Breaking Down Barrels

Here is a video for how to break down a barrel. It's pretty fun, take your anger out!

Time Standard: 8-10 min/barrel (includes cleanup)

Other Tips

Use angle grinder with diamond cut blade to pass over metal rings. Don't press hard, let the blade do the work.
Pressing hard will burn out the motor.
On the rings in center of barrel, don't cut through the ring, just cut enough to where you can break it away with the chisel and hammer.
Put cord over your shoulder and out of way, like Dan is doing above.
Hold wedge perpendicular and hammer to the side of the cut. The ring will split apart.

Organizing Barrel Parts

When you disassemble barrels, make sure to put the parts in the right place!

Measure stave to see if it meets the minimum height requirement of 1.5." It should be taller than the 1.5" stick all the way across.

Put the ones that are too skinny on a pallet together.

For rounds, stack them with sticks in between each round so air can flow through and help them dry.

Criss-cross the direction of the rounds/sticks so they will all flatten out equally.

Barrel rings can go on a pallet together (Most of these will be recycled).

Place bung-hole staves on their own pallet as well.

Believe it or not, the flavor sticks inside the barrel also get their own pallet. Are you noticing a pattern?

Finally, put the staves that are 1.5" or more on their own pallet, NEATLY.Â