Brewing in Qingdao, China!

[frogger81]

Hi There,

Through my research I've noticed a few people mention they are brewing beer in China. I've just started getting my kit together and doing the research.

I'm working my way towards BIAB, because I live in an apartment and space is at a premium. I'm just trying to get a little homebrew happening to satisfy my desire for quality beers, share them with my mates and give me something to do to keep my mind off work.

I don't have the luxury of walking into a local homebrew store and getting what I need, so I've had to be a little more inventive with my equipment. I'm still looking around for copper piping to make a ridgy wort chiller.

I've managed to stumble across a few people who have helped, specifically, a bloke who runs a micro-brewery in this city has been an absolute champion. I believe he has posted here in the past, as I think I saw his name pop up while searching for posts related to China. He's been very helpful over email, and has even offered to help me out with some ingredients. You can't get much better than that.

Well, that's my introduction. If anyone has experience brewing in China, please get in touch. I'm open to any advice about obtaining equipment, contacts, friends and ingredients who are doing the same as me.


Regards! Frogger81

 

[2PintsLow]

Welcome to the forums Frogger81!

 

[Quaker]

Welcome aboard. I lived in Changzhou for 18 months and frequently brewed in my apartment there. I cheated, and brought in extract kits on my frequent travels home to the US. In January I moved to Shanghai and brought over my all-grain equipment with my family's belongings.

When in the apartment, I originally used my bathtub to chill my wort and fermented in the kettle. Late last year I got a copper coil for chilling instead. I still ferment in the kettle though.

There is a homebrew shop in Nanjing which is on Tao Bao called Octoberfest. I haven't used them. I brought lots of ingredients over with me and get anything else through a local brewpub brewer.

Any specific questions or ways I can help, shoot me a PM

 

[frogger81]

Welcome aboard. I lived in Changzhou for 18 months and frequently brewed in my apartment there. I cheated, and brought in extract kits on my frequent travels home to the US. In January I moved to Shanghai and brought over my all-grain equipment with my family's belongings.

When in the apartment, I originally used my bathtub to chill my wort and fermented in the kettle. Late last year I got a copper coil for chilling instead. I still ferment in the kettle though.

There is a homebrew shop in Nanjing which is on Tao Bao called Octoberfest. I haven't used them. I brought lots of ingredients over with me and get anything else through a local brewpub brewer.

Any specific questions or ways I can help, shoot me a PM

Hi! Thanks for the info. Yes, I've got Oktoberfest's page on Taobao and I've been slowly wrangling my way through the awkward e-commerce setup in China (a mixture of screw-ups from taobao/Alipay/BoC)...

I do plan on getting some stuff from him. He used to sell hops, but unfortunately he seems to be out of stock. He still sells a few varieties of malt, and some strains of yeast (an ale yeast and a lager yeast). Great resource.

Also, someone in Qingdao (who I think is active on this forum) also pointed me towards this place called "URL="http://jiefeifood.gotoip3.com/productshow.asp?class_id=716&id=577"]Geoffrey Beer[/URL]".

I actually bought this kit and I've got their "Crystal Amber" brewing right now. I got the kit predominantly for the bottling buck (it's their fermenting bucket, but I want to use it as a bottling bucket) and the hydrometer, amongst other small bits and pieces.

Once I stock up from Oktoberfest, get a wort chiller and a propane burner, I should be good to go with BIAB.

I'll definitely keep you on speed dial. I'm interested in keeping in contact with all like-minded Laowai!

 

[sweetcell]

a question for frogger81: are you a Chinese national, or are you an expat? either way - welcome!

for some reason i'm quite curious about brewers in China. there was a thread a while back about a guy in China who also had problems obtaining supplies, most notably yeast, and ended up culturing his own wild yeast. i'll see if i can find it.

also, if you look at the bottom of this page, there are a few links to other China-related threads.

 

[frogger81]

a question for frogger81: are you a Chinese national, or are you an expat? either way - welcome!

also, if you look at the bottom of this page, there are a few links to other China-related threads.

Hi Sweetcell,

I'm an Aussie living in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Thanks for the welcome

Yes, getting supplies is difficult. The funny thing is, I don't think getting equipment should be hard, because I'd say 90% of the stuff is manufactured here. Actually I may be wrong, because it's a small industry. I'm not sure if the market is large enough to have economies of scale manufacturing.

Getting ingredients is the pain, although the more I look into it, the more I'm noticing that people do eventually find ways of getting things. What China really needs is a central location for like-minded brewers to buy their supplies. (business opportunity anyone?

Thanks for the heads-up on this similar posts at the bottom. I'll check them out now

Regards!

 

[sweetcell]

another forum regular put together this list of china-related threads:

There are some other folks on HBT brewing over in China, they might be a good resource for help.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/china-need-recipe-help-182946/?highlight=China

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/ho...tch-details-questions-156152/?highlight=China

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/brewing-china-118693/?highlight=China

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/china-82209/?highlight=China

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f29/hello-china-27638/?highlight=China

Don't know how many of them are still active, but you could always pm them.

 

[msherretz]

Hi! Thanks for the info. Yes, I've got Oktoberfest's page on Taobao and I've been slowly wrangling my way through the awkward e-commerce setup in China (a mixture of screw-ups from taobao/Alipay/BoC)...

I do plan on getting some stuff from him. He used to sell hops, but unfortunately he seems to be out of stock. He still sells a few varieties of malt, and some strains of yeast (an ale yeast and a lager yeast). Great resource.

Also, someone in Qingdao (who I think is active on this forum) also pointed me towards this place called "URL="http://jiefeifood.gotoip3.com/productshow.asp?class_id=716&id=577"]Geoffrey Beer[/URL]".

I actually bought this kit and I've got their "Crystal Amber" brewing right now. I got the kit predominantly for the bottling buck (it's their fermenting bucket, but I want to use it as a bottling bucket) and the hydrometer, amongst other small bits and pieces.

Once I stock up from Oktoberfest, get a wort chiller and a propane burner, I should be good to go with BIAB.

I'll definitely keep you on speed dial. I'm interested in keeping in contact with all like-minded Laowai!

Hi guys,
I do have a homebrew shop here in Shanghai. I have some grains and hops along with equipment now and a container in Customs as I write this. I have another container coming hopefully before the end of September.

I will be in the Chili Cook-off at Bubbas BBQ at the Expo site in Shanghai on September 15th. I won the Ontario Chili Cook-off when I was on assignment in Toronto and they pushed me to enter, so I'll have lots of beer there to share. Stop by if you can.

The following weekend I have a tent at the Kerry Beer Fest in Pudong near the Pudong Intl. Expo site very close to Century Park. I will also be entering a homebrew contest in Nanjing in October.

In addition to the brew days each month, I brew probably a total of 10 batches a month and have kegs for parties. I use a device (that I also sell) that uses a 16 gram CO2 cartridge like those used for paint ball guns. I am having trouble finding the CO2 cartridges though in Shanghai at the moment. So if you can find them, I'll make it worth your while!

I use Corny kegs and have them for sell while also providing corny kegs for parties.

Anything you guys need, let me know and I'll help you get it. Keep in touch!

By the way, I've been a Premium member here since 2010.

Cheers, Mike Sherretz
MY HOMEBREW SHOP
+86-158-2111-3870

 

[Quaker]

You realize you've already talked with both if us? Frogger is Piers, who I connected you with up in Qingdao. And I met you at the event at Gold Cider and the Beerfest. At some point I should patronize your shop, but I haven't been in need yet. I have quite the stash of liquid yeasts, hops and grains. But I'll come knocking eventually, or perhaps join a brewday just to bring and share beer.

Dave

 

[msherretz]

You realize you've already talked with both if us? Frogger is Piers, who I connected you with up in Qingdao. And I met you at the event at Gold Cider and the Beerfest. At some point I should patronize your shop, but I haven't been in need yet. I have quite the stash of liquid yeasts, hops and grains. But I'll come knocking eventually, or perhaps join a brewday just to bring and share beer.

Dave

Thanks Dave, I'm just getting the word out that there is hope in China for Homebrewing. I figure there will be more people looking at this thread too. I'm here if you need me. In the mean time, I'm making brews for the Kerry Beer Fest and the Homebrew contest in Nanjing.

Mike

 

[frogger81]

Yes! Hi Dave. Hi Mike. You've both been great.

The US-05 I got from Mike made my Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone GREAT! I missed my calculations in Beersmith (overestimated trub loss and underestimated boil-off rate) so it came in as OG of 1.034 instead of 1.051. Came out at 4%abv instead of ~5.6%. Still it turned out great.

I've just moved into a bigger apartment and will start setting up my temperature controlled fermentation chamber and a kegerator soon.

By the way guys, I may be heading into Suzhou and Shanghai during the national holiday. If we could catch up for a beer, I'd be over the moon.

I'll email you both closer to the time

Oh yeah, for all other Chinese homebrewers looking for supplies, contact msherretz.

 

[pigsaarz]

There's a guy in Beijing sells an awsome copy of the Speidel Braumeister in a 60 litre version with a copper shroud over all of it, it even whirlpools! He was selling them for about $800(aus) but must have got a lot of interest in them cos he put them up to $1500 (u.s) I have his details on another computer, I ended up getting the 20 litre Braumeister from a German retailer direct with their tax taken off and him writing Happy Birthday from Uncle Fritz all over the box I got it delivered to Australia for $1460 (aus). But next time I am in Beijing I am going to his showroom, he does sell everything, I reckon most of the beer towers you see around are from him he does seem to sell everything to do with home brewing.

 

[msherretz]

Yes! Hi Dave. Hi Mike. You've both been great.

The US-05 I got from Mike made my Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone GREAT! I missed my calculations in Beersmith (overestimated trub loss and underestimated boil-off rate) so it came in as OG of 1.034 instead of 1.051. Came out at 4%abv instead of ~5.6%. Still it turned out great.

I've just moved into a bigger apartment and will start setting up my temperature controlled fermentation chamber and a kegerator soon.

By the way guys, I may be heading into Suzhou and Shanghai during the national holiday. If we could catch up for a beer, I'd be over the moon.

I'll email you both closer to the time

Oh yeah, for all other Chinese homebrewers looking for supplies, contact msherretz.

Looks like my large container with equipment and extract plus wine kits and chemicals will be delivered next week. I also have an order coming from Briess for 3 pallets of LME and a ton of grain that should be here just after Natl Holidays. I also have quite a few pounds of specialty grains and about 100# of hops and yeast already in stock along with a garage full of clean used beer and wine bottles.

So, I will be able to meet your needs for equipment and supplies. Just leyt me know what you need.

Cheers and I'll buy the first round,
Mike