3D printed wine barrels - What are the advantages and disadvantages compared to wooden wine barrels?

3D printed wine barrels - What are the advantages and disadvantages compared to wooden wine barrels?

Published May 11th, 2022 03:21

The trend in the new era when wine barrels can be reused more times and have a variety of shapes and designs, 3D printed wine barrels are gradually gaining popularity.

Previously, we were used to images of wooden wine bottles displayed on the shelves of every house. It has a very high aesthetic value, and it can also hold alcohol for fun. But after all, it is wood, so the impact of time also affects the quality of the wine barrel, so the solution chosen by many people is to make 3D printed wine barrels. What kind of experience will it bring? Find out in the following article.

I. Origin of the wine barrel

1. Origin of oak barrels?

●       For oak barrels to ensure quality, the origin of oak is extremely important: the age of the oak and which country it comes from.

●       Age: The best age for oak trees to be harvested is 80 to 120 years when the wood grain is strong enough.

●       Origin: Import the best oak from France and the US to ensure the best quality oak barrels.

French oak and American oak are commonly used to make wine barrels. In addition to the difference in wood structure of the two oak varieties, French oak, when aged, has a sweet and strong vanilla flavor. In contrast, American oak has a more intense taste due to the amount of lactic acid in the body. Plants 3-4 times taller.

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French oaks are mainly grown in Central and Southwestern forests such as Allier, Limousin, Nevers, Troncais, and the Vosges. Depending on the type of wine intended to be made, people will decide to use barrels made from wood in which region and how wood is aged because the wood from each region has different characteristics. American oak is grown mainly in the region. as far north as Missouri, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

American oak has a looser grain and a lighter tatin taste. When processing American oak, it is often sawed into small pieces - this exposes the wine to more lactic acid in the wood and thus gives it a richer coconut milk aroma. French oak has a strong grain and is easy to split without the need for sawing, allowing the wine to contact along the grain and thereby have a stronger vanilla aroma.

The French now also use oak from the Adygei forest near Russia's Black Sea because it is cheaper. The Italians prefer oak casks from Slovenia because they have strong wood grain, low flavor, and moderate tannin.

The oak barrels appearing in our country are mostly self-professed based on European technology, with oak wood originating from the US or Russia.

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2. The effect of oak barrels on wine aging

First of all, it is a device used to store, preserve and decorate. Next, we will talk about the inner effect of oak wood.

In oak wood, there are very special organic compounds that, when soaked in wine, will gradually be absorbed into the wine, making the hard, harsh substance from the skin and stem slowly softer, creating a balance. Good for wine. In addition, this organic matter also makes the flavor of wine warmer, like brandy and darker red wine color.

The bottle of wine is aged in oak barrels. The scent will smell like smoke, toast, or vanilla. The inside of the oak barrel is lightly burned before aging, helping to convert organic matter from the wood. Also easier.

They are used for soaking and aging wine, but oak barrels are used a lot for soaking white wine, rice wine, and even making fish sauce, creating an extremely distinctive and distinctive aroma.

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II. Why does wine-making use oak barrels?

1. Because it's watertight

People choose white oak for wine barrels because white oak has a "bottle" structure. Therefore, the wood cells have a tight bond with each other. Water will not penetrate this bonding layer, so there is no loss in the quality or volume of the wine.

When casks are closed, the oak bars are bent and joined together, causing the barrels to have small openings. However, the alcohol will not escape, but some impurities and water vapor will evaporate through these openings. The longer the wine is in oak barrels, the more quintessential it will be.

2. Preservation and improvement of wine quality

In oak, there are very special compounds such as Organic Matter. When soaked in wine, It will gradually absorb this organic matter into the wine. It helps make the hard, harsh substance gradually softer, creating a good balance for the wine. Moreover, this organic substance also makes the wine more fragrant and the color more beautiful. Therefore, this method of wine preservation is also known as the "Wonder Wood" method.

Bottles of the wine aged in oak barrels will smell like smoke, toast, or vanilla. It is the inside of oak barrels that is lightly burned before aging. It also makes it easier to convert organic matter from wood. This is also the main reason why winemaking uses oak barrels.

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3. It helps aging wine faster.

Wine stored in oak barrels, if grounded, will have the ability to attract and combine with the earth's magnetic field better than other types of wood. This helps the wine to age faster, soften and remove toxins faster.

4. Coloring the wine

Oak can affect wine color. After a while, the wine aged in oak barrels will often change color and become more delicious and attractive. For example, red wine will be darker and clearer. White or traditional Vietnamese white wine will have an iridescent and slightly cloudy straw yellow color. The taste is fragrant and different from the original.

III. Advantages and disadvantages of 3D printed wine barrels

1. Advantage

●       There are various templates depending on the creativity and ability to create designs.

●       Easy to handle, store and use.

●       Full range of sizes

●       Cost savings for raw materials

2. Disadvantage

●       Not made from wood, so it's only suitable for display as a model

●       Temporary wine storage or use for alcohol-related occasions

●       It doesn't resonate and doesn't give the same brewing effect as a wooden barrel

IV. Notes for creating files of 3D printed wine barrels

1. Description of the 3D printed wine barrel model

They are created with 3ds Max 2016. 3D printed wine barrels are high-resolution, realistic, full of detail, and textures detailed enough for close-up renderings. The model comes with detailed textures. All sections are separated and rotated for animation.

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a. The 3DS MAX Zip file also contains V-ray and standard material scenes

Features of 3D printed wine barrels

●       High-quality polygon model - exact scaled representation of original objects.

●       The model's resolution is optimized for polygon efficiency (in 3ds Max, you can use the MeshSmooth function to increase mesh resolution if needed).

●       You can easily modify all colors.

●       The model is fully textured with all materials applied.

●       All textures and materials are included and mapped in every format.

●       Maximum models are grouped for easy selection & objects are appropriately named for ease of scene management.

●       Do not confuse part names when importing several models into a scene.

●       No cleanup is needed, just drop your models into the field and start rendering.

b. No special Plug-in is required to open the scene

File format:

●       3ds Max 2014 (Contains both V-Ray and standard material scenes!)

●       OBJ (Multi-format)

●       3DS (Multi-Format)

●       FBX (Multi-Format) All models have been tested with the appropriate software.

Measurement unit: CM

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2. In what cases will 3D printed wine barrels be used?

In the process of making 3D printed wine barrels, we will also use the main 3D printing materials in the group of 3D printing materials, including:

Fiber form. They are used by low-cost 3D printers (FDM technology). Liquid form in UV/SLA/DLP/LCD technology uses liquid ink, also known as Resin. Powder form in SLS technology uses fine powder or ABS plastic, PLA plastic, and special plastic. Resin ink, SLS powder,…

And from the above materials, it will not be possible to bring about the same effect or use as ordinary wooden wine barrels. So 3D-printed wine barrels are more suitable for other uses.

a. Use 3D printed wine barrels to display but not contain wine

This solution will be extremely effective if you are a collector of wine barrels. All you need to do is find or design a drawing of the barrel you need and print it out. So you can serve your display needs.

b. Using 3D-printed wine barrels to extract wine for one-time use

If you use a standard wine barrel (200-liter capacity), it will be difficult for you to use in meetings. 3D printed wine barrels are the solution to help you take out a small amount and use it. In a very easy and convenient way.

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V. Summary

The above summarizes the uses of wooden wine barrels and what you need to keep in mind when using 3D printed wine barrels. You can completely combine the two types because it brings convenience to you. Research more about your preferences and the type of wine you want to use to choose the best 3D printed and wooden casks.

3D printed wine barrels is not enough. You need to add 3D Printed Gyroscopic Cup Holder to perfect your collection.