Wines & Vines

October 2016 Bottles and Labels Issue

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60 WINES&VINES October 2016 OAK BARRELS Rethinking Barrel Cellar Layout A barrel-aging facility owner explains how to reorganize stacks for efficiency and seismic safety By Mike Blom I am asked frequently what changes we made at Napa Barrel Care as a result of the August 2014 Napa earthquake. One of the most significant changes we made was the orientation of the barrels relative to the fork- lift-access aisle. The goal of this article is to lay out why the changes were made and what benefits your cellar might derive from review- ing how you use your space. In order to look at various ways to lay out a barrel cellar, we made a number of assump- tions for illustrative purposes. You can change the assumptions to meet your particular needs. Assumptions: • 50-foot by 100-foot space (5,000 square feet) • 14-foot forklift aisle • Barrels kept 1 foot from walls for earth- quake safety • No support column interference • Stokes rolling ladders for barrel access • Experienced forklift drivers • Loads being carried are within forklift op- erating parameters. Two-barrel rack: barrel head facing forklift aisle Stacking barrels using two-barrel racks with the heads facing the forklift aisle is one of the most common stacking methods in the wine industry. There is some variance from cooper to cooper on the size of the barrels, but for this section's analysis we are using barrels that are 38 inches by 58 inches, head length by bilge width, when placed on a two-barrel rack. Forklifting racks with the barrel heads fac- ing the aisle is relatively easy. Insertion of the forks into the barrel rack is clearly visible and, depending upon fork length, can be accom- plished without damaging the barrels behind the stack being built. If using the barrel heads facing the aisle, it is a good idea to mark your forks so that drivers know how far they can insert their forks into the racks without damag- ing the barrels behind but ensure there is suf- ficient contact with the forks so minor movements won't cause them to lose the barrel rack. Generally providing 2 to 3 inches dis- tance between heads is a good idea. This space gives the forklift driver some margin for error and minimizes the chances of having a fork clip an opposing barrel. You can see the layout graphically repre- sented in the illustration on page 62. The ad- vantages to this layout are that it is simple to replicate, bung hole access for samples or additions is easy, and most forklift drivers grasp the concept quickly. Barrel sizes still need to be matched on each rack to keep the stack from tilting awkwardly. The disadvantage is that this method is not the most space efficient. Two-barrel rack: barrel bilge facing forklift aisle Stacking barrels using two-barrel racks with the bilge facing the forklift aisle is what Napa Barrel Care changed to after the 2014 earth- quake. This layout is not uncommon in the Editor's note: Mike Blom, the owner of Napa Barrel Care in Napa, Calif., wrote the following article based on his presentation earlier this year at the Wines & Vines Oak Conference. Barrels and racks in Napa Barrel Care, an aging and bottling solution for virtual and brick-and-mortar wineries, suffered significant damage during the August 2014 earthquake, and prompted Blom to reconsider how he managed the thousands of barrels in his facility. KEY POINTS The author explains how his company, Napa Barrel Care, reorganized its barrel cellar for greater efficiency and safety after many of its stacks collapsed during the 2014 Napa earthquake. Changing barrel orientation so the bilges face the forklift aisle was one key element. Strapping down the highest barrels, con- verting to four-barrel racks and adopting other safety measures are also discussed. Barrels are positioned in two-barrel racks with heads facing the forklift aisle. It is a common storage method, but not the most space efficient.

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