US2079378A - Charred white oak rack for aging or maturing, clarifying, coloring, and mellowing spirituous liquors, and particularly whisky - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1937. J MILLS 2,079,378

-CHARRED WHITE OAK RACK FOR AGING OR MATURING, CLARIFYING, COLORING,

AND MELLOWING SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, AND PARTICULARLY WHISKY Filed June 25, 1935 marked E.

Patented May 4, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cnARREn WHITE OAK RAcK FoR AGING 0R MATURING, CLARIFYING, COLORING, AND MELLOWING srmrroous LIQUO S, AND PARTICULARLY WHISKY.

Klester J. Mills, Louisville, Ky. Application June 25, 1935, Serial No. 28,334

of so treating unmatured whisky as to cheaply and efiiciently produce the above mentioned effects on the whisky.

It is also an important object of my invention to reduce the expense and trouble involved in the handling and storage of whisky, by eliminating the necessity of transferring the whisky from the vessels in which the same is initially collected or stored.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferredembodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a section on the line l--l of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1. A

The insert is composed of two octagonal ends marked "A, and six uprights marked B, the uprights being tightly mortised between ends, as shown, each upright having two in. diameter tenons 2 in. centers each end. These uprights occur at each cant side of ends, there being a in. wide space left between same, to allow whisky to fiow around all upright members.

Each end A will have four in. diameter holes marked C, 12 in. centers to receive dowels marked D fastened to heads of barrel. Each of these holes C will be countersunk'% in. deep and 1 in. diameter to receive spacing corks These corks help hold insert in place and also keep same from rattling.

On each edge of cant side of insert ends A, there will be a 1 in. diameter shock absorbing cork marked F, fitting over in. diameter dowels. 1

Into each head of barrel marked G, will be inserted foul /2 i diameter dowels marked D projecting approximately 2 in. inside barrel. These dowels are to hold insert in place.

The notch marked H opposite the bung side of barrel in each end is to permit the use 'of a gauge stick.

The entire insert will be constructed oil in. thick white oak, all sides of which will be charred.

The insert ends are 20 in. wide, octagonal in shape, and the rack measures 30 in. end to end over all. 1

Details of how charred white oak mature supplying racks are constructed, charred and fastened to inside of barrel All piecesare made from white oak lumber, one inch thick, this lumber being charred on both sides the same, asis the inside of the barrel. The ends of the insert are made from two or more pieces doweled together with wooden dowel pins;

ends 2 inches apart. I reserve the right to increase the number of upright pieces and their relative position on the sides of the insert without departing from the principles and objects of the insert. The upright pieces when fitted into the ends, have an insert constructed without the use of nails, because the wooden mortises were used 12 inches in center at both ends of insert, there are four countersunk holes 1% inch diameter and the hole in thecenter is inch. In thisis placed a 1 inch diameter cork space with inch hole in center.

The heads of the barrels to be used are removed and four inch dowels are tightly fitted, which protrude downward about 2 inches. These dowels will slip in the center holes of the cork spacers in countersinks of the insert, when the head .is. replaced in the barrel; This prevents rattling and absorbs all shock, and aids in holding the rack in place. On the edge of the cant 7 sides of the insert, 4 other 1 inch cork spacers are fitted over inch dowels. These protrude out enough to take care of the extra strain, placed on the sides of the barrels. These also prevent rattling and aid in holding the rack in place.

The insert is placed in the barrel so that the open sides will be at the top and bottom. When the barrel is lying down on its bilge with the bung up, the bottomv side of the rack ends, has notches which permit the ageing by rod. These inserts will not decrease the capacity of a barrel over three gallons. These inserts can be made for any size container ranging from 10 gallons up.

General statement In the beginning, I will briefly state the objection to a newly distilled whisky. The whisky has a fiery taste caused by the presence of the fusel oils, mash and other substances of distilling. The whisky is clear and has no color; to remove the above stated substances, the distiller has always stored the whisky in charred white oak barrels for a long period of time for the purpose of coloring and the removal of the newish fiery taste. The storing of the whisky removes this taste and transforms it into a mellow pleasant taste. It has been conceded that only charred white oak furnishes the tannic acid that colors the whisky; that charcoal purifies it; and that white oak cells mellow, age and remove the fiery taste. It also gives the whisky after a time the bead that naturally stands .on it.

In regard to the waste of this kind of timber years ago, and not by reforesting, the white oak has become ascarcity and the prices on white oak lumber have so risen that a barrel costs the distiller about the same as the grain that is used in making the whisky.

The white oak barrel after the first using becomes unfit for refilling, because the tannic acid which is beneficial to whisky has been withdrawn. Distillers have tried in many ways to reuse these barrels but every attempt was unsuccessful because the quality, color, bead and mellow taste are one-third as perfect.

Charred white oak whisky barrels are 35 inches long, and are made up of staves and heads which are 1 inch thick. These barrels hold from 47 to 50 gallons, and Weigh from to pounds. Deducting the weight of hoops and chimes which is about 12 pounds, this leaves 78 pounds of wood.

The whisky only soaks into this wood about /2 inch but does not take out the tannic acid over of an inch. Thus this would leave about 30 pounds of wood used in'the coloring of, aging and maturing of the whisky.

I have perfected a charred white oak tannic acid supplying insert which can be used in a whisky barrel that has been used before. This insert would weigh about 20 pounds for a first reused barrel and every time thereafter it would have have to weigh 30 pounds. In barrels other than white oak which do not have to be charred, the insert would weigh 30 pounds.

White oak inserts may be made from third class lumber, sawed from upper parts of the tree,

etc. This makes it possible to make them onefifth as cheap as the present price of white oak bourbon whisky barrels.

What is claimed is:-

An insert for the purpose indicated comprising polygonal ends, a plurality of flat uprights arranged in groups at opposite sides of the ends but spaced from each other and connected with and spacing the ends substantially the height of a whisky barrel between the heads thereof, and means carried by the ends for engagement with the heads of a barrel to maintain the central disposition of the insert in the barrel and allow circulation entirely therearound, the heads and uprights being constructed of a material having a sufficient tannic acid content to give up, in the whisky aging process, an amount equivalent to that ordinarily given up by the charred interior surface of the barrel, dowels set in the ends and extending from the outer faces thereof for engagement in sockets in the barrel heads, cork spacers surrounding the dowels and seated in the ends for frictional engagement with the barrel I KLESTER J. IVIILLS.

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