Editing Barrel (section)

==Uses today==

===Beverage maturing===
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[[File:Lightmatter wine barrels.jpg|thumb|Wine barrels in Napa Valley, California, US]]

[[File:Epernay fass mercier side view.jpg|thumb|This [[Champagne Mercier|Mercier]] oak barrel with a capacity of 200,000 Champagne bottles was created for the [[Exposition Universelle (1889)|1889 world exposition]] in Paris.]]

[[File:Saka-daru,Sake barrels,Itako-city,Japan.jpg|thumb|right|160px|Opened Japanese Sake barrel for move]]

An "ageing barrel" is used to [[Aging of wine|age wine]]; [[Distilled beverage|distilled spirits]] such as [[whiskey]], [[brandy]], or [[rum]]; [[beer]]; [[tabasco sauce]]; or (in smaller sizes) [[traditional balsamic vinegar]]. When a wine or spirit ages in a barrel, small amounts of [[oxygen]] are introduced as the barrel lets some air in (compare to [[microoxygenation]] where oxygen is deliberately added). Oxygen enters a barrel when [[water]] or [[ethanol|alcohol]] is lost due to [[evaporation]], a portion known as the "angels' share". In an environment with 100% relative [[humidity]], very little water evaporates and so most of the loss is alcohol, a useful trick if one has a wine with very high [[Alcohol proof|proof]]. Most beverages are topped up from other barrels to prevent significant oxidation, although others such as [[vin jaune]] and [[sherry]] are not.

Beverages aged in wooden barrels take on some of the compounds in the barrel, such as [[vanillin]] and wood [[tannins (wine)|tannins]]. The presence of these compounds depends on many factors, including the place of origin, how the staves were cut and dried, and the degree of "toast" applied during manufacture. Barrels used for aging are typically made of French or American [[Oak (wine)|oak]], but [[chestnut]] and [[Sequoia sempervirens|redwood]] are also used. Some Asian beverages (e.g., Japanese [[sake]]) use [[Cryptomeria|Japanese cedar]], which imparts an unusual, minty-piney flavor. In Peru and Chile, a grape distillate named ''[[pisco]]'' is either aged in oak or in [[earthenware]].

====Wines====
Some wines are fermented "on barrel", as opposed to in a neutral container like steel or wine-grade [[High-density polyethylene|HDPE]] (high-density polyethylene) tanks. Wine can also be fermented in large wooden tanks, which—when open to the atmosphere—are called "open-tops". Other wooden cooperage for storing wine or spirits range from smaller barriques to huge casks, with either [[elliptic]]al or round heads.

The tastes yielded by French and American species of oak are slightly different, with French oak being subtler, while American oak gives stronger aromas.<ref name=oak>[http://www.robertmondavi.com/WineFacts/oakBarrel.asp Oak Barrels: French vs. American] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070602161329/http://www.robertmondavi.com/winefacts/oakbarrel.asp |date=2007-06-02}}.</ref> To retain the desired measure of oak influence, a [[winery]] will replace a certain percentage of its barrels every year, although this can vary from 5 to 100%. Some winemakers use "200% new oak", where the wine is put into new oak barrels twice during the aging process. [[Bulk wine]]s are sometimes more cheaply flavored by soaking in [[oak chips]] or added commercial oak flavoring instead of being aged in a barrel because of the much lower cost.

=====Sherry=====
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[[File:FLOR-ValdiviaJerez59 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Wine barrel|Sherry barrel]] with glass barrel head to show the layer of [[flor]] floating atop the aging wine]]
[[Sherry]] is stored in {{convert|600|L|adj=on}} casks made of North American oak, which is slightly more porous than French or Spanish oak. The casks, or butts, are filled five-sixths full, leaving "the space of two fists" empty at the top to allow [[flor]] to develop on top of the wine. Sherry is also commonly swapped between barrels of different ages, a process that is known as ''[[solera]]''.

====Spirits====
=====Whiskey=====
[[File:Beam Rack House.jpg|thumb|Charred [[white oak]] barrels are filled with new [[bourbon whiskey]] and resting in a rack house for a period of typically 4 to 9 years (for good-quality bourbon), with the [[Char (chemistry)|char]] giving the bourbon its characteristic copper color.]]

Laws in several jurisdictions require that whiskey be aged in wooden barrels. The law in the United States requires that "[[straight whiskey]]" (with the exception of [[corn whiskey]]) must be stored for at least two years in new, charred oak containers.<ref name="cfrb1i">{{cite web |url=http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=21224b7c634d83e0fa329bfd18bb85dc&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.3.3.25.2&idno=27 |title=27 C.F.R. sec 5.22(b)(1)(i) |website=Ecfr.GPOAccess.gov |access-date=2010-08-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817003820/http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=21224b7c634d83e0fa329bfd18bb85dc&rgn=div8&view=text&node=27%3A1.0.1.1.3.3.25.2&idno=27 |archive-date=2012-08-17}}</ref> Other forms of whiskey aged in used barrels cannot be called "straight".<ref name="cfrb1i"/>

International laws require any whisky bearing the label "[[Scotch whisky|Scotch]]" to be distilled and matured in [[Scotland]] for a minimum of three years and one day in oak casks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asil.org/insights/insigh43.htm |title=ASIL Insight: WTO Protections for Food Geographic Indications |access-date=2007-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814193958/http://www.asil.org/insights/insigh43.htm |archive-date=14 August 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

By Canadian law,<ref name=B.02.020>[https://archive.today/20120709161352/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/F-27/C.R.C.-c.870/section-B.02.020.html "Canadian Food and Drug Regulations (C.R.C., c. 870) – Canadian Whisky, Canadian Rye Whisky or Rye Whisky (B.02.020)"]. Accessed on December 15, 2010.</ref> [[Canadian whisky|Canadian whiskies]] must "be aged in small wood for not less than three years", and "small wood" is defined as a wood barrel not exceeding {{convert|700|L}} capacity.

Since the U.S. law requires the use of new barrels for several popular types of whiskey, which is not typically considered necessary elsewhere, whiskey made elsewhere is usually aged in used barrels that previously contained American whiskey (usually [[bourbon whiskey]]). The typical bourbon barrel is {{convert|53|usgal}} in size, which is thus the ''de facto'' standard whiskey barrel size worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/2008/12/whys-bourbon-barrel-53-gallons.html |title=Seen Through a Glass |author=Lew Bryson |work=lewbryson.blogspot.com |date=22 December 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103020738/http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/2008/12/whys-bourbon-barrel-53-gallons.html |archive-date=2015-01-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iscbarrels.com/barrels |title=Barrels |work=iscbarrels.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103020446/http://www.iscbarrels.com/barrels |archive-date=2015-01-03}}</ref> Some distillers transfer their whiskey into different barrels to "finish" or add qualities to the final product. These finishing barrels frequently aged a different spirit (such as rum) or wine. Other distillers, particularly those producing Scotch, often disassemble five used bourbon barrels and reassemble them into four casks with different barrel ends for aging Scotch, creating a type of cask referred to as a [[hogshead]].<ref>"Casks (barrels, butts, punchons, pipes, barriques, and hogsheads)", [http://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2014-07-28/481/bws/casks-barrels-butts-punchons-pipes-barriques-and-hogsheads Difford's Guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222134205/http://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2014-07-28/481/bws/casks-barrels-butts-punchons-pipes-barriques-and-hogsheads |date=2015-12-22}}. Accessed on December 17, 2015.</ref>

=====Brandy=====
Maturing is very important for a good [[brandy]], which is typically aged in oak casks. The wood used for those barrels is selected because of its ability to transfer certain aromas to the spirit. [[Cognac (brandy)|Cognac]] is aged only in oak casks made from wood from the [[Forest of Tronçais]] and more often from the Limousin forests.

=====Tequila=====
Some types of [[tequila]] are aged in oak barrels to mellow its flavor. "Reposado" tequila is aged for a period of two months to one year, "Añejo" tequila is aged for up to three years, and "Extra Añejo" tequila is aged for at least three years. Like with other spirits, longer aging results in a more pronounced flavor.

====Beer====
{{See also|Barrel-aged beer}}
[[File:Schaenke im Schottenhammel Faesser Zapfzeug.JPG|thumb|Beer barrels at the Munich [[Oktoberfest]]]]
[[Beer]]s are sometimes aged in barrels which were previously used for maturing wines or spirits. This is most common in darker beers such as stout, which is sometimes aged in oak barrels identical to those used for whiskey. Whisky distiller Jameson notably purchases barrels used by Franciscan Well brewery for their Shandon Stout to produce a whisky branded as "Jameson Caskmates". [[Cask ale]] is aged in the barrel (usually steel) for a short time before serving. Extensive barrel aging is required of many [[sour beer]]s.

====Condiments====
=====Balsamic vinegar=====
[[Traditional balsamic vinegar]] is aged in a series of wooden barrels.

=====Tabasco sauce=====
The pepper mash used to make [[Tabasco sauce]] is aged for three years in previously used oak whiskey barrels since its invention in 1868.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tabasco Sauce History and Lore |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/tabasco-sauce-history-and-lore-3050514 |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=The Spruce Eats |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=thùng gỗ sồi |url=https://thunggosoi.net/ |access-date=14 June 2023}}</ref>

====Soft drinks====
[[Vernors]] [[ginger ale]] is marketed as having a "barrel-aged" flavor, and the syrup used to produce the beverage was originally aged in oak barrels when first manufactured in the 19th century.<ref name="Vernors">{{cite web |last1=López-Alt |first1=J. Kenji |title=Soda: The Dubious History (and Great Flavor) of Vernors Ginger Ale |url=http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/11/soda-the-dubious-history-and-great-flavor-of-vernors-ginger-ale.html |website=Serious Eats |access-date=3 April 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105073113/http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/11/soda-the-dubious-history-and-great-flavor-of-vernors-ginger-ale.html |archive-date=5 January 2017}}</ref> Whether the syrup continues to be aged in oak is unclear.<ref name="Vernors" />

{{anchor|AngelsShare|Angels|Share}}
====Angels' share====
{{redirect|Angels' Share|the film|The Angels' Share}}
[[File:Sherry cellar, Solera system 2, 2003.jpg|thumb|The angels' share in the [[sherry]] aging produces fungus on the walls.]]
[[File:Baudoinia compniacensis on Sycamore and fungus free bark.JPG|thumb|The angels' share fungus, ''[[Baudoinia compniacensis]]'' on bark, top, with an unaffected sample below]]

"Angels' share" is a term for the portion (share) of a wine or [[distilled beverage|distilled spirit]]'s [[volume]] that is lost to [[evaporation]] during aging in oak barrels. The ambient [[humidity]] tends to affect the composition of this share. Drier conditions tend to make the barrels evaporate more water, strengthening the spirit. However, in higher humidities, more alcohol than water will evaporate, therefore reducing the alcoholic strength of the product. This alcoholic evaporate encourages the growth of a darkly colored fungus, the angels' share fungus, ''[[Baudoinia compniacensis]]'', which tends to appear on the exterior surfaces of most things in the immediate area.<ref name=baudoinia>{{cite journal |last=Dixon |first=B. |title=The mystery of the warehouse stains (Animacules) |journal=Microbe |date=March 2009 |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=104–105 |url=http://individual.utoronto.ca/jscott/projects/baudoinia/Microbe-March_2009.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201547/http://individual.utoronto.ca/jscott/projects/baudoinia/Microbe-March_2009.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-03}}</ref><ref name="louisville">{{cite web |url=http://www.louisvilleky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/692CEED8-7BDC-48F4-8D37-51B9AF4DA1DD/0/Agingwarehousesfullreport.pdf |title=Whiskey Aging Warehouses and the Effects to Surrounding Residential Neighborhoods in Louisville, Ky. |date=September 4, 2012 |first1=Hannah |last1=Byland |location=Louisville, Kentucky |publisher=Louisville, Kentucky government |access-date=July 30, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510043831/http://www.louisvilleky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/692CEED8-7BDC-48F4-8D37-51B9AF4DA1DD/0/Agingwarehousesfullreport.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2013}}</ref>

===Water storage===
Water barrels are often used to collect the [[rain]]water from dwellings (so that it may be used for irrigation or other purposes). This usage, known as [[rainwater harvesting]], requires (besides a large [[Rainwater tank|rainwater barrel or water butt]]) adequate (waterproof) roof-covering and an adequate [[Plumbing|rain pipe]].

===Oil storage===<!-- This section is linked from [[Approximate conversion of units]] -->
{{Main article|Drum (container)|Barrel (unit)}}
[[File:Drum (container).jpg|thumb|upright|Blue 55-US gallon (44&nbsp;imp gal, 200&nbsp;L) barrel (drum)]]

Wooden casks of various sizes were used to store [[whale oil]] on ships in the [[age of sail]]. Its viscous nature made [[sperm oil|sperm whale oil]] a particularly difficult substance to contain in staved containers. Oil coopers were probably the most skilled coopers in pre-industrial cooperage. [[Olive oil]], [[seed oil|seed oils]] and other organic oils were also placed in wooden casks for storage or transport.

Wooden casks were also used to store mineral oil. The standard size [[Barrel (unit)|barrel]] of [[crude oil]] or other [[petroleum]] product (abbreviated bbl) is {{convert|42|USgal|impgal L|1|lk=on}}. This measurement originated in the early [[Pennsylvania]] [[oil field]]s, and permitted both British and American merchants to refer to the same unit, based on the old English wine measure, the [[English units of wine casks#Tierce|tierce]].

Earlier, another size of whiskey barrel was the most common size; this was the {{convert|40|USgal|impgal L|1}} barrel for proof spirits, which was of the same volume as five US bushels. However, by 1866, the oil barrel was standardized at 42 US gallons.

Oil has not been shipped in barrels<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2115219/|title=Does oil come in barrels? |work=[[Slate Magazine|Slate]] |date=24 March 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050905204234/http://www.slate.com/id/2115219/ |archive-date=2005-09-05}}</ref> since the introduction of [[oil tanker]]s, but the 42 US gallon size is still used as a unit of measurement for pricing and tax and regulatory codes. Each barrel is refined into about {{convert|20|USgal|impgal L}} of [[gasoline]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/ask/crudeoil_faqs.asp#products_and_uses |title=Frequently Asked Questions |work=doe.gov |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081104211502/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/ask/crudeoil_faqs.asp#products_and_uses |archive-date=2008-11-04 |access-date=2008-11-05}}</ref> the rest becoming other products such as jet fuel and heating oil, using [[fractional distillation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://energyalmanac.ca.gov/gasoline/whats_in_barrel_oil.html |title=What's In A Barrel of Oil? |date=19 July 2005 |work=ca.gov |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430075200/http://energyalmanac.ca.gov/gasoline/whats_in_barrel_oil.html |archive-date=30 April 2009}}</ref>