Technological features of wine and beer maturation in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels

In the traditional production of beer and wine, oak barrels have been used for several centuries as containers for the technological stage of maturation. In modern industrial production, working with oak barrels not only reduces productivity, but also eliminates the possibility of ensuring quality stability. Brewers and winemakers periodically face the need to develop new products with special organoleptic characteristics, such as light tones of oak aging in taste and aroma. This can be achieved through the use of oak barrels, and is not possible with the maturation process in stainless steel tanks. At the technological stage of beer and wine maturation, the final formation of the taste and aroma of the product takes place, therefore it is extremely important to choose the right technological modes and the necessary characteristics of the equipment. This article discusses the features of the beer and wine maturation process in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. The changes in beer and wine that occur during the maturation process are described in detail, taking into account the material from which the container is made. A detailed description of the properties of the materials from which the equipment for the beer and wine maturation process is made and their influence on the formation of the product profile is given. The objectives of the beer and wine maturation processes are described. A comparison of modern materials with traditional ones that were used several decades ago, as well as their effect on the organoleptic characteristics of the finished product, is carried out. The advantages and disadvantages of each of the materials used in the production of beer and wine maturation equipment are revealed.