Why is White oak preferred?
Oak is a preferred wood for cooperage due to many qualities. It is a strong wood, that is resilient and therefore bendable. It grows as a large tree and yields straight grained stave bolts, it makes a liquid tight container with minimal shrinkage (wet to dry) and imparts no objectionable flavors. The two structural features that make oak desirable for barrel making are the medulary rays and tyloses. Medulary rays – The medulary rays consist of elongated cells that extend radially from the pith to bark along the trunk axis. The rays form diffusion channels for horizontal transfer of water and nutrients. (Appendix 1) In conifers the rays are small, one cell wide and are called uniseriate. In white oak the rays are two or more cells wide and are called multiseriate. These large rays make wood strong and resilient. In various oak species these rays constitute about 19-32% of wood volume. In American white oak (Quercus alba) the rays account for 28% of wood volume. In other hard woods they
