Wine and spirit Oak cask making

Making Oak casks for maturing fine wines & spirits is a very specialised process, today I was one of those making them.

This is making the rings tight while the fire is burning inside allowing for the Oak to become softer for shaping.

Casks here in Bulgaria are made from very old traditional methods used by professional coopers for centuries.

At "White Oak" in Bulgaria the professional coopers have been making casks, and other items over 3 generations.

This was a very interesting adventure in how this process is done & I can tell you as an Aerospace engineer that it was fascinating that they don't use sealants, glues or other chemicals to keep them watertight.

Casks, Buckets, Barrels, Garden Furniture and other items can be purchased online at very competitive prices, posted almost worldwide at http://www.viastars.eu/shop 

Thanks to the guys for allowing me loose on a handmade cask.