Dechar/Rechar
Decharring machine
The rejuvenation of whisky casks has proven to be a very cost-effective method of extending the maturation life of used barrels.
The process involves removal of the old char (de-charring) to expose fresh wood, then re-firing (re-charring) the newly exposed wood to re-carbonise its surface. The spirit is now able to access a much higher level of extractives during maturation than was previously available.
There are several methods of de-charring; one which has been shown to be very successful is wire brushing the inside of the cask at high speed.
Schoolhill Hydraulic Engineering have recently developed a new (patented) profiling head for this operation. By maintaining a constant pressure on the barrel surface, the brush is able to closely follow the shape of the cask. This provides a very uniform finish throughout the whole surface of the cask.
This machine can process casks ranging from 190 litre bourbon barrels up to large 550ltr sherry butts and distillery puncheons.
Charring Machine
Schoolhill Hydraulic Engineering’s charring machine is suitable for toasting and charring the inside of wooden barrels from 190 to 550 litres. It is capable of handling most sizes of barrel from 30Gal small barrels, American bourbon barrels up to large butts and puncheons.
A loading arm raises casks onto the Charring Station from the floor. The burner lance feeds into the barrel, which is rotated over the flame to provide a uniform char on the inside surface. Speed of rotation, flame strength and burn time are adjustable to achieve the required depth of char.
Preheating or “low temperature toasting” is becoming much more important now within the whisky industry. Our system provides an accuracy of temperature control, which was impossible to achieve with previous technology. Temperature is measured at the wood surface, and real-time information is fed back to the computer, which instantaneously adjusts the flame on the lance burner. Multistage burn sequences may be programmed by a combination of temperature and time to provide exactly the right profile for clients’ maturation requirements.
When the cycle is complete, casks are automatically extinguished. They are then ejected from the machine by a mechanical arm. The burners have an automatic ignition system; an air blower boosts the flame to ensure correct combustion within the cask. The gas and air mix may be varied manually or pre-programmed to provide optimum burn conditions. Cycle times can also be varied depending on the pre-heat, toasting hold time and charring depth required.
Expected production is 70/140 casks per day depending on toast/char requirements.
An Infra-Red heating source is also available for Wine Barrel Toasting.
Further information on our decharring and charring machines is available here:
You can also find out more about Whisky Barrel Rejuvenation by clicking here
Learn about our Whisky Barrel Charring process for Horizontal and Vertical Charring here
