Homebrew store in Shenzhen, China?

[CraptainWirtz]

I have some colleagues visiting from Shenzhen who have expressed an interest in homebrewing. Is there anybody local to the area who can give me some information on homebrew stores (maybe even clubs?) I can pass on so they can check it out when they return home?


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[beinert]

Craft beer in general, is just getting started in China. I travel to Shanghai several times a year on business, and have never seen a store for homebrewers. There is beer made in the back rooms of some restaurants, but it wouldn't qualify as craft beer.
There are a couple of good breweries that I visit, and they have told me that it has been difficult to get ingredients, and is only beginning to get a little better. Domestic grain and hops are inconsistent at best, and imported grain is expensive. I take hops and dry yeast with me for a fellow homebrewer, because he has trouble getting them.
Of course, hardware is cheap and easy to come by.

I haven't been to Shenzhen, but if there is a micro brewery there, tell them to get to know the brewer. Small quantities of ingredients, domestic or imported, are hard to get and the local micro brewery or brewpub may be the only way to get them.

 

[krackin]

So, you have no idea what is going on in China I take it. It is just a little better for the farmers than N.K.is.

 

[beinert]

So, you have no idea what is going on in China I take it. It is just a little better for the farmers than N.K.is.

Who, me or the OP.

 

[krackin]

Due apology given. I got blindsided by an on coming China rant which I narrowly avoided. Sorry abou that.

 

[beinert]

That's alright. It happens to the best of us once in a while.

 

[CraptainWirtz]

Uh...not sure what that was all about. If there was any confusion, I'm in California and have been homebrewing for about a year. I know very little about what's going on in China, but I was talking about brewing with my Chinese colleagues and they expressed interest.

Beinert's reply confirmed my suspicion that it would be a long shot, but I'll bump this once more to see if anybody knows anything more about Shenzhen sources for homebrew supplies. Otherwise I'll have them seek out a local craft brewery. Thanks.


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[pdxal]

You/they might be able to gather some information from this magazine on Chinese beer culture:

http://www.hopsmagazine.com/

 

[joefink]

There's a pretty committed underground brewers system in China once you find it. In Shanghai there is a guy named Mike Sherretz that runs a homebrew store and mails to anywhere in China. He can get most things you need to brew with and have it at your door within a day or two.

If you're buying grain by the ton and hops by the kilo then you can also get most grains and hops you need in bulk as well.

The hardest stuff to find is high quality equipment. Tons of pots and small scale stuff is on Taobao but if you need high quality and semi pro stuff then you need to import or do your homework on who provides good kit.

Ping me for Mike's email if you want it.

 

[Cicada]

If you have the patience and passable language skills, you can make TaoBao work pretty well for you. Some buddies and I were able to piece together a 10 gallon all grain setup from a few Taobao stores and the local hardware areas. There are stores on there that will have most of the ingredients you need too. The only thing that sticks out to me right now is a lack of star-san, but we we managed to bring some in from the states.

 

[jsowenshall]

+1 to that, taobao is the way to go. I've gotten most everything I need from manpinpijiu which is located somewhere on the east coast (I live in southwest). The only problem is you're basically going to have to jump into all grain instead of extracts here. You can find kits but they're few and far between, mostly from the US (so, pricey) and you have no idea how long they've been just sitting on the shelf. BUT if they can all grain then they shouldn't have any problem!
I'm actually starting up a website to help would-be new homebrewers in China if you want to send them that way, it's chinabrew.net . Still in beta stage so don't judge... 😄

 

[bjornt]

I have been looking at homebrewing equipment and ingredients on Taobao. There are quite a few actually.

Here are a few homebrew stores including the one mentioned above:
http://shop71208260.taobao.com/
http://oktoberfest.taobao.com/

Here is a link of general homebrewing store search: http://s.taobao.com/search?q=%D7%D4%C4%F0%C6%A1%BE%C6&app=shopsearch

Shipping should be pretty cheap anywhere in China.

 

[CraptainWirtz]

Great, thanks for all your help folks! I'll pass on the info.

 

[Doctor_M]

Mods if this ends up being something used for the no no subject I'm sorry....think I just figured out what it is

It's always awesome seeing how fellow brewers in other countries brew. I love checking out foreign websites even if I can't read them!

Can you guys translate this page for me.... what exactly is this? A brew system? What's the point of the conical bottomed vessels?

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=0.0.0.0.weKB17&id=22386960545

Edited to add:

In that link if you scroll down you can see a diagram.... it appears they have labeled the v shaped vessels as fermentors (says so in English in the diagram) but in the same diagram it shows a mash pump. Is this a single vessel biab setup or something?

Thanks again!

 

[jsowenshall]

That's basically a full nano- mash to fermenter to bright tank... All in one. That looks pretty sweet actually, no way i could just drop 30k on it tho!

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

That's basically a full nano- mash to fermenter to bright tank... All in one. That looks pretty sweet actually, no way i could just drop 30k on it tho!

its probably a lot if you are Chinese in China but 300 american doesn't seem too bad for that kit.

 

[jsowenshall]

its probably a lot if you are Chinese in China but 300 american doesn't seem too bad for that kit.

Uh we must be looking at different things... That sucker is $4500

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Uh we must be looking at different things... That sucker is $4500

yup, my bad. transfered from yen to american instead of Chinese Yuan Renminbi to american.

 

[jsowenshall]

yup, my bad. transfered from yen to american instead of Chinese Yuan Renminbi to american.

Easy to do especially when they have the wrong symbol out in front of the amount! You would think taobao would know better... It's supposed to be a 元 behind the number!

 

[Vedderrocks]

Jsowen. Sent u a pm. I'm an expat in Chongqing who left all grain brewing equip back in States. Looking to cobble together a system here in this beer wasteland. Thx.