Cooperage, sawmill and joinery: barrels, vats and wood products from regional oak
Wilhelm Eder GmbH
Bad DürkheimNew on Amplifa
About Wilhelm Eder
Wilhelm Eder GmbH in Bad Dürkheim is a family-run wood processing business with its own cooperage, joinery and sawmill. The company produces wooden barrels from small barrels up to 112 litres, through barriques and tonneaux (225–500 l), up to large casks with a volume of up to 3000 l, as well as fermentation vats, beer barrels, bathing tubs and barrel racks. Production is predominantly from sustainably harvested oak from the Palatinate Forest and the Northern Vosges, supplemented by other wood species such as French and American oak, acacia (black locust), chestnut, cherry, ash, service tree, mulberry and Douglas fir. Value creation takes place largely in-house: from sawing the staves (flat sawing, log band saw), through joining, toasting, steaming and sanding in the cooperage, to surface treatment and assembly of stainless steel equipment. In addition, the company offers barrel refurbishment and personalisation (laser branding, wood carving), purchase and sale of pre-seasoned barrels, and joinery work such as custom furniture, displays and custom-made wooden doors. Customers come from viticulture, distilleries, breweries, the vinegar industry and gastronomy.
- Site
- Bad Dürkheim
- Processes
- Barrel construction (cooperage: joining, hammering, toasting, sanding of wooden barrels), Sawing of logs into staves (flat sawing with large saw, log band saw), Toasting of barrels (Light/Medium/Heavy/Char Toast), Steaming of barrels (with water or wine) to reduce the oak influence, Barrel refurbishment (removing tartar, planing, re-toasting, repairs, sanding,, Laser branding on wooden barrels, Surface treatment/varnishing (clear varnish, stains, golden varnish, hot-dip galvanised steel hoops), Joinery/cabinetmaking: custom furniture, displays, wooden doors, flooring installation, door
- Materials
- Oak wood (German oak, Palatinate Forest/Northern Vosges), French oak, American oak, European oak, Japanese oak - Mizunara, Acacia wood (black locust), Chestnut wood, Cherry wood
- Certificates
- Final inspection (sensory/technical)
- Employees
- ca. 50
- Industries
- Viticulture, Spirits/Distilleries, Breweries, Vinegar, Gastronomy, Garden & Lifestyle
- 01
Timber procurement from regional, certified forestry
- 02
Sawmill: flat sawing and log band saw (staves, beams)
- 03
Cooperage: joining, hammering, toasting, steaming, sanding
- 04
Surface treatment, varnishing, laser branding
- 05
Joinery/cabinetmaking: furniture, barrel racks, vats
- 06
Quality control, storage and shipping
Materials & Processes
German oak (Palatinate Forest/Northern Vosges)
Main material for barriques, tonneaux, large casks and vats, made from seasoned, sustainably harvested wood.
French oak
Used for barrels with fine aromatics for wine and spirits maturation.
Acacia wood (black locust)
For spirit and wine barrels with fresh, structure-giving aromas.
Steel (hot-dip galvanised hoops)
Hooping of large casks and vats.
Stainless steel V4A (AISI 316)
For bung covers, barrel doors, vat screw fittings and other barrel equipment.
Douglas fir wood
Used for bathing tubs and joinery work.
Ash wood, cherry, service tree and others
Additional wood species for barrels made from special woods and furniture construction.
Location
Bad Dürkheim
DEHeadquarters with cooperage, sawmill, joinery as well as warehouse and shipping
- Part weight / size
- Barrels from 1 l to 3000 l
- Lot size
- One-off production to series production
- Materials
- Oak, black locust, chestnut, cherry, ash, Douglas fir and others; stainless steel, steel
- Large saw for flat sawing
- Log band saw
- Laser (laser branding)
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrel construction (cooperage: joining, hammering, toasting, sanding of wooden barrels)Joining | – | – | – | – | German oak, French oak, American oak, Acacia wood (black locust), Chestnut wood, Cherry wood, Ash wood, Service tree, Pear, Mulberry, Walnut, Japanese oak (Mizunara), Kiri, Douglas fir wood |
| Sawing of logs into staves (flat sawing with large saw, log band saw)Machining | – | – | – | – | Oak wood, Stave wood, Beam wood |
| Toasting of barrels (Light/Medium/Heavy/Char Toast)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Oak wood, Acacia wood |
| Steaming of barrels (with water or wine) to reduce the oak influenceHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Wooden barrels |
| Barrel refurbishment (removing tartar, planing, re-toasting, repairs, sanding,Surface | – | – | – | – | Oak wood |
| Laser branding on wooden barrelsSurface | – | – | – | – | Wood, Oak wood |
| Surface treatment/varnishing (clear varnish, stains, golden varnish, hot-dip galvanised steel hoops)Surface | – | – | – | – | Oak wood, Stainless steel, Steel |
| Joinery/cabinetmaking: custom furniture, displays, wooden doors, flooring installation, doorAssembly | – | – | – | – | Oak wood, Wood |
| Gluing and screwing of barrel halves (furniture construction)Joining | – | – | – | – | Oak wood |
| Cellaring-in and cellaring-out as well as on-site installation of barrels and barrel racksAssembly | – | – | – | – | Oak wood |
| Assembly of stainless steel doors, bung covers and stainless steel equipment in barrelsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel V4A (AISI 316), Stainless steel V2A |
| Quality control / final inspection for sensory and technical defectsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vat construction (fermentation vats, bathing tubs, fermentation stands)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Oak wood, Douglas fir wood, Stainless steel |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large saw for flat sawing | – | 1 | – | – | Bad Dürkheim (sawmill) |
| Log band saw | – | 1 | – | – | Bad Dürkheim (sawmill) |
| Laser (laser branding) | – | – | – | – | Bad Dürkheim |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
The barrels are inspected in the final inspection for sensory and technical defects; continuous quality controls connect the production steps from wood selection to shipping. 1–2 truckloads are inspected, packed and loaded daily.
| Evidence | Bad Dürkheim |
|---|---|
| Final inspection (sensory/technical) |
History
- 2014
Foundation stone laid for the company's own sawmill by converting a former storage hall (July 2014); installation of the large saw for flat sawing and a log band saw.