Throughout Rus', since ancient times, the secrets of cooperage have been passed down from clan to clan, from generation to generation, and the skill was improved with each generation. In ancient times, almost every village had its own master - a cooper or cooper, who was engaged in the manufacture of barrels and wooden utensils. But there were also huge villages that practiced this craft at a time when there was no agricultural work.
Although this technique at first glance seems simple and primitive, each cooper had his own secrets of his skill and each of them produced different dishes: for one it has perfect correct forms, with clearly maintained symmetry and not at the expense of strength, while the other is fragile and unsightly. This suggests one thing: not only do you need to have a good understanding of the principle that underlies the manufacturing technology, but also the master must have a good understanding of wood, choose it correctly, prepare it, dry it, feel it, and know its features during the processing process. Only with such knowledge and taking into account the many subtleties in the process of procurement and manufacturing can one obtain high-quality cooperage products. The specimens that have reached us from ancient times are clear proof of this!
The profession of a cooper - a master making wooden barrels - is in high demand in a modern country.
This is not surprising, because a wide variety of tubs and barrels made from our oak by the hands of our craftsmen are sold well for export not only to other European countries, but also to the Middle East. They are required wherever grapes grow and where grape wines are made from them. Despite the onset of all kinds modern technologies, real barrels are made by masters only by hand. Bondar can immediately distinguish it from “machine production.”
The best and most reliable are those that are made not using modern, but ancient technologies that have been proven over centuries, which ensures special durability. The main thing for a craftsman is good oak wood. One cubic meter of this material costs about $600 in our countries. Oak wood is harvested only in winter, when there is less juice in the wood. An oak tree must be at least one hundred and no more than two hundred years old. Under no circumstances should the workpiece be immediately put into production - it must first be thoroughly dried. And this process is very long.
It remains under open canopies in the air for at least three years. The use of all kinds of “heat guns” and electric dryers is prohibited. Then comes the most important and responsible part of the work - sawing the logs into boards from which the barrels are made. Only the most can cope with it experienced craftsmen. During processing, almost half of the wood goes into shavings and chips. Under no circumstances should prepared boards be glued with regular glue. The glue is made from calamus roots, which are collected at certain times of the year. When exactly - this is the secret of coopers. Then the finished barrels are fired over a fire, and the degree of firing is extremely important for the taste of the wine.
All this technology is also kept in deep secret and is inherited from grandfathers to grandchildren. It is only known that for dry or semi-sweet wines, barrels are fired at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, and for whiskey, the wood must be practically charred from the inside. From one cubic meter of oak, two barrels of 225 liters each and two more of 100 liters are obtained. Our coopers also repair old ones. Wine cellar owners don't want to throw them away because old oak wood also gives their wines a unique taste.
According to their purpose, all barrels are divided into jellied barrels, intended for the transportation and storage of liquid and semi-liquid products, and dry barrels, used for storing solid and bulk products.
Depending on the degree of density and impermeability, filler barrels can be particularly dense, special and ordinary. Particularly dense barrels are made to store contents that are susceptible to leakage and volatilization. They differ from all other barrels in having the thickest walls. They are made from hardwood wood High Quality. The hoops on them are steel, with a reinforced profile.
Special barrels for storing and transporting various fats or substances containing fats (mineral and vegetable oils, lubricants, turpentine, resin, drying oil, oil paints), are made mainly from soft hardwood, in some cases from softwood. Ordinary steel hoops are placed on them.
A feature of such barrels for storing fats is the insulation of their internal surfaces with some substance from the contents. To protect the wood from moisture, the outer surface of such barrels is often painted with oil paint.
Ordinary jellied barrels are designed for storing and transporting various products that contain water (canned vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, jams, tomato puree, preserves, fish, meat in brine, etc.).
The absorption of water and subsequent swelling of the wood increases the density and impermeability of the barrels. The wall thickness of these barrels is the same as that of special ones (with the same dimensions and volume).
Barrels intended for storing solid dry products and substances must be sufficiently strong and dense. They are made from soft deciduous or coniferous wood; hoops are made of steel or wood.
Cooperage products have many names:
Tub- a cylindrical container made of wooden rivets (planks) and covered with metal or wooden hoops. The tub can only be in a standing position. A tub is a small barrel (up to one hundred liters) that is a truncated cone.
Tub- a small tub.
Barrel- utensils of relatively large volume, used for permanent or temporary storage of various liquid and bulk substances, as well as for packaging various goods. There are barrels various shapes, but usually the base, top and cut of the central part of the barrel are shaped like a circle, with the diameter of the central part being larger than the diameters of the base and top.
Barrel- a small barrel (this is how the smallest barrel from a certain series was usually called).
Zhban- a hoop vessel with a jug, tall, narrower at the top, with a hanging lid, a carved handle and the same horn, stigma or toe, for kvass and mash; Konovka ( Dictionary living Great Russian language V. Dahl).
Steamer– necessary for the bath. Regardless of what kind of wood the steamer is made of, you can be sure that the steamer will give you real pleasure from the bathing procedure!
Bucket- a small tub with a rope or handle with a capacity of about ten liters; used for carrying and storing water. A rocker was used to carry buckets.
Tub- a barrel or tub with two extended boards into which a stick is passed for carrying.
Chan- a large barrel (or tub); As a rule, it is installed in the ground, intended for sourdough and pickles.
Gang- inverted low tub; used for washing, bathing, feeding and watering livestock.
Since ancient times, the secrets of cooperage passed from father to son. In the old days, every village or settlement certainly had its own cooper engaged in the manufacture of wooden utensils.
Today, after many centuries, barrels, like cooperage products, have not lost their relevance. Despite the fact that there is a lot of glassware, earthenware, silver, etc., drinks acquire real taste only when they are prepared and stored in wooden barrels and tubs. After all, at the preparation stage, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks absorb the power of the forest from wood, allowing us to enjoy an unforgettable aroma... Try it yourself and treat your friends to real healing drinks.
How to make cognac
Cognac made from white grapes of selected varieties. “Isabella” is also suitable for making cognac at home, but it is better to take some variety of white sweet grapes. The grapes must be freshly picked and ripe. The grapes need to be picked from the bunches and made into grape juice. The skins and seeds of the grapes will give off their aroma. Sugar can be added to the wort, juice or wine material ready for distillation.
The juice is fermented for a month. The wine material (mash) is distilled twice. The wine material is cleaned. From nine liters of wine material, 1 liter comes out. cognac alcohol.
Calvados
Calvados is a strong alcoholic French drink made by distilling apple must and tastes like apple vodka or brandy. Making Calvados is similar to the process of making cognac. I can stand this drink. Like cognac, it is in oak barrel for more than two years.
Into production There are small apples with a strong aroma. If only one grape variety is used to make wine, then Calvados requires several varieties of apples and pears. The drink is made by mixing several different alcohols. This method allows you to preserve the taste of the noble drink, regardless of annual changes in the quality of pears and apples.
Soaked apples according to an old recipe
Hard fruits are used for urination any late and winter varieties of apples, but Antonov apples are more often used. Select mature and healthy fruits without wormholes or scratches, dark spots. The apples are washed thoroughly. At the bottom of the tub you need to put a thin layer of clean chokeberry leaves (you don’t need to put a lot of leaves, otherwise the apples will quickly turn sour)
On currant leaves lay the apples tightly in 2 layers, then there is a thin layer of cherry leaves, and again apples. Next comes a thin layer of mint (don’t overdo the mint!), then more apples.
Pickled cucumbers in a tub
The oak tub must be prepared in advance. Before pickling, cucumbers need to be sorted and medium and small sized cucumbers should be selected, preferably with thin skin. Selected cucumbers must be washed and soaked in cold (preferably spring or well) water for 3-5 hours. Initially soaked cucumbers will not wrinkle or form voids during the pickling process.
All spices must be fresh and clean. We suggest using the following spices for pickling cucumbers in an oak tub: blackcurrant leaves, cherry leaves, horseradish leaves, dill, garlic, pepper, tarragon.
Before salting spices need to be prepared. The garlic is peeled and finely chopped, and then crushed with a wooden masher. Dill and tarragon are cut in half.
Salted tomatoes
Salt tomatoes best on the same day they were picked from the garden. The barrel or tub should be steamed well hot water with the addition of spices - dill, tarragon, thyme. Then place dill, tarragon, horseradish, capsicum, and garlic on the bottom so that they completely cover it. Place the tomatoes carefully, being careful not to crush or deform them. Since this vegetable is very delicate, it should be pickled in small barrels - with a capacity of no more than 50 liters.
When you fill it with tomatoes, put the remaining spices on top, pour in the cooled and strained salt solution. Place a wooden circle on top and weigh it down with a weight (preferably a glass jar of water). This will prevent floating.
Pickling watermelons
Only ripe watermelons are suitable for pickling. weighing up to 2 kg with a thin crust and juicy pulp. The best period for pickling watermelons is mid-to-late October, since salted watermelons should be stored at higher temperatures. low temperatures, otherwise they will soon peroxide. Watermelons can be salted in two ways.
1. After sorting and washing watermelons, to accelerate lactic fermentation, pierce the skin in 10-12 places with a wooden needle and place them tightly in prepared barrels. Well-sealed barrels are filled with a solution of table salt (60-80 g per 1 liter of water) through a tongue-and-groove hole and kept at a temperature of about 20 °C for 2-3 days. Then the barrels are placed in a room with a low temperature, having previously been topped up with brine, and the tongue-and-groove hole is tightly sealed with a wooden stopper.
Sauerkraut in an oak barrel
For pickling For cabbage in barrels, as a rule, late varieties of cabbage should be used, such as Amager 611, Moskovskaya late, Kharkovskaya zimnyaya, Yaroslavna.
Let's prepare the cabbage. You should remove the outer green leaves from the cabbage heads so that you are left with a smooth head with tightly fitting leaves. It should also be noted that you should not throw away the removed green leaves; they can be used to fill the voids between the cabbage heads in the top row of the barrel. These cabbage leaves will be ready to eat in just a couple of weeks.
Pickling cucumbers in barrels
For salting you need to take late harvest cucumbers. The best raw materials for pickling - cucumbers 8-15 cm long, that is, unripe fruits with small seed chambers and underdeveloped seeds. Freshly picked cucumbers are soaked, periodically changing the water (no more than 6 hours), and washed. Seasonings are also washed thoroughly. Dill cut into pieces 15-20 cm long. Horseradish roots and garlic cleaned. Prepared seasonings are placed on the bottom of the barrels and on top of the cucumbers. If the barrels hold more than 100 liters, seasonings are also placed in the middle.
Barrel walls rub with garlic. Cucumbers are placed tightly in barrels: the more cucumbers fit in the container, the higher the concentration of lactic acid during fermentation and the better the pickles will be preserved.
The Kapelka online store offers a wide range of cooperage products and accessories for them: barrels and tubs with lids and oppression, various barrels and cuts, corks, wooden and brass taps. We sell cooperage products that have different purposes:
- interior decor;
- food storage;
- aging of alcoholic beverages.
Tanks for pickling products
Tubs for pickling products are made of oak or linden without the use of glue, which makes the products environmentally friendly. For pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, cabbage, berries, mushrooms, apples, fish, meat and other products, it is better to use an oak tub. The product preserves the quality of products, their taste and properties for a long time. Oak has antiseptic properties, is resistant to fungi and mold, and produces tannin, which in small quantities is beneficial for humans. The pickling process in oak tubs requires less time and effort than using glass or metal utensils.
Linden tubs are suitable for storing various delicacies, honey, caviar and so on.
From us you can buy oak and linden tubs, barrels and barrels for pickles with a volume of 0.5 to 200 liters.
Barrels for alcoholic drinks
For aging alcoholic beverages (wine, cognac, brandy, etc.) oak barrels are used. The porous structure of the wood does not release liquid from the inside and allows oxygen to pass through, which creates conditions for the oxidation of the alcoholic drink. Also, all harmful esters are removed through the pores of the wood. Exactly oak barrels give alcohol a “noble taste”.
Our assortment includes oak products with volumes from 1 to 100 liters. Small barrels with a built-in tap and stand are ready for pouring drinks and can be installed on a bar counter or on a table.
Decorative barrels
Wooden barrels of various designs are used for interior decoration. Often this decor can be found in pubs, bars, and restaurants. Often products are used to create an atmosphere in a bathhouse and sauna. They are also installed in the house in the kitchen, hallway or living room, depending on the design and style of the rooms.
We sell cuts and decorative barrels with a volume of up to 200 liters from various types of wood.
