Home brewing in Japan

I second that, I'd love to try their Amalgamation Brett blend. I saw you can get it in Korea and Singapore so it's floating around Asia somewhere

I'll see what I can do and put those on the list. I need to order 25 for discount, and right now the yeast in the shop isn't quite flying off the shelves, so it could be a while before ordering. In fact, thinking about the summer here, I may just wait till September. Whitelabs didn't do any great packing with their shipping the last box (15mm styro, one ice pack), so even zipping through customs in August, it'll be facing an un-air-conditioned ride in a Japanese truck for a day or more. Might be safe to wait. But I'll check to see if they can include it.

Hi, guys need help here.
I want to move from the extract brewing to BIAB seems like it's easier and more fun.
My equipment set up: brewing pot 20 liters and DISO bags.
I read that we don't need to convert All grain to BIAB recipes,so I just used scale option in the Brewsmith 2 to scale it to 11 liters batch, I want to start from the small batch,also I changed Beersmith mash profile to full body,my boil off volume is usually 0.5 - 0.8 liters/hour,using japanese regular stove.
How to calculate the water in my case?, didn't get this clearly.
Did I miss anything?
So what I will do is:
Bring water to the right temp 160 F
Add the grains .
Maintain the temperature for 60 min.
Do the mash out: bring the temp. to 170 F.
Remove the bag and drain it.
Boil the wort and add hops.
Cool it down and pitch the yeast.
Is it right way to do it?Do I need to buy anything to make it easier?
If it's possible can to hook me up with an easy to start 3-2.5 gallon recipe.
Thank you in advance.

Cobby said:

Hi, guys need help here.
I want to move from the extract brewing to BIAB seems like it's easier and more fun.
My equipment set up: brewing pot 20 liters and DISO bags.
I read that we don't need to convert All grain to BIAB recipes,so I just used scale option in the Brewsmith 2 to scale it to 11 liters batch, I want to start from the small batch,also I changed Beersmith mash profile to full body,my boil off volume is usually 0.5 - 0.8 liters/hour,using japanese regular stove.
How to calculate the water in my case?, didn't get this clearly.
Did I miss anything?
So what I will do is:
Bring water to the right temp 160 F
Add the grains .
Maintain the temperature for 60 min.
Do the mash out: bring the temp. to 170 F.
Remove the bag and drain it.
Boil the wort and add hops.
Cool it down and pitch the yeast.
Is it right way to do it?Do I need to buy anything to make it easier?
If it's possible can to hook me up with an easy to start 3-2.5 gallon recipe.
Thank you in advance.

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Looks pretty good. Here is an invaluable link for BIAB https://pricelessbrewing.github.io/BiabCalc/

Fill in the fields and you should get a good idea on water needed.

During mash, just cover your pot with a blanket. That should keep enough heat in where you won't need to re-fire the kettle (that can be tricky to keep things from scorching, etc). Covered, you will probably only lose a few degrees over an hour.

Good luck. I'll try to remember to shoot you a recipe later. I gotta run!

tektonjp said:

Looks pretty good. Here is an invaluable link for BIAB https://pricelessbrewing.github.io/BiabCalc/



Fill in the fields and you should get a good idea on water needed.



During mash, just cover your pot with a blanket. That should keep enough heat in where you won't need to re-fire the kettle (that can be tricky to keep things from scorching, etc). Covered, you will probably only lose a few degrees over an hour.



Good luck. I'll try to remember to shoot you a recipe later. I gotta run!

Click to expand...

Thank you very much!

Cobby said:

Thank you very much!

Click to expand...

Here is a recipe for a white IPA I made a while back. Small batch.

tektonjp said:

Here is a recipe for a white IPA I made a while back. Small batch.

Click to expand...

Thank you ,I will try to order the grains by the next week.

Hello Everyone,
Bought a Japanese CO2 regulator, can someone tell me the equivalent setting in psi. I read somewhere that 1.0 is equal to 15 psi is that correct.
I want to set my psi at around 12 psi so I figure .75 should be correct am I right.

Yes 1 bar is about 14.5 psi. For 12psi aim for about 0.8

Thanks@Funkychef

I've got a number of 5g/20l Pubkegs I'm not using anymore. 500 yen each plus shipping. These are pretty easy to clean and use since they use an inner PET container for the beer. Requires a Sanke D type tap (or use an S type and grind the plunger down a bit).

pm sent

I've been wanting to try kegging for a while but looking online it seems confusing here. It seems like there's all sorts of parts from everywhere that don't match because different international standards. I see stuff used that I'm curious about but I've never found a basic outline of what matches or even how to adjust things.

So I guess my basic question is this: what is different here? Are all corny kegs the same and the regulator is different? Can I get a corny keg that was bought overseas and a Japanese regulator? Or if I get a corny keg and regulator from overseas will that not work with co2 from here? These are very noob questions cause basically I have no idea what I'm doing and I get confused easily when researching online.
Thanks!

All cornies are basically alike. The posts can be different: ball lock or pin lock. Many of the cornies around here in japan are from overseas, but j made ones work the same. Japanese regulAtors work fine with cornies. Over seas regulators need an adaptor nut to connect to j co2 tanks.

Awesome, thanks!

I have two corny kegs hooked up to a Japanese dual regulator. The hose from the co2 tank is not compatible with my US gas line but I got lucky. I stuck the smaller Japanese line into the US line and put hose clamps on it. No leaks as of yet but keep the psi low around 12 psi. I checked all my connections with soapy water. There's plenty of vid's on Youtube that explain various type's of keg's. The biggest problem is US regulator fitting is not compatible with the Japanese co2 tank. I definiteley perfer kegging over bottling Good Luck

Thanks, I really want to try it but there seems to be so many little problems like the one you mention. I asked because I was thinking of scrapping pieces together from here and there. Kegs off of Alibaba or random stuff from there mixed with a Japanese tank. Just not sure how to go about it all.

Simple set ups are really straight forward. Buy a Japanese regulator. Get a tank of gas from a liquor store. One meter of air hose from the home center. Gas in ball lock connector. Beer line out picnic tap set for serving. Place beer in keg, keg in fridge. Done. Making a dedicated kegerator is more work, of course. And then there is the path of using a Japanese beer server. That road is covered in an article somewhere else on this forum by Brian, I think.

Hi all, I'm not living in Japan but I've been there many times and I'm glad to see such a strong homebrew community over there.

I'm here because my girlfriend (who went to school in Japan and did Jet for a while) suggested I make a beer with kinako, and I was wondering if any of you have used it and to what effect. I was thinking it would make a nice nutty (even peanut-buttery) addition to a brown ale or porter.

Here's a recipe I mocked up, also using roasted Japanese yams for further nuttiness: https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/tanuki-suit-brown-ale

Any critiques/experiences/suggestions would be welcome. :rockin:

Hi all,
I'm sorry if this is an old/resolved issue, but I just decided to get into kegging. Got everything together and the only hang up is the regulator. I didn't realize or even think to check about the coupler/faucet threads. I've gone through at least half the pages on this thread and another 4 page thread on the topic and have resolved this much:

1. order a ￥1,200 coupler, take the coupler bolt off and put it on my regulator. Sounds like a great idea but I spent an hour just trying to get the stem off to no avail. But, I did order the part on Rakuten based on the assurance from the other thread. I have a fried that has access to more tools than I so he may be able to help me with the swap.

2. there is an adapter somewhere. In this thread, around page 14 I believe, it is mentioned that you can get them from gas distributors, or something to that effect. I got my ミドボン tank on Yahoo Auctions (I tend to do everything online) so... not sure where to start in regard to brick and mortar establishments.

Another user in this thread also mentioned emailing a certain company that may make adapters. Message sent ten minutes ago.

I live in Misato, Saitama, so anything in the 23 wards is not out of the question. If I can get one of these adapters I'd be very, very relieved.

Again, sorry if this is a repeat offense. Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Adam

For the coupler nut/stem, have you checked if your regulator is left or right hand thread? I know a lot are reverse threaded, so in trying to loosen it, you may have been tightening it. Just a thought.

@deadwolfbones, sorry dude, this thread is a bit dead. I've never used the stuff, but maybe someone else has? Lot of us are on a much larger local community somewhere else online, so this doesn't get checked/posted in often anymore.

@deadwolfbones, I used to make Hot Kinako (think Hot Chocolate) and it made a thick, gummy drink... like drinking a thin oatmeal. It was a long time ago, but as I recall, it seems that the kinako swells up and I would think it might clog your sparge efforts... I was using quite a bit however, and diluted you might get away with it. You might want to play with it on a small scale first. Sorry can't be any more helpful than that.

Thanks guys, and no worries. Appreciate the input.

I ended up just getting a regulator on Yahoo Auctions. So, now I have an extra. The one I got is technically better I suppose - it has two regulated outlets. So that's a perk. If I ever get fancy enough to feel the need for a mobile co2 tank I'll consider modifying the first one I bought.

Or if anyone would like a regulator... let me know.

lostinlymbo said:

I ended up just getting a regulator on Yahoo Auctions. So, now I have an extra. The one I got is technically better I suppose - it has two regulated outlets. So that's a perk. If I ever get fancy enough to feel the need for a mobile co2 tank I'll consider modifying the first one I bought.

Or if anyone would like a regulator... let me know.

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I ended up doin the exact same thing.

Do someone still brew in Japan ? Its rly a big thing to brew over 1% ? Pretty impossible to have full control with yeast .

It's not a big thing at all, the police don't care, just don't sell it. They sell kits at Tokyu Hands, brew and be happy!

Nomofett said:

... the police don't care...

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While I agree overall, I don't like those 4 words above... never second guess those whose job it is to control society and have the right and wherewithall to screw with your freedoms. Better not to test their resolve.

True, I guess I should clarify. The police have said officially that they aren't going to test people's beer's alcohol content because it's not practical and they aren't going to do any crack down. And you can see that in action because they sell equipment to homebrew at popular stores. Plus the police that I taught English to over there told me that the police don't care.

But I agree that it's a good idea not to be stupid with it by selling it or something like that. Basically it's similar to jaywalking in the states. If you dangerously run across a highway or be an idiot about it then they will do something, but otherwise they generally don't care.

Can you site your source for their official policy?

Obviously, by selling, one gives the police an easy way to obtain samples for testing.
In the absence of samples, the police would probably have to unlawfully take your beer in order to test it to find out if it were illegally strong, so unless you give them samples... or tell them, I'd think they'd have no legal ground for action.

Humm,

Did you share any of your beer with your ”Black and Ｗｈｉｔｅ”　students?

BTW, I WAS ticketed by LA police for Jaywalking (carless street!) A few months later, in NY, I stood quietly at a red light... while the crowd (including a policeman who stared at me like I was an idiot!), walked with an attitude against the don't walk sign. The policeman actually sort of gestured for me to move on and stop blocking the way. When everyone was on the onther side of the street, and the light was just about to change, I actually started to feel like an idiot.

I guess how we experience Law & Order depends a lot on where we live.

I brew only for my self and won't sell anything . Just want drink something more tasty than shop can offer and it is a nice feeling to make something what is drinkable so Everything should be ok ?
Will be someday homebrewing in Japan full legal? is someone trying to do something with this ? Any chances?
Best regards ! Do you guys are still and Japan and brew ?

my 2 cents...

I think the more Japanese politicians see the American model, taste the beers and how good it is for the economy... they may want the same for Japan. Homebrewing even in the US is rather a recent thing, and Japan has been moving in generally the right direction... until then - make the beer you want and do what has to be done to insure no problems arise. Lots of Discretion and a little common sense should ensure you good beer for years to come!

No, I can't site it, I didn't save where I read it, sorry. I don't know if it's their official policy, but they've said it in an offcial capacity. But the fact that homebrew supplies are sold at one of the most popular stores in the country and there are at least three homebrewing stores online that give instructions on how to brew shows how serious it is. But that being said, it is still illegal technically so don't go flashing it around. Definitely don't sell it, and don't even have friends pay you for the ingredients, and you'll be fine.

Yeah, the samples thing is the key. They can easily come in to your house and get samples if they suspect anything, but they won't, and that's what they have said. They said it's unrealistic for them to use their resources to do that, and that they realize that controlling the % is too difficult and so enforcing a strict 1% is not really something they are going to spend time doing.

I don't know what you mean about sharing my beer with black and white students. If by that you mean do I share it with the students that are cops? Yeah, I only taught one student that was a cop where I had the chance to share but she thought homebrewing was interesting and she really enjoyed my beer. But obviously I knew her and didn't mention it until I knew her. But all my co-workers thought it was fine also, and they were pretty traditional. My boss thought it was rude to walk and drink water at the same time so that shows you something about that.

That sucks that you got a ticket jaywalking, I've literally never seen that. Even in Japan when I jaywalked in front of a cop with some friends all they did was use their speaker to tell us not to do it.

So basically brew on kamiru, it'll be fine. Sakeland has cheap supplies, Advanced Brewing has better quality, but the Malt Shop is the best. Umeshuu jars are fantastic for fermenting small batches ini. I did a BIAB setup.

Will it be legal? It's got a looooooong way to go and the Japanese are not the quickest in changing laws (see the recent court case about tattoos) Plus the big breweries don't want to see it happen and there's no real demand for it to be legalized by the public since its a pretty foreign concept there.

Microbreweries basically just became legal there in the past 20 years and technically there's still big barriers for beer breweries starting up, most microbreweries technically brew happoshu because it's easier to get a license for and has cheaper taxes. So, sadly I don't expect it to change anytime soon.

Hokkaido will be good to brew in since A: There's a good craft beer scene there with Ezo Brewing and Beer Cellar Sapporo being two of my faves. and B: The temperature is much more mild, I was in the Kansai area and summers were impossible to brew in. It's easier to warm up a fermenter than it is to cool it down in my experiences. Feel free to PM me with any questions, I spent the last few years homebrewing there and can answer any questions you may have about where to go (Daiso is really handy for lots of stuff) and anything like that. I don't know if there is a homebrewing club there but if you look on Facebook you can find some in other areas and they are useful for answering questions.

I recommend smaller batches just for the ease and cost and space challenges. I did 8 liter batches when I was there. I'm currently back in the US studying but I plan to return in about a year and a half. Have fun, and like I said, feel free to PM with any questions! 頑張って!

Any brewers near Atsugi?

Don't know of any homebrewers, but there's Atsugi Beer, brewed by Mochizuki san. He's a good customer of my shop.

Hey Japan brewers. I have about 50 19L Korny Kegs for sale. Ball lock valves. All in working order. All used but perfectly fine and clean. I am selling them for 10,000 yen per keg including delivery to anywhere in Japan.

Happy New Year Guys! Whats Brewing? Its been a while, but thought we should breathe life into this ol' thread again. Who's Where? I'm in Nagano.

I'm near Fukuoka.

Yeah, it has gotten dusty, probably due to the FB groups. Scott here, the Malt Shop guy, in Shiga. But you can sometimes find me in Nagano too at Lake Nojiri lounging at my brew cabin!

Hi Scott.

Some day we may want to revisit the "night at the museum" affair which never materialized?!!

I did some housework last night putting away some yeasts and wanted to see what you had up on your site before about propagating kveik yeast... I am sure you had something, maybe it was a DME or DME/Nutrient mixture (can't remember exactly) anyhow, when I went to check I couldn't find anything... what was it? Could you remind me of what it was and how you suggested to use it?