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Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:35 am
by FatManDancing
On the shelves of of a big green hardware- warehouse are packs of U.S.A. wine barrel oak, you know, for BBQ

Has anybody aged on this wood. I am thinking this might be great as a finishing wood and it is far cheaper than what is offered on other sites

Would love to hear your experience but happy to be a guinea pig

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 8:56 pm
by RC Al
About the only thing I can say against them is that it just says from american wine barrels, it dosen't specify the original source of the barrel, so could be french or american oak, go hard, but it may be random even in the one pack? :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Mon Jul 19, 2021 9:25 pm
by Sam.
I would also want to know if it has been treated with anything...

Burning it for smoke is one thing but soaking it in your spirit is another.

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2021 7:46 am
by The Stig
Too much end grain

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:53 pm
by FatManDancing
Thanks four your replies

Yep Stig, you are right. Too much end grain

Bit of a shame but oak is an awesome BBQ smoking wood and at least the red wine will make the smoke smell pretty

Now to convince my red wine making neighbour to move away from chips, but he is proving very stubborn on that

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2021 8:58 pm
by BlasphemousB
I have a colleague in the wine making industry (owns vineyards and a label) had no idea there was as much a demand as there is for used barrels.

He's offered me a few in the past (Pinot, Shiraz, Cab Sav). I recon there might be a hot date with me and the cut-off saw sometime soon.

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2021 6:38 am
by Wellsy
Hey blas
Just don’t make the rookie mistake I did when I was gifted a stave. I got the cut off saw and quickly set about cutting it into 2 inch blocks, exposing heaps of end grain lol. Remember to split it long ways mate rather than cut across the grain. If you look at a barrel you will notice there is no end grain exposed, as has been said before there is a reason for that.
I would have a chat to Andrew at 5 star and grab some of his dominoes, so you can do a side by side experiment. After all the effort we put into the wash , cuts etc a dollar savings for a piece of wood might be false economy.
Keep experimenting and thinking mate it is the best part of this hobby

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2021 9:07 am
by BlasphemousB
Nice tip!

I wonder if the heat of the saw will affect the wood too (you know when you get burn marks on hardwood - this could be just my shoddy workmanship).

I think using a hatchet would cause too much tearing, in effect exposing end grain along the length of the cut.

I'd probably need to cut them into giant match stick shapes I guess.

Lots of saw dust for the smoker I guess :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Big Green Shed Oak

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2021 5:53 pm
by howard
i use dominoes from the 5 star store myself.
but when i was looking for solutions to my leaking barrel, i noticed that coopers recommended sanding down any exposed grain to seal the wood. sanding closed the pores of the wood apparently.
not tried it on oaking wood, but it might reduce the amount of tanins leaching? :think: