Beer missionary in Changzhou, China

[Quaker]

After a couple weeks perusing the forum, playing around with the app on my iPod, and replying to a few threads, I'm coming out of the woodwork and committing to it.

The name's Dave Mast. I been working as an engineering manager in China for over a year now. I started brewing about a year before that with half-size stovetop all-grain batches. I've read and listened to podcasts like a fiend for about 4 years before firing up a kettle. So probably a bit too booksmart for my own good.

I've been smuggling Northern Brewer extract kits through customs in my luggage as I visit the family back home once every 2 months. Made a dozen batches here thus far. In January they will move here with me, so I've planned out 15 all-grain batches. I vacuum packed the specialty grains and hops as a kit. I also brought about 12 vials of liquid yeast over. I have a stirplate and flasks thanks to our lab engineer's help sourcing things. My cooler mash tun and mill will come over in our shipment of household things. I just need to purchase base malt locally and I'll be in business.

Gam bei!

 

[Pappers_]

Welcome!

 

[Clann]

I see you have already met the obsession, Welcome

 

[runningweird]

What are malt prices like where you are? also, what kind of engineering project are you working on? any neat photos?

welcome to the hobby!

 

[Quaker]

There's an online HBS in Nanjing. From memory, malt was about $1.50/#. But they have 4 selections: pale, caramel, dark, and black. Also 2 hops: Goldings and Tetnang.

My company makes heat exchangers for construction equipment; large radiators, oil and air coolers. Nothing I can repurpose for brewing unfortunately.

Pics, nothing interesting brewing related, but maybe I'll have to post a few of the area later. I'm a relatively adventurous eater, and I try to take pictures of the oddities on my plate.

 

[bottlebomber]

This is bad ass...

 

[buffalobrewer]

My company makes heat exchangers for construction equipment; large radiators, oil and air coolers. Nothing I can repurpose for brewing unfortunately.

luckily my company makes smaller heat exchangers. A couple are going to end up in my lagering fridge and a fermenation chamber with a pump to move some lager fridge temperature glycol to the fermentation chamber. We have a couple plants in Suzhou, only been over once.

welcome to the forum!

 

[Quaker]

Well I suppose I could use some of ours, but that would be one heck of a system with a 6" thick, 3' x 5' heat exchanger. We do make some stainless ones stateside which would be perfect. I just haven't allocated one yet.

 

[Quaker]

any neat photos?

I posted a few in the gallery in my profile. Mostly just photos from where I live and work in Changzhou and a few trips elsewhere in China to give a feel for my surrounds. Had first created an album, but it didn't seem to appear in my gallery. Not sure what I did wrong. Deleted it and now they're just lumped into the gallery there.

 

[Homercidal]

I have a friend over there, you might have met him. His name is Chen Wu.


Hahahah! Just kidding. Seriously, my (ex)BIL works over there for a paint and robotics company. He spends weeks and months over there at a time. Just engaged to a local lady (his third marriage). Sounds like a very cool place to visit if you can get away from the cities.

 

[GranolaMang]

I've been smuggling Northern Brewer extract kits through customs in my luggage as I visit the family back home once every 2 months. Made a dozen batches here thus far. In January they will move here with me, so I've planned out 15 all-grain batches. I vacuum packed the specialty grains and hops as a kit. I also brought about 12 vials of liquid yeast over. I have a stirplate and flasks thanks to our lab engineer's help sourcing things. My cooler mash tun and mill will come over in our shipment of household things. I just need to purchase base malt locally and I'll be in business.

Wow, you sound like a dedicated brewer. I hope they don't give you any trouble getting ingredients into the country.

Just curious, what is the homebrewing scene like over there?

 

[whitehause]

WTG on keeping the obsession going!! I see your name is Quaker...from PA by chance?

 

[AkwardTurtle]

Just curious, what is the homebrewing scene like over there?

That's an excellent question, and one I'm excited to hear the answer to. What is the history of beer in China? I might just have to start another research topic. Could everyone please stop bringing up new questions and information? This horizon broadening is really eating up time.

Oh, and how would you say the Chinese equivalent of Cheers, or bottoms up?

 

[Quaker]

Only evidence of home brewing is the shop in Nanjing. Never had a local person say "I heard you could do that" or "I knew someone that made beer". There are a few brew pubs in Shanghai, so I suspect if there is a scene to speak of, it could be tapped into there.

Gam bei is the equivalent to bottoms up. The Chinese characters for it are my signature.

Quaker was a college given tag due to my Amish roots, despite no direct connection between them.