The aim of this work was to evaluate different species of Eucalyptus and of native wood to make barrels for storage of sugar cane spirit. It was studied the chemical, anatomical and physical properties of the woods and made physical-chemical analyses of the sugar cane spirit storage during twelve months. The barrels made with wood of Eucalyptus presented little permeabilidade to liquids and a low dimensional estability, provoking discard of great part of them. The chemical composition of the different Eucalyptus wood showed constant polissacarydes and lignina contents but differing among extractives levels, that were higher than the oak wood. The composition of the sugar cane spirit stored in these kind of wood showed pattern according to the Brazilian law, indicating their potential use as barrels for the storage of sugar cane spirit. The native wood, also showed low dimensional instability with no leaking, constant polyssacarydes and lignina contents and higher extractive levels than oak wood. The sugar cane spirit composition after storage was also according to the law.
Eucalyptus; wood native; sugar cane spirit; storage
