The podcast is joined by a certified saint in the church of oak, founder and co-owner of St. Louis' Foeder Crafters. Foeder Crafters came out of nowhere to become THE foeder fabricator in the US. We trace back to when Matt, "a maker of things", was in the early stages of opening a brewery with a Cy Young Award winner when a brewer casually asked if Matt thought he could make a giant oak vessel for him. Instead of being a brewer, Matt was catapulted down a meteoric path of both trailblazing and perfecting the craft of domestic foeder production. He talks about how the industry was simply starved for innovation, the tight-lipped and stale culture in more seasoned foeders, and laments the huge challenge of sourcing *just* the right type of oak for his tanks. Matt also explains how the endlessly challenging process of foeder building has allowed his company to effectively hold a monopoly on the industry in America, sings of the value in sucking on every piece of oak he receives, and points out the subtle but critical differences between CRAFTsmen and CRAPsmen. It was a blast to have this conversation with one of the nicest people on Earth (unless you're competition), which is laden with a glut of knowledge regardless of your familiarity with the Almighty powers of Missouri White Oak.
