ReCoop barrels - comments please

There have been a number of posts in the forums at winepress.us regarding barrels, and ReCoop barrels in particular. I don't recall anyone having any problems with a ReCoop barrel - they sound like quite a reputable outfit. Refurbished barrels will have thinner staves, so you may lose more wine to evaporation than with a new barrel, but that will apply to any refurbished barrel. I haven't tried them myself - I'm still working up to the larger batches that would be necessary to use a 30 gallon or 60 gallon barrel sensibly.

Doug

I got some last year...so far, the taste profile is good. Here's some things I've learned so far about them:

1. If you order early enough, you can request the same Cooper for all barrels.
2. Hydrate them well before adding in any wine....those thinner staves dry out quick. If you're storing them empty, hydrate before you sulfite.
3. If you have an account with a national trucking company, using them can be considerably cheaper than the trucks ReCoop uses.
4. They fit 3 to a pallet.
5. They don't ship with bungs, just little plastic inserts. You might be able to request bungs for add'l $$.
6. They are lighter than new barrels, about 100 lbs. Still, they can be hard to carry, so if you don't have a forklift, then request a liftgate on your delivery.
7. They sand/plane the outside heads, but typically leave the Coopers brand on the head. They also add a ReCoop branding/etching to the heads.
8. They toast to your specifications.

-David