While distillers do spend a great deal of time finding the perfect barrels to age their liquor - its a legal requirement they do - but finding and perfecting those barrels comes down to two people - the distiller and their cooper.

Coopers have long played a valuable if much more invisible, role in the whisky industry - but there's hope that will soon change.

Coopers repair and maintain the wooden casks and play a crucial role in helping distillers find the perfect barrel for their use.

Laurie Schmeider is one of the youngest coopers in Tasmania, and he works alongside his father Dave at Transwood Cooperage.

The cooperage is one of three in Tasmania and established at Glen Ireh Estate at Perth about two years ago.

Mr Schmeider said he first rebelled against the idea he'd follow his father into the trade and first worked in construction.

"Everyone said that was what I'd do, but I wanted to go out and do my own thing, so I worked as a builder for a while," he said.

"But then about 10 years ago there was an opportunity to step in and work with Dad so I started the apprenticeship, and haven't looked back."

Dave Schmeider fell into cooperage when he put his name down for an employment service in the 70s after he left school.

"I said I was interested in doing anything - they called back and said there was a cooper position at Bundaberg Rum," he said.

"I didn't know anything about it, but I said I'd take it."

He worked for Bundaberg Rum for 20 years before relocating to Tasmania about two years ago.

Mr Schmedier senior said they chose Tasmania because they saw a niche fit for their business, and had holidayed there in the past and fell in love.

If you wanted to become a cooper, you had to complete an apprenticeship, that's the way both Schmeider men did it.

But the future of the profession is in doubt - despite the fact Transwood Cooperage has more work than it can maintain.

The federal government delisted the apprenticeship as a recognised trade in 2013, but the Schmeiders think that needs to change - urgently.

Data from The Whisky List shows that in 2020 293 registered distilleries were operating in Australia. Tasmania has the most whisky distilleries than any other state - with 22 of varying sizes in operation.

Mr Schmeider said that number, in Tasmania and Australia, was only getting larger, which increased the demand for cooperage services.

There are only three cooperages in Tasmania, but Transwood Cooperage offers something a little special.

"We still use all the hand tools - you can mechanise the process, but it doesn't help with complex problems with the barrels," Mr Schmeider said.

Both Schmeider men said working with hand tools ensured a better finish, and while mechanisation could help speed up the process, coopers who use machinery aren't always able to fix problems that arise.

"We get barrels sent to use from the other cooperages in Tasmania, because they find a problem with a barrel they don't know how to solve," Mr Schmeider senior said.

"They are machinists, but often they don't have the same knowledge that we do, because they haven't had the training."

Mr Schmeider senior said he tried a few years ago to get the training relisted as a recognised apprenticeship, but had not been successful.

He said as a cooper with decades of experience; he was interested in giving back to the community through education.

"We're definitely interested in having people out here to learn, if we can get the qualification reinstated," he said.

He had even had discussions with the other coopers in the state, to see if he can lend some knowledge to help them with their work.

"There are more and more distilleries opening every year - we can see there's definitely demand for the work," he said.

At the time of the visit, Mr Schmeider junior was working on a barrel order for a smaller whisky distillery.

His task was to cut down a large barrel into a smaller one, to accommodate the distilleries smaller batch sizes.

He said the process was hands-on, and working with the timber was rewarding. Most of the barrels are made from oak.

"It's got a really good bending properties, and it's open-grained so it's one of the few woods that allows liquid to penetrate," he said.

"It's porous, so it will absorb the liquid, but it won't leak."

First, a cooper will shave the inside of the barrel, to remove any of the excess wine, sherry or other liquor that it previously contained.

Then he removes the metal rings to break the barrel down and lays all the staves (the long vertical pieces of wood that make up the barrel) along a rack. He planes them down to the right size, tapering the ends.

The next step is where it gets interesting - the wood is toasted over an open fire. Mr Schmeider said the process was similar to making bread.

"Toasting the timber brings out the flavour in the timber," he said.

Charcoal is then added as a filtering agent - coating the barrel's inside.

The conditions are precise, and so is the toasting - the fire burns off precisely three millimetres of wood from the inside of the barrel.

After this process, the barrel's staves are reassembled with hand tools to create the signature bevels of the barrels and the finishing touches.

While resizing a barrel can be a complex task, coopers can also help distillers by maintaining and repairing existing barrels.

Mr Schmeider said coopers could replace damaged or ageing staves on barrels, to help give them a new lease on life.

As one of the youngest coopers to work in the industry, Mr Schmeider said he hoped to see more people take it up as a trade.

"I love it because it's so unique, but it's something that's taken years of training to get proficient in," he said.

Transwood Cooperage is a family business, with the two Schmeider men working primarily in the workshop.

Mr Schmeider junior said his mother helped out with administration and his partner also helps out.

Mr Schmeider senior said he would love to see an education focus for his business.

"We have had work experience kids come out here, but without a pathway there is no point," he said.

"It is a great option for anyone of any age, we could see mature-age students if they put their mind to it."

Transwood Cooperage services Adam's Distillery, which is co-located with it on the estate, along with other region distilleries.