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A number of wood products are available to homebrewers to get wood characteristics without using a barrel. While barrel flavors are generally not the primary goal of funky beer brewers who use barrels for fermentation and aging, wood can contribute some of the additional characteristics that barrels offer (such as mouthfeel influences) and can also be used to house microbes in a similar way to a barrel (Vinnie's dimebags). The most common non-barrel wood products available to brewers are oak based. Advantages of using these products over barrels include reduced cost, ease of use, and a more efficient use of the wood (the entire surface of the wood is exposed to the beer as opposed to only 40% of a barrel's surface area) <ref name="Cioch‑Skoneczny_2022">[https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00217-022-04143-3.pdf Influence of oak chips addition on the physicochemical properties of beer. Monika Cioch‑Skoneczny, Mateusz Bajerski, Krystian Klimczak, Paweł Satora, Szymon Skoneczny. European Food Research and Technology. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-022-04143-3.]</ref>.
'''Chips''' - Oak chips maximize surface area and have less variability in the depth of toast. Oak chips are not ideal because if the brewer is after flavor contribution chips will be more one dimensional and if the brewer is not after a wood flavor contribution, oak chips will give faster flavor extraction than other options and will therefore not give the other benefits of oak as well as other products.
'''Controlling Oxygen'''
* [https://www.vinethos.com/oxygen-and-wine-barrels/ "Latest Research on Oxygen and Wine Barrels", Vinethos, 2019.]
'''Controlling Mold in Humid Climates'''
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/posts/6799153246779498/ MTF thread on controlling mold in a Japanese brewery.]
===Modifying barrels===
[[File:Heat sanitizing barrels.JPG|thumbnail|right|[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25989358 Effects of heat sanitation results by Fabrizio et al (2015).]]]
Heat has been established as the most reliable way to sanitize surfaces, with ''Brettanomyces'' beginning to die at around 37°C and the complete thermal death of ''Brettanomyces'' has been reported to be 50°C for 5 minutes in wine <ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15996781/ Thermal inactivation of the wine spoilage yeasts Dekkera/Brettanomyces. José António Couto, Filipe Neves, Francisco Campos, Tim Hogg. 2005. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2005.03.014.]</ref><ref name="Nunes de Lima 2020">[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0740002020302069 Survival and metabolism of hydroxycinnamic acids by Dekkera bruxellensis in monovarietal wines. Adriana Nunes de Lima, Rui Magalhães, Francisco Manuel Campos, José António Couto. 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2020.103617.]</ref>. The complete thermal death of ''Brettanomyces'' in wines has been reported to be accomplished at 50°C for 5 minutes. <ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15996781/ Thermal inactivation of the wine spoilage yeasts Dekkera/Brettanomyces. José António Couto, Filipe Neves, Francisco Campos, Tim Hogg. 2005. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2005.03.014.]</ref><ref name="Nunes de Lima 2020" />. Sanitizing barrels that are infected with ''Brettanomyces'' or other beer/wine spoilers is notoriously difficult, and some believe it to be impossible. While two previous studies ([http://www.ajevonline.org/content/62/4/519 Schmid et al. 2011] and [http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jfr/article/view/24315 Barata et al. 2013]) found that steam was not effective at sanitizing oak, these studies have had their experimental designs criticized by more recent studies ([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25989358 Fabrizio et al. 2015] and [http://www.ajevonline.org/content/early/2018/05/23/ajev.2018.18024 Cartwright et al. 2018]). For example, Schmid et al. (2011) inoculated oak chips with nutrient broth instead of using barrels that represented real-world conditions, and Barata et al. (2013) only applied steam for 10 minutes <ref name="Cartwright_2018">[http://www.ajevonline.org/content/early/2018/05/23/ajev.2018.18024 Reduction of Brettanomyces bruxellensis Populations from Oak Barrel Staves Using Steam. Zachary M. Cartwright, Dean A. Glawe, Charles G. Edwards. 2018. DOI: 10.5344/ajev.2018.18024.]</ref>.
In contrast, Fabrizio et al. (2015) and Cartwright et al. (2018) found that it is possible that steam is an effective way to kill all ''Brettanomyces'' in oak barrels that previously held ''B. bruxellensis'' inoculated wine. Fabrizio et al. (2015) proposed that the most effective and preferred method is to heat the inside of the oak barrel to at least 140°F (60°C) for 20 minutes with hot water or steam. This was demonstrated to be an effective way of killing ''Brettanomyces'' that was found growing as deep as 8 mm within the wood of 3-year old barrels infected with ''Brettanomyces''. Note that this might not be hot enough to kill other heat-tolerant microbes; however, these heat-tolerant species tend not to be able to survive in beer. Steam treatments that are higher in temperature and longer should not present any concerns to the barrels themselves; however, if hot water is used instead of steam then the longer the water is exposed to the barrel the more character from the barrel that gets removed by the water <ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25989358 Heat inactivation of wine spoilage yeast Dekkera bruxellensis by hot water treatment. Fabrizio, Vigentini, Parisi, Picozzi, Compagno, Foschino. 2015.]</ref><ref name="Agnolucci_2017">[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11274-017-2345-z Brettanomyces bruxellensis yeasts: impact on wine and winemaking. Monica Agnolucci, Antonio Tirelli, Luca Cocolin, Annita Toffanin. 2017.]</ref>.
Cartwright et al. (2018) confirmed these results and reported that as little as 12 minutes of steam was enough to eliminate ''Brettanomyces'' in both French and American oak wine barrels that were previously inoculated with ''B. bruxellensis'' for 6 to 7 months. In general, the French oak barrels had larger populations of ''B. bruxellensis'' than the American oak barrels, likely due to American oak being less dense. The staves closest to the bungholes had the largest population of ''B. bruxellensis'' 0-4mm into the wood, likely due to better access to oxygen, but there were also large populations within the bottom staves which were found at deeper levels into the wood (5-9mm deep). Oak barrels with heavy toast levels tended to have higher populations perhaps due to more cracks in the staves or more availability of cellobiose. The French barrels required 12 minutes and the American oak barrels required only 9 minutes at 131°F (55°C) to eliminate all ''B. bruxellensis'' from even the deepest points into the oak where ''B. bruxellensis'' has been found (up to 9mm). Before this was achieved, it took 4 minutes to reach this temperature at 9.5mm into the oak. They could not culture ''Brettanomyces'' from the oak even after incubation of stave cross-sections in WRM for 60 days. Hot water was also reported by the same research group to effectively eliminate ''Brettanomyces'' from oak barrels, although it took longer (70°C for 30 minutes or 80°C for 20 minutes). The researchers expressed the opinion that the effect of heat treatment on barrel quality needs to be researched. Although it has been reported that extensive heating can destroy desirable oak flavor compounds such as guaiacol, 4-methylguiaicol, furfural, lactones, eugenol, and vanillin, degradation of these compounds requires temperatures between 248°F (120°C) and 365°F (185°C) for 1 to 6 hours, so significant degradation of desirable oak flavor compounds is not expected to occur with 12 to 20 minutes of 131°F (55°C) to 140°F (60°C) of steam pasteurization <ref name="Cartwright_2018" /><ref>[https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=008738882146548;res=IELHSS Zachary Cartwright and Charles Edwards. "Wine maturation: What can a winemaker do about 'Brettanomyces bruxellensis' present in oak barrels?" Wine & Viticulture Journal. Volume 34 Issue 4 (Spring 2019).]</ref><ref>[https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajev/article/view/3008 Edwards, C.G. and Cartwright, Z.M. (2019) Applicatio nof heated water to reduce populations of Brettanomyces bruxellensis present in oak barrel staves. Sth. Afr. J. Enol. Vitic. 40:1-8.]</ref>.
Swaffield and Scott (1995) found that the lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genre ''Lactobacillus'', ''Pediococcus'', and ''Leuconostoc'' that were in cider penetrated oak blocks up to 1.25 cm after 9 weeks of being submerged 1 mm into the cider, so it is possible that bacteria can grow deeper than 8 mm into oak, although these oak cubes were made from virgin oak vats and might not accurately reflect what would be found if these same microbes were inoculated in oak barrels <ref>[https://www.asbcnet.org/publications/journal/vol/Abstracts/bc1995a22.htm Existence and Development of Natural Microbial Populations in Wooden Storage Vats Used for Alcoholic Cider Maturation. C. H. Swaffield and J. A. Scott. 1995. DOI: 10.1094/ASBCJ-53-0117.]</ref>. Additionally, some strains of ''Lactobacillus'' can survive higher temperatures that than ''Brettanomyces''can; see [[Lactobacillus#Tolerance_of_Extreme_Temperature|''Lactobacillus'']] for more information. Other yeast species may also be more resistant to heat sanitation in barrels. Specifically, specifically ''Debaryomyces hansenii'', ''Candida parapsilosis'', ''Candida ishiwadae'' have been found to be more resistant to steam treatment in wine barrels than ''B. bruxellensis'' <ref>[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00217-011-1523-8#citeas Guzzon, R., Widmann, G., Malacarne, M. et al. Survey of the yeast population inside wine barrels and the effects of certain techniques in preventing microbiological spoilage. Eur Food Res Technol 233, 285–291 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-011-1523-8.]</ref>.
Ozone has been shown to be an effective way to kill ''Brettanomyces'' that is buried in the wood of oak barrels (it has been found to burrow as deeply as 8 mm into oak barrels), but the ozone must be applied for an adequate time to allow for the ozone to diffuse into the oak. The amount of time needed to completely kill ''Brettanomyces'' living within barrels with ozone is not known, but it was found that 30 minutes of exposure to 40 mg/m<sup>3</sup> ozone concentration was not enough time and the presence of organic material interferes with the ozone's ability to kill <ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Raffaele_Guzzon/publication/225890726_Survey_of_the_yeast_population_inside_wine_barrels_and_the_effects_of_certain_techniques_in_preventing_microbiological_spoilage/links/5472f6170cf2d67fc035d45f.pdf Survey of the yeast population inside wine barrels and the effects of certain techniques in preventing microbiological spoilage. Guzzon, Raffaele & Widmann, Giacomo & Malacarne, Mario & Nardin, Tiziana & Nicolini, Giorgio & Larcher, Roberto. 2011.]</ref>. The concentration of ozone is known to be a more important killing factor than time, therefore some recommend filling the barrel with liquid ozone, or rinsing with hot water first to open the pores of the wood and then rinsing with ozone liquid <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1860978937263645/?comment_id=1861100817251457&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R5%22%7D Nate Ferguson of Escarpment Labs. Milk The Funk Facebook thread about using ozone to sanitize barrels. 10/24/2017.]</ref><ref>[https://www.winesandvines.com/features/article/109491/Barrel-Washing-Protocols Wines & Vines website. "Barrel-Washing Protocols". Jan 2013. retrieved 10/24/2017.]</ref>.
* [https://mtec-shop.de/barrique-absaugrohr-100946 M-Tec's Barrique-Absaugrohr (Denmark).]
* Brandon Jones advises securing a stainless steel scrubby to the end of a racking cane using a stainless worm clamp for racking beer out of a barrel that contains hops/fruit in it <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1753001588061381/?comment_id=1753144258047114 Brandon Jones. Milk The Funk Facebook group. 07/11/2017.]</ref>.
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/posts/6161706940524135/ Thomas Rasmussen's DIY homebrew bulldog post on MTF.]
===Steamers and Cleaners===
** See also [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1638906016137606/?comment_id=2488361941192005&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D this update by Andrew Holzhauer for tri clamp that fits the new Wagner 715 model (Wagner 705 was discontinued).]
** [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/4344597522235095 MTF thread on using plastic steamers and potential plastic leaching into the barrels.]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/posts/6361407553887405/ MTF thread on other solutions to steamers.]
===Pyramid Stacking and Barrel Taps===
* [https://beer.thegremlyn.com/2017/07/06/barrel-stand-build-furniture-dolly/ DIY barrel stand with wheels by Colin Burton (ideal for homebrewers).]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2812421028786093/ Tom Antidoot Jacobs shares his wooden racking/shelving design (3 levels high).]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/posts/6495141387180687/ MTF thread on racks that stack on top of each other instead of barrels.]
* Many barrel makers/brokers also offer racks for sale; see [[Barrel#Pro_Sizes|Barrel Sales]] below.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OJTN0M1DBk Video that gives an overview of types of pumps in general.]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2031858380175699/ Troubleshooting problems with barrels that rack slowly.]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/posts/5814883318539834/ Reviews of cheaper diaphragm pumps.]
===Milk The Funk Tips and Discussions===
* [http://jdiascooperage.pt/?lang=en J. Dias Cooperage.]
* [http://kelvincooperage.com/ Kelvin Cooperage.]
* [https://speysidebci.com/ Speyside Bourbon (new whiskey barrels).]
* [https://www.iscbarrels.com/cooperages/ ISC Barrels (new whiskey barrels).]
* [https://countryconnection.biz Country Connection (Legacy Cooperages).]
* [http://www.keystonefermentationsupply.com/ Keystone Fermentation Supply (also has foudres).]
* [https://www.facebooknortheastbarrelcompany.com/northeastbarrelcompany Northeast Barrel Company (east coast and west coast locations).]
* [https://www.midwestbarrelco.com/shop Midwest Barrel Company (wine and spirit barrels; offers smaller sizes).]
* [http://www.barrelbroker.com/ The Barrel Broker.]
* If you live in a wine-producing region, meet your local winemakers and join local winery forums to see what sorts of used stuff comes up.
* [http://www.kagge.com/ Thorslunds Kagge (Sweden).]
* [https://www.ascbarrels.com/barrel-categories ASC Barrels (based in France).]
* [https://www.kwercus.fr Kwercus (France).]
* [https://www.facebook.com/jensenscooperage/ Jensen's Cooperage (UK).]
===Offers Smaller Sizes===
* [http://www.thorslundkagge.com/ Used and new barrels in Sweden.]
* [http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/used-liquor-oak-barrels-5-10-15-gallon/ 5, 10, and 15 gallon from Farmhouse Brewing Supply (might require joining an emailing list).]
* [http://www.wineoakbarrels.com/ Wine Oak Barrels (UK).] Reportedly waxes the insides of smaller barrels <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1566729446688597/?comment_id=1566759923352216&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R1%22%7D Conversation with Ryan Sealey on MTF regarding Wine Oak Barrels . 01/29/2017.]</ref>.
* [http://www.keystonehomebrew.com/shop/15-gal-rye-whiskey-barrel-dad-s-hat.html Keystone Homebrew 15 gallon "Dad's Hat" Rye Whiskey Barrels.] [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1852401448121394/ (Recommended by Ed Coffey.)]