Like most breweries, when Threes Brewing in Brooklyn, New York, ordered two 30-barrel oak foeders, the plan was to use them for mixed-fermentation ales. “We decided to put a Pilsner through it first, just to see what would happen,” says Brewer Matt Levy. “We’re fans of old German styles, and it just made sense to try this wood.” The result is a foeder-aged 5.2 percent ABV Pilsner now called Vliet that has become one of the brewery’s most sought-after beers and something of a cult favorite around New York City.
Then and Now
Foeders, the large oak aging vessels, have been commonplace in breweries around the world for generations. Largely found throughout Europe, they were once commonplace in the United States as well. In fact, at Schell’s Beer in New Ulm, Minnesota, the brewery dug massive vessels from a long-forgotten cellar and rehabbed the tanks to create its Starkeller line of mixed-fermentation beers. Originally however, the foeders were used for lagers, as was the case from Pilsen in the Czech Republic to breweries throughout the United Kingdom.
So, as craft brewers continue to carve out their niches in the market and offer new beers, the same is true for equipment manufacturers, and now breweries of all sizes can have foeders, adding charred wood and oak complexity to recipes. And while it’s true that the majority of the brewers are using the vessels for wild or mixed-fermentation beers, there are others that, like Threes Brewing, are putting the wood to use for their clean programs.