Oak barrels. What is a jug What is the difference between an oak jug and an oak barrel

The best wine or any other alcoholic drink is stored and aged in wooden containers. In the process of contact of homemade distillate with natural wood, the drink is saturated with unique components that positively affect the taste, color and aroma of the finished product.

Of the variety of wooden utensils, jugs and barrels are most often used for the manufacture and storage of alcohol. What is their difference and is there a difference in which of the vessels contains the product?

What are

Jug - a wooden product, which is a vessel of a conical or cylindrical shape with a lid. The container is usually made of oak. But other types of wood can also be used.

Initially, a large mug was called a jug. It was used for drinking and pouring various drinks. Today it is quite difficult to determine the meaning of this word. After all, a large barrel, located on a special basis, is now also a "jug".

A jug is used for storing and aging alcoholic beverages. For convenience of the use of contents the vessel is equipped with the special small crane. With it, you can release the jug from the drink exactly in the volume that is needed in a particular case.

A barrel is also, as a rule, a vessel made of wood. It can be supplemented with a lid or be without it. The use of the vessel is much wider. The barrel is not only suitable for storing and transporting homemade alcohol. It is customary to pickle cabbage, cucumbers, mushrooms and other products in it.

What are the differences

To determine what is in front of you, a jug or a barrel, it will help to identify the differences between the vessels from each other. If we talk about a jug, then such a capacity:

• It has a conical shape, tapering towards the upper base;
• It is used limitedly - only for the content of alcohol in it;
• It has a special detail - a pump for pumping;
• It is located on a stand, suitable in size, equal to the height of the jug;
• It holds, most often, several times less than some instances of barrels;
• It is made mainly of oak, but linden or aspen wood can be used as a material;
• It is located permanently and is rarely used to transport drinks.

A distinctive feature of the jug is also the low cost of manufacturing. The process is quite fast, without any complex manipulations. This has a positive effect on the cost of the product. True, there is an exception here. If a jug is made to decorate a room (cafe or bar), then the price of the product rises.

What to choose?

Are you engaged in winemaking and do not know which wooden container to choose? Focus on the purpose of the purchase. In general, a barrel and a jug are similar. They are wooden, “breathe”, give useful substances to the drink inside, and allow you to store the contents for a long time. The shape does not affect the taste of the content at all. It all depends on the aesthetic views and preferences of the winemaker.

However, it is more advisable to purchase a jug if you:

• You are only engaged in winemaking, so the vessel will no longer be needed for any other purpose;
• We decided to be original and install the product as a useful decor element in the living room or kitchen;
• Produce drinks for personal purposes, without semi-industrial scale;
• You are not going to transport the container, i.e. use as a vessel for transporting drinks.

Since the jug has additional elements - a lid and a tap, pay attention to the quality of the connection of the parts. Cracks can form near the tap, which in the future will necessarily lead to leaks. The material for the manufacture of the part is the same as the jug itself. The best faucet is oak with a stainless steel ball valve.

So that the constant use of the crane does not lead to defects, the jug must have a stand. Therefore, check whether the stand is attached to a particular model or you will have to purchase it separately.

However, what to prefer: a jug or a barrel, it's up to you. In any case, a well-prepared container, including its exposure to operation, will turn the most common homemade alcohol into a unique quality drink.

An oak jug is the best alternative to an oak barrel.
Do you want to get delicious homemade alcoholic drinks, but do not want to spend money on an oak barrel yet? - jug the best choice.
Everyone knows that it is impossible to produce a high-quality alcoholic drink, such as whiskey, Calvados, cognac and many, many others, bypassing a very important process - aging.
An oak jug is an ideal solution for storing alcoholic beverages: cognac, wine, moonshine or mead. Such a product will decorate any interior and can be used both at home and in themed bars or cafes. It is easy to transport such a container, and a convenient stand made of oak gives stability.

The stainless steel from which the hoops are made decorates the product and will retain its strength for a long time.
The jug is ideal for aging strong distillates, for purifying them and giving the drink a new, multifaceted taste and aroma, as well as for obtaining the desired color of the drink. All this is achieved thanks to the use of high-quality oak and internal firing of the product.

The taste qualities of a product aged in a jug are the same as in an oak barrel! The main difference between a jug and a barrel is a direct riveting (the boards from which the jug is made do not need to be bent), which significantly reduces the complexity of production and, ultimately, the cost of the jug.

Advantages of an oak jug from Firm "Rost":
1. Savings
A jug is cheaper, and the drink obtained after aging is not inferior in taste to aged in a barrel
2. Natural oak
Made from natural oak, which is considered the highest quality wood, providing reliability, long product life.
3. Stainless steel
The hoops are made of stainless steel - a durable material that is not subject to corrosion.
4. Excellent appearance A product made of noble oak wood is perfect for the interior of an apartment, a country house, a restaurant, a bar, a cafe. The spectacular appearance of the oak jug will surely attract the attention of your visitors or guests.
5. Unique flavor
Oak wood contains tannins, which give a noble taste and unique aroma to the drink.
6. Ease of use
The cylindrical shape saves a lot of space.
Tips for using the jug:
Barrels with a drink must be stored under certain conditions:
humidity 80-85%, temperature about 12°C for wine and about 16°C for spirits. When the temperature decreases, the process of maturation and aging of the drink is inhibited or stopped.

Attention:
With insufficient humidity and high temperature, the "angel's share" grows - the percentage of alcohol evaporating through the pores of the rivets.

Distillers who do not have the opportunity to store a barrel in ideal conditions, buy beeswax and treat the barrel with it to minimize the percentage of evaporation. Your cask is stocked with a wax candle for processing if you need to.

Over 50 years old
Only selected oak, over 50 years old, is used in production

Medium firing

This is the sweet spot for aging most drinks.

500 flavor elements
Jban has over 500 flavor and aroma elements

We are a manufacturer
We have been producing high-quality oak products for more than 9 years

Preparation of moonshine and alcohol for personal use
absolutely legal!

After the demise of the USSR, the new government stopped the fight against moonshine. Criminal liability and fines were abolished, and an article prohibiting the production of alcohol-containing products at home was removed from the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. To this day, there is not a single law that prohibits you and me from engaging in our favorite hobby - making alcohol at home. This is evidenced by the Federal Law of July 8, 1999 No. 143-FZ “On the administrative responsibility of legal entities (organizations) and individual entrepreneurs for offenses in the field of production and circulation of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products” (Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation, 1999, No. 28 , item 3476).

Excerpt from the Federal Law of the Russian Federation:

"The effect of this Federal Law does not apply to the activities of citizens (individuals) who do not produce products containing ethyl alcohol for the purpose of marketing."

Moonshine in other countries:

In Kazakhstan in accordance with the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan On Administrative Offenses dated January 30, 2001 N 155, the following liability is provided. Thus, according to article 335 “Manufacture and sale of home-made alcoholic beverages”, illegal production for the purpose of selling moonshine, chacha, mulberry vodka, mash and other alcoholic beverages, as well as the sale of these alcoholic beverages, entails a fine in the amount of thirty monthly calculation indices with confiscation of alcoholic beverages , apparatus, raw materials and equipment for their manufacture, as well as money and other valuables received from their sale. However, the law does not prohibit the preparation of alcohol for personal purposes.

In Ukraine and Belarus things are different. Articles No. 176 and No. 177 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine provide for the imposition of fines in the amount of three to ten tax-free minimum wages for the manufacture and storage of moonshine without the purpose of sale, for the storage without the purpose of sale of apparatus * for its production.

Article 12.43 repeats this information practically word for word. “Production or purchase of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their production (mash), storage of devices for their production” in the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses. Paragraph No. 1 states: “Production by individuals of strong alcoholic beverages (moonshine), semi-finished products for their manufacture (mash), as well as storage of devices * used for their manufacture - entails a warning or a fine of up to five basic units with confiscation of the indicated drinks, semi-finished products and devices.

*Purchase moonshine stills for home use, it is still possible, since their second purpose is the distillation of water and the production of components for natural cosmetics and perfumes.

A wooden barrel changes the quality of the drink. To saturate the distillate with aromas and give color, oak barrels are used for moonshine. Cognac, whiskey, rum are stored and kept in them.

The quality of the barrel is affected by wood. Caucasian oak is most suitable for making containers. Choose a tree that is 80–140 years old. For a quality product, plants with growths and rotten ones are excluded.

Moonshine is poured into an oak barrel for storage

For the manufacture of barrels, a part of a tree called "tulka" is used. Split the log at the core. The oak barrel is made by a cooper. Masters call the board for the vessel "riveting". She goes through three stages of selection. The board is irrigated and dried for a year and a half.

After that, the riveting for the skeleton is selected. The boards should not have crooked beams and other defects.

On the machine, the middle of the riveting is cut off so that it becomes convex. Then the skeleton is assembled using a special form. Alternate wide and narrow riveting. At the next stage, the structure is turned over.

Working hoops are hammered with a heel and a hammer. There are subtleties here: they hit hard, but once. The hand should be to the left of the heel. This is necessary when the hammer comes off. In this case, the hand will not suffer.

The next operation is steaming. The skeleton is sent to the cell for one hour. Here the products become stronger and more flexible.

An important element of the product is the sweet clover. The boards fit tightly together. On the machine, a circle is cut out with a milling cutter and the edges are grinded.

The skeleton is taken out of the steaming chamber and treated with fire, the hoops are pulled together. The barrel is additionally watered. Finalize and install the sweet clover. Then the product is polished and put on new hoops (8 pieces). At the final stage, a hole is drilled.

Tare selection

How to choose an oak barrel? Products differ from each other. When choosing a vessel made of oak, pay attention to such points:

1. Roast degree.
2. Type of wood.
3. Manufacturer.

Choose a barrel with a medium and strong roast. Products with a crane are not the best option, as cracks form in this place. The barrel is constantly breathing. It varies in volume depending on temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure.

The tightness of the product can be checked upon purchase. To do this, remove the top plug and blow into the vessel. If the air returns, the tightness is good. Close the faucet first.

In stores there are products coated with wax, and without it. Which one to choose? Waxed product has the following advantages:

• improved tightness;
• reduced alcohol loss.

In the shops there are products with hoops made of metal and stainless steel. The material from which the rims are made does not affect the quality of the distillate.

Preparing a new product

There are several stages of preparation:

1. Coating with oil paint.
2. Steaming.
3. Soaking.
4. Washing with water.

The following places are painted over with natural paint:

• joints of rivets and bottom;
• board ends.

In factories, products are sealed with oil paint. Please note that the container cannot be covered. The barrel must be breathable for the maturation of the distillate. For a certain product - its own color. The joints of the rivets, the ends of the boards are painted with white paint for cognac. The operation is carried out before soaking the container.

The steaming process at home is as follows. Boiling water is poured into a barrel for moonshine by 1/3, and scrolled through it. hot water leave in the container for 30 minutes. Then it is drained.

Water at room temperature is suitable for soaking containers. If boiling water is poured, it is not recommended to leave it to cool completely. Fill the container completely and inspect. Water can seep between the ends and rivets. When the wood swells, the gaps close. After the control inspection, water should not ooze.

If the container is used for strong drinks, raw alcohol (10-15 liters) should be poured. This must be done, as the board contains tannins. They can be washed with a product of 20-50% turnover. It is not advised to soak with weak alcohol (less than 20%), as the process may be delayed.

Alcohol is kept in a barrel for three months. After 1.5 months, it is advised to fill in a new distillate.

How to restore a keg?

The old product must first be inspected. To clean you will need a tool:

• a hammer;
• Bulgarian;
• pliers;
• Sander;
• chisels;
• knives;
• heel.

Remove the hoops and grind with a machine. The place where the rims were is treated with a grinder. A wooden barrel is polished with a machine. Bulgarian remove rust from hoops. Then the rims are deposited on the barrel.

If the container is heavily soiled, the bottom is removed and cleaned from the inside. Check through the chop hole. They remove the hoop, and then the bottom. In order not to break the tightness, notches are made on the bottom and barrel. This will install in the same position.

With a grinder, a small layer is removed from the inside. Then the vessel is washed. They collect the bottom, and besiege the hoops.

They sell barrels of various sizes from three liters to 3,000. Their prices are 2,700–132,000 rubles. There are such cooperage products in stores:

• anchors;
• with a wooden flask;
• barrels;
• jugs.

The anchor, or oval barrel, has a handle on top, so it's easy to carry.

A product made of chipped staves is valued. This container is less breathable. The log is split along the fibers, so the riveting is strong. Alcohol is better in crushed oak containers.

The following spirits mature in barrels:

• cognac;
• whiskey;
• tequila;
• bourbon;
• Calvados.

The whiskey is aged in sherry casks.

Over time, products are depleted: the concentration of oak components decreases. In the future, an oak barrel is used only as a vessel. After six or seven pours of alcohol, she is 90% depleted.

An oak barrel for moonshine quickly dries out, so it is not left empty. After cognac, it is necessary to pour alcohol in a day. To preserve the natural moisture of wood, barrels are stored in a cool and humid room. For products, it is necessary to use stands and flooring.

An oak barrel allows you to create such a noble drink as whiskey. After distillation, the mash is poured into a barrel. The distillate is diluted with water to 63-64%. Then pour into a vessel and close tightly.

Whiskey is made from barley. Single malt whiskey is made from the following ingredients:

• barley malt;
• yeast;
• water - hydraulic module 1:3.

You can taste the aged product only after three years. Alcoholic drinks stored in jars for years. In all old recipes there is an oak barrel or jug. Craftsmen do not use glue when making containers.

Making high-quality homemade spirits is an art that requires certain knowledge, experience and special utensils. We are talking about wooden containers, because it is considered the best for alcohol. If stored Home wine or whiskey in barrels, tubs, anchors, the drink will have a wonderful taste and unique aroma. Let's dwell on one type of containers in more detail. What is a jug and how does it differ from a barrel? If we are going to begin to determine the difference between containers, we will give a short explanation.

What does jub mean?

In most dictionaries, the opinion on this matter is the same. A jug is a small vessel with a lid, usually made of wood and used to transport and store alcoholic beverages, kvass, etc. Initially, this was the name of a large conical mug intended for drinking and pouring liquids. Today it is impossible to unambiguously answer the question of what jug means. After all, so began to be called and large barrels. Let's take a look at a newer interpretation. Let's try to determine the difference between a jug and a barrel. It is worth noting that such a container allows not only to store ready-made alcoholic beverages, but also to withstand them.

Differences

Trying to understand whether a jug or a barrel is better, it is worth determining the features of the first type of container. And this:

A separate feature of the product is its lower cost, because it is usually made using a relatively simple technology. An exception is the container, which is used for decorative purposes and is often installed in restaurants and cafes.

Barrel or jug?

The answer to this question can be, focusing on the goals. When it comes to storing alcoholic beverages in small quantities and their subsequent use, it is better to purchase a jug. It will also be a wonderful interior element in the living room, kitchen, cafe. If you are engaged in the semi-industrial production of whiskey, cognac and wine, then you will not find containers better than a huge oak barrel. You can order cooperage products for any purpose in one of the online stores of manufacturers, for example