351: The Big Friendly Takes A Down-To-Earth Approach to Award-Winning Saisons and Barrel-Aged Stouts
Mar 22, 2024
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Brothers behind The Big Friendly brewery share their unique approach to brewing award-winning saisons and barrel-aged stouts. Topics include mixed fermentation cultures, New Zealand hops in saison, sourdough yeast for fermentation, and editing malts in stouts.
The Big Friendly brewery focuses on building mixed fermentation cultures for unique saisons.
They use New Zealand hops in saison and tune sourdough yeast for beer fermentation.
Their meticulous approach to barrel-conditioning saison and editing malts in barrel-aged stouts shines through.
By focusing on precision and creativity, The Big Friendly crafts exceptional saisons and barrel-aged stouts.
Deep dives
Brewery Success Story and Brewery Origins
The Big Friendly brewery, known for its award-winning beers and unique approach, shares its journey from starting with home brewing in Oklahoma City to winning several prestigious awards, including back-to-back titles at JBF. The founders, Joe and Will Quinlan, initially started as home brewers, honing their craft and later transitioning to opening their own brewery in 2020 after years of planning and building a solid foundation.
Approach to Brewing Saisons
The Big Friendly brewery's focus on brewing saisons involves experimentation with yeast blends, including Brettanomyces, and careful attention to fermentation processes. They use a mix of yeast strains, such as those sourced from East Bay and their own sourdough starter, to craft balanced and flavorful saisons. The fermentation process is carefully monitored, allowing the beer to rest for weeks post-primary fermentation to develop complex flavors.
Ingredients and Process
The brewery's Saison recipe leans towards adjuncts like wheat and spelt, along with small amounts of un-molted grains for body and texture. They incorporate New Zealand hops like Mochweka for unique and earthy hop characters during whirlpooling. The mashing process follows a single infusion method to achieve desired attenuation, leading to a final product with a mild bitterness and a distinctive character.
Water and Fermentation
The Saison brewing process considers water quality, which is balanced and low in minerals, filtered through a carbon filter system. Fermentation includes a week for primary fermentation, reaching down to a specific gravity of 2 before resting for a few more months to allow the Brettanomyces to work its magic. The overall approach combines precision and creativity to craft exceptional Saisons with unique and balanced flavors.
The Secret to Successful Saisons
The key to the success of their Saisons lies in the meticulous approach to brewing by Will, who focuses on cleanliness, attention to detail, and creative recipe formation. By brewing multiple batches without test batching, they have honed their ability to brew to taste and achieve desired flavors, standing out in competitions with their thoughtful brewing process. The dedication to maintaining a tight brew space and applying commercial brewing processes to a small scale translates into the quality of their beers, with a strong emphasis on precision and expertise.
Barrel-Aged Beer Mastery and Sustainable Growth
Their approach to barrel-aged stouts involves a meticulous selection of malts to achieve a rich flavor profile, focusing on balancing body, sweetness, and roasted notes. By entering the barrel at ideal gravity levels and aiming for a year of aging, they ensure the flavors marry perfectly, leading to exceptional brews. Looking ahead, their goal is to achieve sustainability, pay off debts, and explore creative revenue streams while remaining focused on producing excellent beer and fostering community connections.
Future Expansion and Community Engagement
In the next three to five years, the brewery aims to become more sustainable, pay off debts, and solidify its presence in the Oklahoma City community. With plans for neighborhood growth and innovative revenue models, they strive to maintain a strong focus on daily operations while dreaming of a stable future. By emphasizing quality brewing, community engagement, and gratitude for industry support, the brewery positions itself for continued success and growth.
Outreach and Industry Engagement
Through active participation in events, such as farmer's markets and office space offerings, the brewery leverages community connections and revenue-generating opportunities. As they consider potential expansions, distribution models, and additional revenue streams like Airbnb ventures, the brewery embraces creativity and adaptability in a challenging market. By learning from industry peers, navigating the business landscape thoughtfully, and prioritizing quality beer production, they navigate the complexities of the industry with determination and teamwork.
Will and Joe Quinlan, brothers and cofounders of The Big Friendly, just make beer. Will loves saison so they make a few saisons every year. Joe loves barrel-aged stout so they make a few of those every year. Their distribution is minuscule so their production is very small, but they do take a meticulous approach to beer making despite their small size.
In this episode, the brothers each recount their approach to the beers they make, and in the process they discuss:
building mixed fermentation cultures out of separate stock strains
resting and conditioning saison
using flavor- and aroma-forward New Zealand hops in saison
tuning sourdough yeast for beer fermentation
barrel-conditioning saison
editing malts in barrel-aged stouts
And more.
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