How Long do Oak Barrels Last?

[mikepaulus32]

i was looking to get into using oak barrels to condition my beer in and was wondering about how long would last. A friend of mine is willing to split costs with me on some for an investment and we are trying to figure out what we can get out of them... thanks in advance for any responses.

[chantal]

Brand new barrel, for flavor & color extraction about 3 years. After 3 years barrel is neutral and then can be used for aging. If you take good care of barrel, it should last 5 - 6 years. Bleach-out old barrel is worthless and big risk for contamination.

Chantal Reichwage