New Fouder and oak pickup

[Sean W.]

Does anyone have experience with new oak fouders for beer, or specifically American oak fouders from American Fouder Crafters? We have a 30 bbl on order. I am expecting that the first batch will pick up some oak flavor fast, but I wanted to see what other people's experiences are. I am thinking of doing a 7.5-8% farmhouse ale on brett, first thing, to soak up the strongest oak. I figure that might need to come out in 1-3 months and then I could go to the sour red ale that will live in there from then on and be solara'd.

Input?

[finecreek]

No personal experience with them but I would think you would pick up a significant oak flavor quickly with the first couple beers in them. Less than a new wine barrel since you have less surface to area ratio, but especially with American oak which is stronger than French, I think you'll absorb alot of oak flavor. You could put your farmhouse in there and taste it constantly to figure out it's pickup of flavor, then put it back in stainless for the Brett to fully attenuate. I would just be worried that the time it takes for the beer to finish out, you'll have alot of raw oak flavor. The oakiness may break down faster between different batches since the Brett may start metabolizing the cellulose in the wood but you'd have to look into the time frame for that to happen.

Most of the breweries I've seen using foudres or barrels are using neutral ones, or at least third to fourth use barrels where you don't have to worry about a huge oak pickup. Other than maybe running hot water through it to get out some of the raw oakiness out like homebrewers do with oak cubes, can you contact American Foudre Crafters to find other clients of theirs? If you can reach out to some breweries using their products they've probably dealt with any of your concerns already.

Interested to learn how it works out and good luck!

-Gabe