A manufacturing process for oak barrels, oak barrels and their applications

Abstract

The invention discloses a preparation process, an oak barrel and an application of an oak barrel. The preparation process comprises selecting oak raw material and cutting it into oak boards; performing multispectral imaging scanning and X-ray fluoroscopy on each oak board, constructing a 3D model according to the multispectral imaging and X-ray fluoroscopy results, and then testing the density, moisture content and chemical composition content of each oak board; classifying the oak boards according to the test results according to the density, moisture content and chemical composition content within 5%; and processing different types of oak boards into oak barrels respectively. The preparation process of the invention selects specific oak raw material and classifies the oak boards according to a specific classification method, so that oak boards of the same type have similar quality, and thus the whiskey brewed in oak barrels prepared from oak boards of the same type has the same aroma and flavor. In addition, the preparation process can also determine which wood grade is higher or lower, so that different grades of whiskey can be manufactured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of oak barrel technology, specifically to a manufacturing process for oak barrels, oak barrels, and their applications. Background Technology

[0002] Whisky is a strong distilled spirit made from grains such as barley, aged in oak barrels for many years, and blended to an alcohol content of around 43%.

[0003] However, during the whisky-making process, the aroma and flavor of the whisky are closely related to the quality of the oak barrels. Specifically, even if two oak barrels made from oak from the same tree on the same day are filled with the same batch of newly brewed whisky and then stored in the same warehouse for several years, the aroma and flavor of the whisky in the two oak barrels will be different. Of course, whiskies made from two oak barrels prepared from different oak raw materials may also have the same aroma and flavor. Therefore, it is crucial to classify oak raw materials of the same quality so that the whiskies made from the oak barrels prepared have the same aroma and flavor.

[0004] In view of this, the present invention is hereby proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a manufacturing process for oak barrels, oak barrels, and their applications. This manufacturing process can classify oak planks and ensure that whiskies made from oak barrels made from the same type of oak planks have the same aroma and flavor. In addition, it can determine which wood grades are higher and lower, which is beneficial for the production of different grades of whisky.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives of the present invention, the following technical solution is adopted:

[0007] The first aspect of this invention provides a manufacturing process for oak barrels, the manufacturing process of which includes the following steps:

[0008] (a) Select oak raw materials and cut them into oak planks;

[0009] (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested.

[0010] (c) Based on the test results, the samples are classified according to differences of less than 5% in density, moisture content and chemical composition content;

[0011] (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

[0012] Preferably, the chemical component is selected from at least one of tannin, lignin, hemicellulose and oils.

[0013] Preferably, the chemical components are tannins and lignin.

[0014] Preferably, the oak is an oak tree that is 150 to 250 years old, 1 to 1.5 meters in diameter, and 30 to 36 meters tall.

[0015] Preferably, the annual rings of the oak are ≤3mm.

[0016] A second aspect of the present invention provides an oak barrel prepared by the aforementioned preparation process.

[0017] A third aspect of the present invention provides the application of oak barrels prepared by the above-described preparation process in whisky brewing.

[0018] The fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method for brewing whisky, wherein the method uses oak barrels prepared by the aforementioned preparation process for brewing.

[0019] Preferably, whiskies aged in different oak barrels have the same aroma and flavor.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include at least the following:

[0021] The preparation process of this invention selects specific oak raw materials and classifies oak planks according to a specific classification method, so that oak planks of the same type have similar qualities. As a result, the whiskies made from oak barrels made from oak planks of the same type have the same aroma and flavor. In addition, the preparation process of this invention can also determine which wood grades are higher and lower, enabling the production of whiskies of different grades. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the examples. The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention more clearly, and are therefore only examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the technical or scientific terms used in this application should have the ordinary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0024] Currently, the whisky industry faces a major problem: whiskies made from the same batch of oak barrels can have different aromas and flavors, making the creation of the perfect whisky a matter of chance.

[0025] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a manufacturing process for oak barrels, which includes the following steps:

[0026] (a) Select oak raw materials and cut them into oak planks;

[0027] (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested.

[0028] (c) Based on the test results, the samples are classified according to differences of less than 5% in density, moisture content and chemical composition content;

[0029] (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

[0030] The preparation process of this invention selects specific oak raw materials and classifies oak planks according to a specific classification method, so that oak planks of the same type have similar qualities. As a result, the whiskies made from oak barrels made from oak planks of the same type have the same aroma and flavor. In addition, the preparation process of this invention can also determine which wood grades are higher and lower, enabling the production of whiskies of different grades.

[0031] In some embodiments, the chemical component is selected from at least one of tannin, lignin, hemicellulose and oils. For example, the chemical component may be tannin, or it may be tannin and hemicellulose, or it may be lignin and tannin.

[0032] In this invention, there are no strict restrictions on the oak raw materials. Conventional oak in the art can be used. Preferably, oak trees with an age of 150 to 250 years, a diameter of 1 to 1.5 meters, and a height of 30 to 36 meters can be used.

[0033] Furthermore, to better enhance the aroma and flavor of the whisky, the oak tree should have growth rings ≤3mm.

[0034] This invention also provides a method for brewing whisky, which uses oak barrels prepared by the above-described preparation process for brewing.

[0035] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] This embodiment describes a manufacturing process for oak barrels, which includes the following steps:

[0038] (a) Select oak raw materials with an age of 150 to 250 years, a diameter of 1 to 1.5 meters, a height of 30 to 36 meters, and annual rings ≤ 3 mm, and cut them into oak planks;

[0039] (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested.

[0040] (c) Based on the test results, the components are classified according to the difference of less than 5% in density, moisture content and chemical composition, of which the chemical composition is tannin, lignin, hemicellulose and oil.

[0041] (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] This embodiment describes a manufacturing process for oak barrels, which includes the following steps:

[0044] (a) Select oak raw materials with an age of 150 to 250 years, a diameter of 1 to 1.5 meters, a height of 30 to 36 meters, and annual rings ≤ 3 mm, and cut them into oak planks;

[0045] (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested.

[0046] (c) Based on the test results, the samples were classified according to the differences in density, water content and chemical composition content within 4%, of which the chemical composition was tannin.

[0047] (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

[0048] Example 3

[0049] This embodiment describes a manufacturing process for oak barrels, which includes the following steps:

[0050] (a) Select oak raw materials with an age of 150 to 250 years, a diameter of 1 to 1.5 meters, a height of 30 to 36 meters, and annual rings ≤ 3 mm, and cut them into oak planks;

[0051] (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested.

[0052] (c) Based on the test results, the samples are classified according to the differences in density, moisture content and chemical composition content within 5%, of which the chemical composition is lignin;

[0053] (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

[0054] Example 4

[0055] This embodiment describes a manufacturing process for oak barrels, which includes the following steps:

[0056] (a) Select oak raw materials with an age of 150 to 250 years, a diameter of 1 to 1.5 meters, a height of 30 to 36 meters, and annual rings ≤ 3 mm, and cut them into oak planks;

[0057] (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested.

[0058] (c) Based on the test results, the components are classified according to the difference of less than 5% in density, moisture content and chemical composition, of which the chemical composition is tannin, lignin and hemicellulose;

[0059] (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

[0060] Example 5

[0061] This embodiment describes a manufacturing process for oak barrels, which includes the following steps:

[0062] (a) Select oak raw materials with an age of 150 to 250 years, a diameter of 1 to 1.5 meters, a height of 30 to 36 meters, and annual rings ≤ 3 mm, and cut them into oak planks;

[0063] (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested.

[0064] (c) Based on the test results, the components are classified according to their density, moisture content and chemical composition content, which differ by no more than 5%. The chemical composition is tannin and lignin.

[0065] (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

[0066] Experimental example

[0067] Obtain 10 oak barrels prepared in Example 5;

[0068] The same batch of newly brewed whisky is poured into 10 oak barrels, and then the 10 oak barrels are stored in the same warehouse for 5 years.

[0069] Then, the aroma and flavor of the whisky in each oak barrel were tested;

[0070] Test results showed that the whiskies aged in the 10 oak barrels had the same aroma and flavor.

[0071] The process of this invention involves selecting specific oak raw materials and classifying oak planks according to a specific classification method, so that oak planks of the same type have similar qualities. Consequently, whiskies aged in oak barrels made from oak planks of the same type will have the same aroma and flavor.

[0072] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention.

Claims

1. A manufacturing process for oak barrels, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (a) Select oak raw materials and cut them into oak planks; (b) Each oak plank was subjected to X-ray fluoroscopy to detect the X-ray transmittance, and classified according to the difference in X-ray transmittance within 2%; then the density, moisture content and chemical composition of each classified oak plank were tested. (c) Based on the test results, the samples are classified according to differences of less than 5% in density, moisture content and chemical composition content; (d) Process different types of oak planks into oak barrels.

2. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chemical components are selected from at least one of tannins, lignin, hemicellulose, and oils.

3. The preparation process according to claim 2, characterized in that, The chemical components are tannins and lignin.

4. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oak trees mentioned are those that are 150 to 250 years old, 1 to 1.5 meters in diameter, and 30 to 36 meters tall.

5. The preparation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annual rings of the oak are ≤3mm.

6. An oak barrel prepared according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The application of oak barrels prepared according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in whisky brewing.

8. A method for brewing whisky, characterized in that, The oak barrels prepared using any one of the preparation processes described in claims 1 to 5 are used for brewing.