Red oak also has a much more open cellular structure (i.e. larger cells) when compared with white oak (or maple). In woodworking, it is a little more difficult to work with because of the "cellular crushing" that causes the surface to not be as "smooth" as is a standard piece of white oak or maple. That being said, this structure also causes it to absorb more water than does a piece of white oak or maple of the same size making constant all other variables (temperature, surface area, water hardness, etc).
The above aside, I'd say you could use it for your purposes. The tannins will be, in all likelihood, a by-product of your method, at least until they are mostly removed from the surface, and you could lose some of your hot liquor to absorption. You're not going to consume much, if any, of the actual plant material (and none of the leaves) and are probably going to be consuming much less than someone who would be working with the wood in furniture manufacturing or the like(such as sawing, planing, sanding, etc.) where dust is produced...
My small nuggets of info...
