13,691
edits
Changes
added tips for French wine barrels
===Wine Barrels===
* [https://www.winesandvines.com/sections/printout_article.cfm?article=feature&content=70974 Château Barrels] (thin staves, recessed head, chestnut hoops, thin reed wrapped around the chestnut hoops on either side of the barrel head, a pine crossbar.)
French wine barrels will have their hoops secured into place by nails. If the staves need to be tightened during swelling, then the nails must be removed. The nails can be removed with pliers or a hoop driver so that the hoops can be tightened. After tightening, the nails can be hammered back in, although some brewers just leave the nails out permanently. Justin Amaral recommends buying nails from Barrel Builders as they are reportedly easier to remove <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1963764150318456/?comment_id=1963786806982857&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D Joseph Kearns, Justin Amaral, and Andrew Zinn. MTF thread about tightening hoops on French oak barrels. 01/23/2018.]</ref>.
==Barrel Alternatives==