bigfork brewery
about the brewery
Bigfork Brewhouse: Our production facility is located in Bigfork, Montana. We have a 30 barrel (31 gallons to a barrel) Sprinkman brewhouse, eight 60 barrel fermenters, and three 20 barrel fermenters. As of April 2016 we have added one 60bbl bright beer tank and one 120bbl bright beer tank, which has increased our potential annual capacity to 5,500bbls a year. The canning line is also housed in the Bigfork production facility. We have the floor space to add more tanks, expand the canning line, and increase total capacity to 9,000 barrels a year.
In 2019 we added a sour beer room in the Cellar of the FLBC Pubhouse. This room is a temperature controlled, closed off area that will create the perfect environment to experiment with barrel aged sour beers. Our sour beer is inoculated with a wild yeast strain (Brettanomyces) that takes six months to two years to develop the desired sour and tart flavors. Stay tuned for the new and exciting sours that will be tapped in the Cellar!
Woods Bay Brewhouse: Our original 10 barrel system was located in our Barrel House Taproom in Woods Bay from 2004 to 2017, five miles south of Bigfork. This is where we brewed small batch beers, started our Sour program, and experimented with new recipes. When we brewed here, we produced approximately 800 barrels a year out of the Woods Bay facility.
meet our brew crew
Matt Dagle: Director of Brewing
Hometown: Stevensville, Montana
What do you do at the brewery? A usual day entails cleaning, figuring out how much water to add to malt, then clean stuff, inventory hops, and then fix some things, a bit of staring into the digital world, then clean more stuff. Sanitize the vessels and make sure our yeasty friends are happy, then spend the rest of the day cleaning stuff, then fixing stuff. Sometimes I get to brew.
What is your favorite style of beer? Did you say Stout? MMMMMmmmmmm. I love a good dark strong beer, maybe with some years on it. In wood perhaps? Scratch that it’s sunny outside, let’s have a nice crisp Pilsner.
What brought you to Bigfork? I heard the citizens of Bigfork needed someone to make lots of beer for them, so here I am!
Jon Hartig: Director of Brewery Operations
Hometown: The home of the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions St. Louis Blues. St. Louis, Missouri
What do you do at the brewery? Production planning, logistics, analysis, storage, canning, kegging, etc. a little bit of everything! My job always keeps me on my toes as I get to work with and coordinate everyone and everything. But it is a pleasure, as we have a talented staff that I can enjoy my profession with.
What is your favorite style of beer? I love a beer I can chew, so Stouts, Imperials, Nitros, etc., anything dark with layers of flavor. Although I am slowly falling in love with Double and Hazy IPAs.
What brought you to Bigfork? In 2001, my wife and I vacationed here in Bigfork. By 2007, we were ready to move here and did the very next year. We love the small-town atmosphere and the ability to raise our children in such a beautiful place with a fantastic community.
Rob Gambino: Production Brewer & Cellarman
Hometown: Moved around most of my life so Kalispell is now my hometown now since leaving the Air Force.
What do you do at the brewery? I brew delicious craft beer and keep an eye on the fermentation that is happening to ensure that the beer turns out exactly as we want it to. That and cleaning, the key to all great beer!
What is your favorite style of beer? I am a seasonal drinker so my style of choice changes with the weather, but there is always a place and a time for a delicious Imperial Stout!
What brought you to Bigfork? My parents live just north of here and I love the community. I love it so much that I am involved with the Bigfork Boy Scout Troop 1923 as an Assistant Scout Master and at the Bigfork VFW Post 4042 as an officer for the post. I love being able to give back to the community and brewing great beer is just another way for me to do that too!
Mark Johnson: Sales Representative
Hometown: Kalispell, Montana
What do you do at the brewery? Ale Ambassador/ Sales Rep
What is your favorite style of beer? Wheat / Sour
What brought you to Bigfork? I have lived in Flathead Valley my whole life and have spent many days in Bigfork. I enjoy the town and its charm and am very excited to join the FLBC family.
Rob Robinson: Director of Planning
Hometown: Born in Coronado, California. First job in Missoula, Montana. Lives in Polson.
What do you do at the brewery? Production Planning, Forecasting and Sales Analysis, Promotion Management, HR
What is your favorite style of beer? The Centennial IPA
What brought you to Bigfork? Retired on Flathead Lake and I get to drink all the FLBC beer I want!
Sandy Johnston: Director of Branding
Hometown: Hinsdale, Illinois
What do you do at the brewery? Director of Branding
What is your favorite style of beer? Hard one – Browns, Porters, or Stouts (the darker the better)
What brought you to Bigfork? I took a trip out here; and it was love at first sight. I was living in Florida after college and thought it’s now or never to go for it and try mountain living for awhile. That was over 15 years ago!
Sarah Peterson: Marketing Manager
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
What do you do at the brewery? I plan and promote events at our Pubhouse and around Montana.
What is your favorite style of beer? Hoppy beers, like Pale Ales and IPAs, are always my go to choice, but I also enjoy challenging the palate with crazy styles like Farmhouse ales and Sours.
What brought you to Bigfork? My family has a cherry orchard on the east shore of Flathead Lake. Growing up, I fell in love with Montana. After coming up one spring to work on the orchard, I applied for a job serving beer in the Woods Bay taproom. That summer job never ended and now Montana is my permanent home!