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dennis314

Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2015
Messages
16
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1
Location
Makati City, Philippines
Hi guys! I'm new here but have been reading a lot of posts to help me get through my first two BIAB batches (skipped extract brewing) - first one is an American IPA with fusels (but drinkable) hehe! my DIY SoFC had a hard time cooling the FV for the first 2-3 days (very hot in this part of the world! 86-90f). Second is a hefe weizen on its second week of bottle carbonation, but this time I got it to 62-64f while fermenting by changing the ice 2-3x a day! :)

For my third batch, I'm now looking at the recipe database for AIPA or Pale Ale but grains here are limited to mostly Weyermann and only 13 kinds of hops.

Thanks and cheers! :mug:
 
Check this guy out: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/members/HB_in_Subic/ He's brewing in the Phil as well, so he should have some good ideas to share.

I'm in a similar situation brewing in China, and I've found that the more I learn and the more I search, the more options I've had all along for ingredients and equipment. Don't be afraid to price check stuff like hops, yeast, adjuncts, and specialty grains from overseas brew shops - I've found that I can get a better variety of hops at better prices from some US shops than buying them domestically as long as plan out my order well enough to maximize value versus shipping costs.

In a place like the Philippines, a fridge or freezer with a temperature controller for fermentation temperature control seems like a very wise investment. If it's like China, you can probably get a freezer big enough to ferment two or three batches at a time for a pretty minimal investment, and then you can set your fermentation temperatures and forget about the beer for three weeks, rather than constantly switching ice packs to maintain temps. Just don't make the mistake of buying something a bit cheaper like an entry-level wine fridge: that's what I did, and I'm lucky to get a batch of beer down to 75f during the summer. I'll be remedying that mistake soon, but I recommend you skip it altogether and get a viable freezer from the get-go.
 
Cool! I was just searching a while ago about threads/posts from SE Asia/Philippines.. I'll ask where he gets his ingredients. :)

Actually, since most probably I will be hooked to this new hobby, last week I bought a 10 cu ft. 2in1 chiller/freezer which I think can fit 2 fermenters. :) I'm still searching for temp controller though.
 
Hello kabayan! Welcome! What are you brewing and where do you get your ingredients? There are lots of breweries here in the Philippines starting to show up one by one!

I have been ordering everything from the US and shipping here via Balikbayan service on the west coast. It takes 2-3 months to arrive, so I order 2-3 months worth of supplies at a time. I try to get flat rate shipping to the cargo forwarder.

I also ordered my temperature controller from the US too. However it is 120VAC, so I had to get an outlet rewired and purchased one of these http://www.wilcon.com.ph/automatic-...y-url-autogeneration-failed-009500001354.html to step it UP to 240VAC for the freezer that I purchased. I ferment two buckets at a time in the freezer.
 
Hello kabayan! Welcome! What are you brewing and where do you get your ingredients? There are lots of breweries here in the Philippines starting to show up one by one!

I'm still waiting for my equipment to arrive, I've just been visiting a homebrewer near my city. We've brewed a Belgian Tripel and American Lager. I order my hops and yeast from US and new zealand in bulk(saves an awful lot of money) since I have someone who regularly comes home every 3 months. :D My malts are from Juanbrew since I'm still going to experiment but thinking of buying in bulk from US because Juanbrew is selling it for 2-3x the price (shipping a bulk of 25kg base malt + an assortment of other malts would be cheaper).

Yup, It's really exciting! What are you brewing next? :)
 
Hi Dennis, might try brewing some saisons due to the warmer climate there.

My wife, kids and I just returned from Bacolod about a month ago after a two and a half week stay. It was hot, and from what I understand we were there in the cooler part of the year.
 
I'm still waiting for my equipment to arrive, I've just been visiting a homebrewer near my city. We've brewed a Belgian Tripel and American Lager. I order my hops and yeast from US and new zealand in bulk(saves an awful lot of money) since I have someone who regularly comes home every 3 months. :D My malts are from Juanbrew since I'm still going to experiment but thinking of buying in bulk from US because Juanbrew is selling it for 2-3x the price (shipping a bulk of 25kg base malt + an assortment of other malts would be cheaper).

Yup, It's really exciting! What are you brewing next? :)

Lucky you. That's convenient to have someone buy stuff abroad and bring it here.. I also buy my ingredients from juanbrew. Yup they're expensive (and limited selection) but I dont have a choice hehehe I can't buy in bulk yet due to limited equipment.
Its good you know a homebrewer near you, you get to try brewing before actually purchasing stuff and get instant answers to newbie questions!

Right now I have a 5gal APA happily fermenting for a week. 4th batch maybe a Black IPA. :) How about you?

I'm also thinking of buying from the US but I'm worried the yeast or hops might get exposed to extreme temps during transit..
 
Hi Dennis, might try brewing some saisons due to the warmer climate there.

My wife, kids and I just returned from Bacolod about a month ago after a two and a half week stay. It was hot, and from what I understand we were there in the cooler part of the year.

Yeah it's very hot here.. That's why I purchased a chest freezer after 2 batches.. :)
 
I have been ordering everything from the US and shipping here via Balikbayan service on the west coast. It takes 2-3 months to arrive, so I order 2-3 months worth of supplies at a time. I try to get flat rate shipping to the cargo forwarder.

I also ordered my temperature controller from the US too. However it is 120VAC, so I had to get an outlet rewired and purchased one of these http://www.wilcon.com.ph/automatic-...y-url-autogeneration-failed-009500001354.html to step it UP to 240VAC for the freezer that I purchased. I ferment two buckets at a time in the freezer.

Hi, aren't the hops or yeast exposed to high temperatures during transit? Not mentioning the issue now with Customs on items bought abroad...

I bought a temp controller (DT-152) online from a local seller, works like STC-1000, but 220v and in Celsius. They ship fast and accepts paypal/bank payment - http://uplift.ph/Accessories/Products/Digital-Thermostat

What are you brewing now?
 
Lucky you. That's convenient to have someone buy stuff abroad and bring it here.. I also buy my ingredients from juanbrew. Yup they're expensive (and limited selection) but I dont have a choice hehehe I can't buy in bulk yet due to limited equipment.
Its good you know a homebrewer near you, you get to try brewing before actually purchasing stuff and get instant answers to newbie questions!

Right now I have a 5gal APA happily fermenting for a week. 4th batch maybe a Black IPA. :) How about you?

I'm also thinking of buying from the US but I'm worried the yeast or hops might get exposed to extreme temps during transit..

Sweet! :rockin: Your still ahead for brewing on your own already. I'll be brewing two different single hop APA batches when my equipment arrives. A cascade and a Nelson Sauvign.

Dry yeast would be fine. but hops, I wouldn't risk it if its still not on my fridge within 7 days. Well I'm open for a bulk group buy by the way! ;)

There's also a group page for local brewers in Facebook that I'm in, It's called "beerhere.org" Check it out.
 
I have been ordering everything from the US and shipping here via Balikbayan service on the west coast. It takes 2-3 months to arrive, so I order 2-3 months worth of supplies at a time. I try to get flat rate shipping to the cargo forwarder.

I also ordered my temperature controller from the US too. However it is 120VAC, so I had to get an outlet rewired and purchased one of these http://www.wilcon.com.ph/automatic-...y-url-autogeneration-failed-009500001354.html to step it UP to 240VAC for the freezer that I purchased. I ferment two buckets at a time in the freezer.

I'm also curious if your hops didn't degrade in the 2-3 months of shipping?
 
Hi, aren't the hops or yeast exposed to high temperatures during transit? Not mentioning the issue now with Customs on items bought abroad...

I bought a temp controller (DT-152) online from a local seller, works like STC-1000, but 220v and in Celsius. They ship fast and accepts paypal/bank payment - http://uplift.ph/Accessories/Products/Digital-Thermostat

What are you brewing now?

I use dry yeast only and haven't had any issues with the viability. The pellet hops, I try to use quickly and put in the freezer upon receipt. I also store my yeast in the fridge. I always rehydrate my yeast prior to pitching and have always had good results.

I currently got a batch of Dry Porter in bottle conditioning, an Irish Red Ale waiting to be bottled and 2 batches of Saison Mead in clearing (secondary).

I like the 220v temp controller solution.
 
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