This second part in the series attempts to compare the cost for different oak aging alternatives as well as providing some resources that can be used by the homebrewer and pro brewer. I want to clarify that this is only covering cost. As a person that cares about the product they produce, cost is always evaluated separately from quality. This was more put together as a good reference to know general price points for the different alternative oak aging options.Cost matters (size doesn't, well not totally true wait till part 4 of the series). The table below was created based on recommendations from the manufacturer as to how much of their product is needed to be equivalent to a "new barrel". "New Barrel" refers to how much oak flavor you will get if your wine (or beer) was placed in a freshly toasted ~60 gal oak barrel. This quantity is likely too much for almost every beer style and is geared toward oak forward wine styles. The typical amounts to use in different beers styles will be discussed in Part 4: Extraction and Use.
| Oak Cubes | Qty for "New Barrel" Flavor | Cost $/lb* | $/"New Barrel" | Vendor |
| American Oak Med + | 24 oz | $20.00 | $30.00 | MoreWine |
| Hungarian Oak Med + | 24 oz | $25.00 | $37.50 | MoreWine |
| French Oak Med + | 24 oz | $33.00 | $49.50 | MoreWine |
| Amer. Oak med + | 24 oz | $6.50 | $9.75 | Oak Chips, Inc ** |
| Fren. Oak med + | 24 oz | $8.50 | $12.75 | Oak Chips, Inc ** |
| Oak Spirals | Qty for "New Barrel" Flavor | Cost $ | $/"New Barrel" | Vendor |
| American Oak Med + | 6 pack-1.5"x 9" | $50.00 | $50.00 | The Barrel Mill |
| French Oak Med + | 6 pack-1.5"x 9" | $79.00 | $79.00 | The Barrel Mill |
| Oak Chips | Qty for "New Barrel" Flavor | Cost $/lb | $/"New Barrel" | Vendor |
| American Oak Med + | 24 oz | $6.00 | $9.00 | MoreWine |
| French Oak Med + | 24 oz | $9.00 | $13.50 | MoreWine |
| Honeycombs | Qty for "New Barrel" Flavor | Cost $ | $/"New Barrel" | Vendor |
| Multiple Wood Types | Barrel Pack | $55.00 | $55.00 | Black Swan Cooperage |
| Staves Segments | Qty for "New Barrel" Flavor | Cost $ | $/"New Barrel" | Vendor |
| French Oak Med + | 96 oz | $20.00 | $120.00 | MoreWine |
| Staves | Qty for "New Barrel" Flavor | Cost $ | $/"New Barrel" | Vendor |
| American Oak Med + | Barrel Replica | $99.00 | $99.00 | MoreWine |
| French Oak Med + | Barrel Replica | $124.00 | $124.00 | MoreWine |
| *Shipping not included | ||||
| ** Pricing may vary, must request |
As I transitioned over the last year into the commercial brewing side one of my main duties was to source the equipment and supplies for our barrel program at Council Brewing. I soon realized that it was not quite as user friendly as ordering homebrew supplies. I first started looking for used wine and spirit barrels by checking the wine business used barrel classifieds. This was a good start and I still use it, but it is mostly geared toward medium to large producers. (If possible, the ideal situation is to find a local wine or spirit producer to partner with). However, several of the barrel brokers would post as well. I decided to compile their company names and list what they generally offer. This should at least help people get started and find a few contacts.
If you have any questions or any reference information for me to add please leave a comment.
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