Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8501-7869

Date Available

12-16-2026

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Forest Resources (MFR)

College

Agriculture, Food and Environment

Department/School/Program

Forestry and Natural Resources

Faculty

Jeffrey Stringer

Faculty

Jian Yang

Abstract

White oak (Quercus alba) wood is valuable and in demand for use in tight cooperage for barrel production. End checks are splits that form on the ends of staves during air drying and breakage of staves during the bending phase of manufacturing contribute to the majority of losses of stave material. Reducing degrade losses during drying of staves can increase barrel production and quality. Combined losses are costly issues for cooperage facilities affecting as much as 27% of production. End checks reduce yield and utilization of valuable white oak inventories. If staves are trimmed below 89.54 cm it is only usable for heading which greatly reduces yield and available stave material for cooperage. End coating staves was found to return 1.5 additional barrels from each stack. Reducing the length of end check formation by 2.3 times during air drying increases stave material availability and value recovery. Initial moisture content (MC) was the most significant variable affecting MC variability (p< 0.001, X2= 8164.6). MC variability was observed in all horizontal and vertical locations within stacks. The significant (p< 0.001, X2=54.2, DF=8) three-way interaction (ECW × NCS × LCUO) confirmed the existence of a three-dimensional moisture gradient, with horizontal and vertical spatial patterns influencing outcomes.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.588

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Available for download on Wednesday, December 16, 2026

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