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Identifying different oaks

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:39 pm
by ThePaterPiper
I just got my hands on some offcuts of old wine barrels and was wondering if there is a way to tell the difference between French and American oak. They are stave sections as below.

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Some of them have very clean straight grain, others have a marbled kind of grain, the marbled grain is noticeably heavier too.

Thanks

Re: Identifying different oaks

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:51 pm
by bluc
No idea but would be interested to know also :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Identifying different oaks

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 8:00 pm
by Professor Green
Put them in a bucket of water with a hand gun at one end and white flag at the other. The ones that float towards the handgun are American...

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Re: Identifying different oaks

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 8:09 pm
by orcy
Grain pattern – European Oak tends to have a distinctive, wavy grain pattern with scatterings of pip and burr. American Oak tends to have a straighter, subtle grain pattern.


Found this somewhere on the internet. Not sure if it helps cause i assume barrel timber is specially selected so not actualltly that "average" for the species used

Re: Identifying different oaks

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 8:30 pm
by Sam.
Professor Green wrote:Put them in a bucket of water with a hand gun at one end and white flag at the other. The ones that float towards the handgun are American...

Cheers,
Prof. Green.


Or if one smells like cheese.....

On a serious not I believe that french is meant to have a tighter grain? How you eye ball that someone with more experience would have to chime in.

Re: Identifying different oaks

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:21 pm
by ThePaterPiper
Professor Green wrote:Put them in a bucket of water with a hand gun at one end and white flag at the other. The ones that float towards the handgun are American...

Cheers,
Prof. Green.



I tried it and it works, although the French moved to the white flag faster! :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Re: Identifying different oaks

PostPosted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:26 pm
by bluc
Sam. wrote:
Professor Green wrote:Put them in a bucket of water with a hand gun at one end and white flag at the other. The ones that float towards the handgun are American...

Cheers,
Prof. Green.


Or if one smells like cheese.....

On a serious not I believe that french is meant to have a tighter grain? How you eye ball that someone with more experience would have to chime in.

Interesting i find french colours and flavours faster i thought it was a looser grain :-B