Oak
bottle
The truth is in the barrel," as an old master says. And that is the truth itself. After all, the taste of good wine only half depends on the skill of the winemaker. The other half is a good container in which you can pour your wine. And here the wooden bottle will do you a good job.
Rakiya is part of the traditions of the Bulgarians. And although there is a slight decline in consumption , especially among young people, rakia can still be defined as a national drink. There is hardly no a foreigner who is not greeted with rakiya. Very often people choose a nice and expensive bottle of whiskey as a gift. Although different as drinks, an oak bottle of rakia could be just as suitable as a gift.
There are about 300 species of oak in the world, but only three of them are suitable for the production of barrels. The French oak is considered the best. The oak harvested in the Bulgarian lands is close to the French oak. The best material for making barrels in Bulgaria is obtained from Blagun oak (Quercus frainetto), which must have grown for at least 60 years to be suitable for making barrels. . The altitude of growing must be at least 800 m. The harsher the conditions in which the tree lives, the denser its structure, which does not allow liquids to pass through it, but at the same time is porous enough to leak. minimum amounts of oxygen in the barrel. This allows the wine to micro-oxidize during the aging process without becoming acidic. In addition, various flavors accumulate, resembling cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and even caramel.
The bottle allows you to reproduce the effects of aging wine in barrels at home! Experience the thrill of making your own favorite drink. In fact, it is an oak bottle that behaves like a large barrel, but now you can have it at home because of its small size.
The production of homemade wine and brandy is traditional in Bulgaria. That is why the reusable wooden bottle is useful for both winemakers and people. The bottles can also be used in restaurants to attract visitors. The wooden bottle is undoubtedly a good souvenir that can be brought from Bulgaria
Freshly brewed brandy in a few days put in a wooden bottle turns into "soft ". "Aging" in this bottle is 10 times more active than when aged in oak barrels.
Various alcoholic beverages around the world are aged in barrels made of cedar, juniper, chestnut, mulberry, white acacia, etc., but the most suitable and most preferred is oak. Why is this wood preferred by all distilleries? Oak has proven to be an exceptional “helper” of wine, it contributes a lot to the slow and controlled aging of wines. But also hard alcohol matures in oak barrels. The oak barrel ennobles and colors the primary distillate. It soothes the sharp taste and smell and softens their properties. This gives a complex aroma and finished taste to the drink.
To a large extent the quality of wine depends on its storage and aging in oak barrels. Unfortunately, the prices of quality barrels are quite high, and they are usually used up to three charges. As a variety and substitute for the barrels, the use of an oak bottle is offered, which will easily and quickly enrich a simple homemade wine or brandy with a new unique taste. Now you can create your own wine cellar, in which this drink receives a certain nobility, without its price flying to heaven.
Cooperage is one of the most respected and oldest crafts and is also one an unfading tradition in Bulgaria. From the past to the present, masters have been perfecting their skills, which to this day carry the spirit of times past. And now I am glad to present you my new product - an oak bottle, which is a classic wine vessel, but with a new shape.
Instruction
Wish to make bottles of oak. Despite all the apparent simplicity of the product, there are no manufacturers of these products in Bulgaria. The reason for this is technological difficulties in drying.
I use the method of drying in a hydrophilic liquid, namely alcohol. By changing the drying time, the tannin content in the wood can be regulated. The amount of caramelization of the wood on the inner wall of the bottle can also be changed by changing the firing time.
The idea is to create a bottle made of the same wood as the barrel used to preserve the wine, so that the fermentation cycle will not be interrupted, such as when using other materials (glass). In this way, the wine is stored in the same habitat from the beginning to the end of the process.
The bottle is designed for distilled alcoholic beverages such as brandy, brandy and whiskey. My design is a packaging concept that includes oak wood in the bottle, and allows the maturation process to continue at home. Alcohol stored in a bottle continues to soften even after opening and while consumed.
I know that the fermentation in a closed bottle is different from the oak barrel and I study its behavior with winemakers.
Possibility for mass production of a glass bottle.
My design features of a glass bottle with an oak panel attached, which is secured with a silicone gasket, helps prevent leaks. The inclusion of oak wood in the package allows the drink to continue to mature.
In the near future I want to buy a 4-axis CNC router, which will allow engraving of inscriptions and woodcarving on the bottles.
I hope that with joint efforts we will bring to market a product that has no analogues in Bulgaria.
Instruction
• Before placing anything alcoholic inside a bottle, rinse it several times with hot water until the water that comes out is completely clear.
• Add your brandy. You can either further age an already aged brandy to improve the taste and smoothness, or start with a white, unprocessed brandy to age it yourself.
• Wait. Only the time spent in a bottle can age your brandy, so now you just have to wait for it to be ready. Everyone likes different flavors in their brandy, so it's hard to tell you exactly how long to age it, but to get the equivalent of maturing a year takes about 5-8 days.
• Decant your brandy. Once the aging process is over, empty the contents of the bottle into a decanter and enjoy. We recommend that you do this through a strainer to catch any wood particles. If you leave it in a bottle, the scent will continue to develop, which is not ideal if you have already received it exactly as you want.
• Fill a bottle. It is best to start aging your next batch of brandy immediately. If you leave a bottle empty for too long, it will dry out and may break.
