Cooper For A Sevenday (Part 2)

Writers: Eimi, Noola
Date Posted: 1st May 2010

Characters: Ariavin, Miniam
Description: The visiting apprentice gets an introduction to the art of barrelmaking.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 5
Notes: This is Part 2 of 3

"This is really the hardest part," Ariavin gestured with a jerk of his
head for the apprentice to come closer to watch what he was doing.
"Each stave must be properly prepared, or they won't fit together
right and the barrel you're making will leak. And these barrels will
be pressurized, so it's even more important." They'd collected several
stacks of well-aged staves to bring to the workshop to fill an order
one of the Vintners put in for three barrels to transport the ale that
had just finished brewing and was ready to sell.

"All right." The boy looked over his shoulder with curiosity to see how
the barrel was going to take shape. He had never really appreciated
before what a complex process it could be!

Ariavin demonstrated how to prepare a stave to become part of a
barrel. He cut the wood to size, and then began tapering the ends. He
explained the importance of getting them just right so they'd fit
together properly while the wider middles would create the distinctive
bulge a barrel has. Then, he beveled the staves so each would
interlock with the one next to it. They were then planed on the
outside and given a slight hollow in the inside. When he was done, he
picked up the finished product and handed it to Miniam, "And each
barrel will have several of these staves. Think you can do one
yourself now?"

Miniam frowned slightly as he inspected the piece of wood in his hands.
"I think I can do that," he nodded thoughtfully. "The measurements are
a little exact, aren't they."

"For a wet design, it must be. Otherwise there could be leaks.
Especially for these barrels, because the ale will be pressurized. A
gap, even a tiny one that didn't leak at first, could be disastrous
when the contents are under pressure." He handed the boy a fresh stave
to prepare as well as a set of tools. "You work on that one, and let
me know when you're finished."

The apprentice tried to copy everything the journeyman had taught him.
He remembered to carefully measure everything twice before he cut. Even
as an apprentice, planing was second nature now. The moved with
confidence as he slid the planers small blade across the wood, producing
shavings and sawdust, and that smell that Miniam loved - the smell of
freshly cut wood. Finally he turned it over in his hands, and satisfied
with the result, called Ariavin over to inspect it.

Ariavin looked over the stave, carefully examining it from all angles.
He ran his hands over the surface of the wood, feeling the texture for
any splinters or spurs. He checked the angles of all the edges and the
depth of the slight hollow on the inner surface. "Very nice, lad.
You've got a good feel for wood." He set the stave next to the one
he'd done for the example. "Let's get to work then. We've got three
barrels worth of staves to shape today." He gestured toward the stack
of blanks before picking one up himself.

"But with the tapered ends, won't they go off in all directions?" Miniam
still wasn't sure how they all fit together to form a water-tight
vessel.

"No, the bands will hold them together. Barrels have a bulge in the
middle, you've noticed? That's why. Because the staves are wider in
the middle than they are on the ends."

The apprentice was beginning to imagine the boards bent in a barrel
shape and was able to picture the ends being pinched together, much like
they were at the bottom. "So then do we steam the wood or fire it in
order to bend it?"

"Sort of." Ariavin explained further, "First, the bottom hoops will be
put in place, then the barrels will be heated over a fire and sponged
with water for about half a candlemark. This will make the staves
easier to bend, but it also chars the inside of the barrel a bit. You
want the inside charred, it affects the flavor of what the barrel
holds. How much charring you let happen depends on what the Vintner
wants for the final product." There was an art to how long you let a
barrel sit over the flames. Too long, and you ruined it. Not long
enough and the flavor wouldn't come out right and the wine would be
ruined. It took coopers turns to get a feel for it.

It sounded like a complicated process. "Do you go by time or color?"

"Bit of both." Ariavin leaned a hip against the workbench as he
explained, "There's a general time-frame for the different general
levels most go for. But, you can't just put the barrel on and leave.
It has to be sponged periodically, for one, but also, that time-frame
is just that. A reference. Fires can burn hotter than others, Wood
might've aged a bit differently than others. It could be an unusually
humid or dry day. All of these factors, and others, could change that
time-frame. So, you watch the wood too."

"That's a lot of time for one barrel," Miniam said as he leaned back
against the workbench too, his arms folded thoughtfully across his
chest. "What happens if you get it wrong?"

"Well, it depends. If it's wrong by being a bit off, then you can
probably just set that barrel aside to sell to someone else who wants
one like it is. If it's wrong because it's been charred unevenly or
burned through or something drastic, then you've wasted the materials
and the time spent on that barrel. Either way though, you have to
start a new one and get it right."

"You can't just sand it down?" There had to be a way to salvage it
after so much time and energy was put into it!

"If you catch it very quickly, possibly," Ariavin conceeded. "But it's
difficult because if it's too charred, there might not be enough after
sanding to rechar it properly. And also, if it was charred unevenly,
it's almost impossible to get it even again. That's why it's so
careful to pay very close attention when you have a barrel on the
fire. It isn't something you can daydream while doing."

"How many barrels do you have to practice on before you get it down
perfectly?"

"A great many. But you aren't just thrown in and expected to get it
right. The first few times, you'd observe mostly. Watching as the
Journeyman or Master worked the barrel in the flame and then cinched
it for the rest of the hoops. Then, you'd be the one sponging and
helping to set the clamps and hoops. Then, the Journeyman or Master
would watch while -you- worked the barrel. After all of that, you'd
still make mistakes. Even the best coopers make mistakes," Ariavin
grinned wryly. "But you learn each time you do, and you don't make
that particular mistake again."

Miniam was pretty sure this was not the specialty that he would be
working towards in his journeymanship, but he also wouldn't admit defeat
so easily! "All right, then, show me what to do next."

Last updated on the May 3rd 2010

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Cooper For A Sevenday (Part 2)