As a Chicago based manufacturer of stainless steel wine barrels, we are always excited to see other Chicago companies bringing innovations to the world of wine and spirits. The latest innovation brings oak aging behind the bar or at home, and it just got a whole lot quicker. Joel Paglione of Chicago, has created Oak Bottle, a wooden vessel with a charred interior that lets you age wine, beer and spirits in two to 48 hours. It’s so efficient that within two hours, you’ve added oak flavor to the wine and it hasn’t over-oxidated and the wine hasn’t gone flat yet. It makes it taste as if it’s been aged for years in an oak barrel. Many winemakers believe that what makes a truly great wine great is more a matter of what occurs in the vineyard than what happens inside the winery or distillery. We agree, the winemaker or distiller can only highlight flavors and aromas that already exist, not invent flavor. That is what the art of oaking is all about. For centuries, winemakers and distillers have used oak to bring out the best in wine and spirits. The biggest problem aside from the cost of oak barrels is the amount of time it takes for the oaking process to work. This is where the Oak Bottle comes in. Using a simple volume to surface area equation it’s easy to understand how a vessel with more surface area touching less volume can infuse the wine or spirit quicker. The goal of the Oak Bottle is to make the oak infusion process simple, fast, and cost effective so that just about anyone can become a winemaster from the comfort of their own home. The traditional use of 59 gallon oak barrels for wine making was impractical and expensive. In the past only the best winemakers had access to cooperages who made the best oak barrels. Oak Bottle is currently running a Kick Starter campaign to ramp up manufacturing. For more details or to purchase an Oak Bottle, visit their website: http://oakbottle.com/
Drum It Up! Steel Drum Industry News, Trends, and Issues
Archive for 2015
Choosing the Right Drum: Hazardous Materials
Most materials shipped or stored throughout the world are contained in a steel drum. This includes hazardous materials or dangerous goods. And at Skolnik, we take proper hazmat containment seriously.
Choosing the right drum for the job is always important, but when it comes to hazardous materials, that importance may be tenfold.
There are many questions to consider when determining the proper container for hazardous material:
- What type of steel should I use?
- What size drum do I need?
- Should the drum be lined?
- If so, what type of liner should I use? Epoxy-phenolic, 100% clear phenolic or pigmented phenolic?
- How will the materials be transported?
- What requirements must be met to safely and legally transport my container on train, truck, sea or air?
- What certifications does my container require? UN certification? OSHA? EPA? DOT? All of the above?
With so many things to consider when shipping or storing hazardous goods, it can be daunting to get the job done. But at Skolnik, we can help. When you’re shipping hazardous materials, it is your responsibility as the shipper that your contents are properly classified, packaged and labeled, so take care and ask questions to ensure that we can provide you with the right container for your needs. Asking questions up front can save time, money and lives when it comes to the transport or storage of your materials.
Reduce risk and avoid incident with proper hazmat containment. Talk to a Skolnik Industries representative to ensure your contents, facilities, transport vehicles, employees and anyone who may come in contact with your materials are kept safe and protected throughout your containers storage or transport.