding of wooden barrels.
> Would you really use TSP on the insides of beer barrels?
>
> Carolyn Boselli, Host of Custom Forum 35, SCAdians on Delphi
>
I guess I missed part of the post. I would never use TSP on wood.
I agree it would stay with the fibre. A brewing text from the early
twenties describes the industry procedure for sterilizing barrels.
As barrels were lined with pitch then, a blow torch was liberally applied
to the interior, by trained craftsmen, or by patented mechanical devices
The heat killed everything. The interior was then repitched.
I'm certain some manner of flaming sterilization was performed by
medieval brewers' coopers, so that barrels could be recycled. Pitch
waxes were common enough.
I am not enough of an authenticity mavin to stick my arm in a barrel
with a blow torch. Nor am I willing to light a fire in one to sterilize
it. I'll stick to modern caustic cleaners and idophor solutions even
if I use a barrel to condition a batch of beer in the future.
YMMV
Ceallach
From: scott_mills at hp-loveland-om10.om.hp.com (Scott Mills)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Oak Barrel
Date: 17 Oct 1995 21:50:17 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
In article <45d58u$fi5 at mcmail.CIS.McMaster.CA>,
millsbn at mcmail.cis.McMaster.CAč says...
>
>In article <44roh5$esf at hplvec.lvld.hp.com>,
>Scott Mills <scott_mills at hp-loveland-om10.om.hp.com> wrote:
>
>>such as TSP or some other Idophor cleaner to satitize since it has been
>
>Last I heard, Tri-Sodium Phosphate was corrosive. I don't know if it
>would kill you to drink it, but I am sure it wouldn't be very tasty.
>
>Akimoya
I'll agree with you. Unfortunately my fingers where typing faster than my
brain was thinking. I definately don't and wouldn't use TSP on a wooden
containers. I doubt any small residue left behind would be dangerous but it
probably would leave a real nasty taste.
I food grade Idophor will work just fine for sterilizing the barrels. It will
wash clean, decays quickly, is not harmful, and wont leave an aftertaste.
This idophor is not very far removed from the iodine tablets that you buy
in camping stores to drop into your canteen to sterilize water in
wilderness/survual situations.
For cleaning the barrel use barroklean and relax -- dont' worry.
In period times they did't know about microbes so they never sterilzed
barrels. They did know what certain barrels could develop some property that
could coause beer to go bad (obviously some contamination). At the same time
they observed that certain wooden fermentors produces a better beer and those
obviously contained some favorable microbes.
A post period but more traditional way to sterilize barrels that was used
until a few decades ago and might still be used in europe where real cask ale
is available was to steam clean them. A steam line was connected to one bung
hole and the other left open and they just pumped steam through them for a
while. I have heard people argue that when some barrels where coated with
brewers pitch and the brewers pitch was set on fire that is was to sterilize
the barrels. However, I find that pretty unlikely since one end of the barel
was open when this happened and then the barrel was sealed and let sit for a
while before it was used it would surely become contaminated again. As far as
I can tell the pitch was just to seal the barrel.
Have Fun,
Eadric
--
Scott Mills
Scott_Mills at hp-loveland-om10.om.hp.com
970-635-1075
From: brettwi at ix.netcom.com(Brett Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Coopering?
Date: 4 Apr 1996 15:59:43 GMT
Organization: Netcom
In <4jvpuv$kl at mcmail.CIS.McMaster.CA> millsbn at mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA
(Bruce Mills) writes:
>
>Has anyone tried their hand at coopering? I've tried mostly in vain
>to find 5 gallon wooden kegs in which to put my beer (and other
>stuffs); the only ones I can find are American Oak (which I hear tell
>imparts a bitter flavour due to the tannin) and _they_ cost $80 a
>piece.
>
>How hard is coopering, and do you have to use metal hoops to hold the
>barrels together - I can't see myself setting up a forge just to put
>the hoops on. Please bear in mind that I have ten thumbs, all on the
>left hand, and no brains.
>
>Many thanks,
>Akimoya
>Ealdormere
I've watched it being done in person and seen a cooper at work on film,
too (remember the Cornish actor shouting "DENNIS!! in the beginning of
"Jabberwocky"? hehheh). While this by no means makes me an expert of
any sort, my understanding of the process is this:
A cooper is a highly skilled individual. The wooden staves of the
barrel to be have to be shaped and shaved to fit together within their
proposed circumference. The cooper then heats the hoops over his small
forge (!) to expand the metal slightly, then places them one at a time
over the assembled staves and quenches the metal. It just occurred to
me-- does that mean coopers' hoops are the period version of shrink
wrap?
The hoops and barrel bottom in combination hold the barrel together. If
you used rope to hold the staves in place I would think that the barrel
would be less rigid a form than one hooped in metal-- but then, cutting
a groove in the exterior to hold the rope and winching it into a proper
tension with some kind of device...hrm.
I think barrel assembly is easier to do with four hands than two. I
would suspect that as with most folk learning a new skill, experience
will teach both efficiency and proficiency.
ciorstan
From: pyotr at coho.halcyon.com (Pyotr Filipivich)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Coopering?
Date: 4 Apr 1996 19:18:19 GMT
Organization: Northwest Nexus Inc.
millsbn at mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA (Bruce Mills) writes:
}Has anyone tried their hand at coopering? I've tried mostly in vain to
}find 5 gallon wooden kegs in which to put my beer (and other stuffs); the
}only ones I can find are American Oak (which I hear tell imparts a bitter
}flavour due to the tannin) and _they_ cost $80 a piece.
}How hard is coopering, and do you have to use metal hoops to hold the
}barrels together - I can't see myself setting up a forge just to put the
}hoops on. Please bear in mind that I have ten thumbs, all on the left
}hand, and no brains.
Oy - that must make typing hard :-)
Coopering is not all that 'difficult' it is just fussy. The making of
water(beer) tight ones more so, but you do have the advantage that a keg
will swell a bit from the moisture.
Non-metalic hoops are possible, and probably period as well, :-)
wooden splits got used, and I'm sure that fabric and rope were used on
occasion, although subject to serious deterioration (rot).
Just keep in mind that there were all manner of specialized tools
developed for the trade.
As for the 'doing' all you need are drawknives and the occasional
'spokeshave'. Take your staves (the boards) and us the drawknive to<