Wine soaked oak barrel chunks
 

The wife brought these home from a antique show. They are from a retired barrel, anyone smoke anything with these? Wine soaked anything lol?
http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/a...05FC1A7633.jpg
http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/a...060521253E.jpg

Split them down into 1" strips and use with some beef. See how you like it. Just 2-4 strips. I like them.

I'm using them all the time! Been buying decommissioned French Oak and Missouri Oak wine barrels from some of the micro vintners in the area. $600+ brand new, and I've gotten them as low as $30 each! They cry when I tell them I'm burning them.

Price has gone way up in the area with guys making furniture out of them and CNC engraved barrel heads! Just sayin'!

Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are what I've gotten stashed away.

I use French and American infusion rods all the time.

Yep, you can get them out here as well. They are good for smoking.

I like them.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...b/IMG_4040.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...b/IMG_4037.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...b/IMG_4041.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...b/IMG_1404.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...b/IMG_1406.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...b/100_2343.jpg

I've got a bunch from ageing Chardonnay. They drop these into the big tanks until they get the right flavor then yank them out. They are French Oak and covered with mold and stuff. I clean them off with a planer and either smoke with them or put some nice decoration on my smokehouse. The French Oak is the dark wood. No stain or coloring on that wood. It's just the way it looks. Smells great too!
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7c847eb7.jpg

Whiskey barrels can only be used once in the U.S.
Some are sold overseas for scotch etc.
Others are cut up for smoking or made into furniture.
How many times can a wine barrel be used for wine?

No idear! But I know I have never see a birdhouse that doubles as a smokehouse. J/k that's some nice shizzle there ! Like the pron. problem is im so partial to my pecan and cherry, I ain't gonna change. Is that sad I she the good stuff for comps? :decision:

I am looking to build one of those. Where did you get the info? I am diggin it!

Always wanted to try liquor barrels to smoke I'm a whiskey guy feel like it b great with beef

Wine barrels can, in fact, be re-used - but the wood "becomes neutral" with regard to imparting desirable effects on the wine itself after 3-5 vintages, depending on the type of wine and the characteristics of the wood.

For those interested, check out the wikipedia page on Oak and its importance in winemaking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_(wine)

As for cooking with wine barrel chunks/staves, I've found them at a number of places, from online wood distributors to the local World Market. I've used it to smoke beef, venison, and even a spiced pork tenderloin, and I've added it to the grill to add a nice smoke flavor to grilled salmon and NY strip steaks. The wine soaked in to the wood mparts a little bit of a fruity/"winey" flavor, but the predominant flavor is still that of white oak.

Happy cooking! :-D

Vintners use a percentage of new barrels for each process. If you are talking California chardonnay... they use a lot of new french oak.

The Cali Chard is just now rebounding from these types of schmucks. The REAL difference between American and French barrels is the process. French uses fire to bend the staves which gives a heavy char. American barrels are assembled, then milled, then charred for effect. Leave it to us to take the romance out of any thing.