Home brewing in Japan

[tektonjp]

Hey Tekton

could you please explain this j type regulator in a bit more detail

I have to agree with the over all savings with this malt in bulk , it is a lot more reasonable cost wise, i will be ordering my base from asahi in future thanks so much for the links.

can you order it in english over the phone ?

this is a great resource for the Japanese gaijin amateur brewers

would be good to meet you all at some stage and have a brew day

I'll try to get you a pic later on the regulator. I'm away for a few days.

Orders with Asahi are done by fax. You send in an order form, they send back an estimate. You furikomi the funds, they ship. If you need an order form let me know.

 

[OppamaBrendan]

I saw several people with those valves embedded in caps for PET bottles at the off-kai last night. I think that is a great intermediate step to full kegging. You can force carb a beer for testing with a CO2 tank easily. I used one of those caps back in Canada and carbed everything from beer to soy milk and curry because why the hell not? I don't know if I have the space for a keg and server yet but I do think I can fit a CO2 tank in the closet now I have an excuse. CO2 is great for purging the O2 from fermenters if you need another excuse.
Cheers!
B

 

[mpearce]

Anyone know how to build one? I am curious to get something for taking to visit friends.

 

[mpearce]

Is this 10L keg from the liquor store refillable? I want to get a smaller keg for my beer but have never legged yet.



What about this keg? Also how hard is it to use these if they are refillable for homebrew? Do I need special tools? Thanks for any help.

 

[WhoZiT]

Is this 10L keg from the liquor store refillable? I want to get a smaller keg for my beer but have never legged yet.

What about this keg? Also how hard is it to use these if they are refillable for homebrew? Do I need special tools? Thanks for any help.

Asahi and Suntory use the same system. Kirin is SOL.

 

[mpearce]

Asahi and Suntory use the same system. Kirin is SOL.

But us either refillable for homebrew?

 

[juggabrew]

Thought I would post a reply after seeing the title for brewing in Japan. Does anyone have a AG clone for Baird angry boy brown ale? My sushi joint here in ohio has it and its the only place I've seen it.

 

[tektonjp]

Jug, no help from our Kinki group. Sorry.
Mpearce, I use those kegs. You can get a valve remover from this guy:http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~wyi/beer.html Not cheap, though. As he doesn't guarantee you can open any sanke style keg, but no refunds! You can make your own, as I did, if you can solder. I found I could remove the spear from the larger kegs (sapporo), but not the 10s (asahi). But I use them both anyway. Using a keg tap, I rinse, wash with oxyclean, rinse, and starsan( using co2 to move the liquid out each time. I have had no problems. Cornies are hard to get here, and kegs are easy to borrow.

 

[OppamaBrendan]

Thought I would post a reply after seeing the title for brewing in Japan. Does anyone have a AG clone for Baird angry boy brown ale? My sushi joint here in ohio has it and its the only place I've seen it.

I don't have a recipe either, but I think you will have some luck straight up asking the fellows at Baird brewing. At least one that I know of started out as a homebrewer and they are supportive (they held a HB appreciation party at one of their taprooms in Feb with a small batch of a Homebrewers' recipe). Here is their brewery blog: http://bairdbeer.com/en/blog_numazu/ and contact page: http://bairdbeer.com/en/contact

mpearce - I have opened 3 types of keg valves - sanke, G, and A systems - all without the proper tools. Sanke is pretty straight forward and there are good youtube tutorials. The other 2 valve types I did in a way that also bent the secondary safety catch that is your backup to prevent the spear from launching out like a rocket. The kegs were still functional and refillable afterwards but lacked that extra safety feature. For safety I am not going to describe it here and can't recommend doing it without the proper tool. The spear can kill someone even if the pressure isn't all that high. My wife's uncle got a face full of stale beer while releasing the pressure because I couldn't explain to him in Japanese fast enough to correct him 2 years ago.

 

[mpearce]

Thanks for all the input. Will do some more research on it. Hope to have something working by June.

 

[mpearce]

If I got a Corny keg from the US. One of my buddies in the military has one. Would I be able to use a tap system from here in Japan? Or is there some size difference like metric to imperial?

 

[WhoZiT]

The tool mentioned previously pretty much requires you to release all the pressure before continuing. Remember to tilt the keg away from you. On the same page you can see a homemade tool for removing the safety latch inside. With being forced to remove the pressure from the beginning, the safety latch isn't much if an issue if removed... Just make sure to put it back on when you return the keg.

 

[WhoZiT]

If I got a Corny keg from the US. One of my buddies in the military has one. Would I be able to use a tap system from here in Japan? Or is there some size difference like metric to imperial?

I don't use them yet, personally, but if you have barbed connectors, they can be forced into Japanese tubing and the Japanese tubing will then attach fine to Japan parts.

 

[juggabrew]

I don't have a recipe either, but I think you will have some luck straight up asking the fellows at Baird brewing. At least one that I know of started out as a homebrewer and they are supportive (they held a HB appreciation party at one of their taprooms in Feb with a small batch of a Homebrewers' recipe). Here is their brewery blog: http://bairdbeer.com/en/blog_numazu/ and contact page: http://bairdbeer.com/en/contact

mpearce - I have opened 3 types of keg valves - sanke, G, and A systems - all without the proper tools. Sanke is pretty straight forward and there are good youtube tutorials. The other 2 valve types I did in a way that also bent the secondary safety catch that is your backup to prevent the spear from launching out like a rocket. The kegs were still functional and refillable afterwards but lacked that extra safety feature. For safety I am not going to describe it here and can't recommend doing it without the proper tool. The spear can kill someone even if the pressure isn't all that high. My wife's uncle got a face full of stale beer while releasing the pressure because I couldn't explain to him in Japanese fast enough to correct him 2 years ago.

Ok thanks

 

[tektonjp]

Ok thanks

Help is on the way on the recipe. I posted on the Baird site a few days ago.

"We’re not really into providing precise recipes, but I can give you some hints and clues and point you in the right direction — with good homebrewing skills, you guys should be able to get close. Give me a few days."

So let's wait and see.

 

[WhoZiT]

Help is on the way on the recipe. I posted on the Baird site a few days ago.

"We’re not really into providing precise recipes, but I can give you some hints and clues and point you in the right direction — with good homebrewing skills, you guys should be able to get close. Give me a few days."

So let's wait and see.

Sweet!

 

[juggabrew]

Help is on the way on the recipe. I posted on the Baird site a few days ago.

"We’re not really into providing precise recipes, but I can give you some hints and clues and point you in the right direction — with good homebrewing skills, you guys should be able to get close. Give me a few days."

So let's wait and see.

He'll yeah nice work! Can't wait

 

[tektonjp]

Got it!!!! Right off the blog:

"Okay, here’s some info on Angry Boy that should get you close.

For malt, we use a blend of barley and wheat with some sugar: Crisp Maris Otter (74%), Crisp Wheat (5%), Weyermann Munich II (5%), Crisp Caramel 150-170/80L (4%), Weyermann CaraAroma (1%), Weyermann Chocolate Wheat (1%), brown sugar (10%).

For hops, bitter with something fairly clean, like Warrior or Magnum. Go for ~22 IBUs for the bittering addition. Then go with Summit and Nelson Sauvin in the middle, Cascade and Glacier near the end, and a blend of Nelson Sauvin, Cascade and Glacier at the end of the boil. Dry hop with those last three as well. (We’ve used different hops with equal success: Simcoe, Columbus, Citra, even Chinook would probably be fine.)

Shoot for a starting gravity of 1.060-1065, 45 IBUs total, and a color of around 20 SRM. Our yeast ferments down to around 1.012 — you want this beer to be pretty dry."

Big Big thanks to Chris the head brewer at Baird's.!

 

[juggabrew]

Got it!!!! Right off the blog:

"Okay, here’s some info on Angry Boy that should get you close.

For malt, we use a blend of barley and wheat with some sugar: Crisp Maris Otter (74%), Crisp Wheat (5%), Weyermann Munich II (5%), Crisp Caramel 150-170/80L (4%), Weyermann CaraAroma (1%), Weyermann Chocolate Wheat (1%), brown sugar (10%).

For hops, bitter with something fairly clean, like Warrior or Magnum. Go for ~22 IBUs for the bittering addition. Then go with Summit and Nelson Sauvin in the middle, Cascade and Glacier near the end, and a blend of Nelson Sauvin, Cascade and Glacier at the end of the boil. Dry hop with those last three as well. (We’ve used different hops with equal success: Simcoe, Columbus, Citra, even Chinook would probably be fine.)

Shoot for a starting gravity of 1.060-1065, 45 IBUs total, and a color of around 20 SRM. Our yeast ferments down to around 1.012 — you want this beer to be pretty dry."

Big Big thanks to Chris the head brewer at Baird's.!

Holy crap that's good. I have no patience so I also emailed them. I got a response yesterday but its confusing to me as a beginner.

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the note and interest in Angry Boy. A few recipe/brewing tips below:

*English floor-malted Maris Otter is our go to base malt – bready, biscuity, flavorful. I am a fan of European malt
*We substitute about 10% of the grist with brown sugar (kokuto) to lighten the body while bumping up alcohol slightly
*Starting gravity in the 15.5 Plato range and aim to finish around 3 Plato (80-plus percent apparent attenuation) – mash low (65 C) and long (60-90 minutes)
*Hops: currently we use Warrior, Chinook, Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin and Glacier (all whole flower and dry-hop with a combination the last four)
*Yeast: clean and neutral strong fermenter (our house yeast is a Scottish ale yeast)

Happy brewing!

Bryan Baird (from Ohio too – Oxford)


Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
www.bairdbeer.com

 

[Sadamichi]

Hey everyone,

This is my first post on here so Id like to say thanks for all the valuable info on various things brewing in Japan. If anyone wants someone to go in on one of those huge 20/25kg bags from Asahi malt or Ohnishi, Id be happy to oblige. I do need a precrushed one thought as I dont have a mill.

I think someone said on here that the crush is a little to fine, but thats ok with me because Im going to try BIAB to start with anyway.

Also I had another question; has anyone had any experience with using the hoppy bottles? I recently procured some for free from a family member, but when I got home, I compared them to some of my other bottles and they seem slightly thinner. I was going to use just one of them for my first batch so if they do have some structural weaknesses, I only lose one, not a whole batch...

 

[tektonjp]

Hoppy is fine. Just don't gorilla the hand capper and you should be okay.

Not sure what size of batch you're doing, but with 20 liter batches, 20k will give you 4-5 batches. I wouldn't call that huge. I call it cheap!

 

[tektonjp]

Hoppy is fine. Just don't gorilla the hand capper and you should be okay.

Not sure what size of batch you're doing, but with 20 liter batches, 20k will give you 4-5 batches. I wouldn't call that huge. I call it cheap!

 

[Sadamichi]

Yeah - I'm going cheap on the fermenters by using those 8L umeshu glass jars. I figure I can get started by doing small batches so if I mess up I don't ruin a full 20 litres and I can try my hand at a few different styles in a shorter space of time. That coupled with the need for pre-crushed grain, I don't think I can use enough without it spoiling with summer just around the corner.

Thanks a lot for the info, I really appreciate it.

 

[OppamaBrendan]

I have one caution about the hoppy bottles. From the ones I have seen, they get banged up a lot more in their return system, and the built up stresses in the glass may weaken them below a safe point.

The 8L umeshu jars seem to work pretty good. I put a little foil over the pouring spout (of the soft plastic "middle" lid) and then screw the hard plastic lid on very lightly. I don't think the hard plastic lid actually has an airtight seal though as my umeshu always seems to leak when I move it. I think you could make a more trustworthy airlock by drilling a hole in the soft plastic lid and using a blowoff tube.
Good Luck!

 

[WhoZiT]

I just clipped the little cross piece in the premade hole of the soft lid part and a stopper fit in nicely.

I think that center white plastic part acts as a gasket between the glass and the harder red lid...?

 

[Sadamichi]

I did the exact same thing, but where the soft plastic lid meets the glass doesnt seal very well. I was considering buying and sanitizing a wide rubber band and trying to position over where the seal isnt airtight. I use the umeshu jars as more of a secondary as my batches are just under 8L.

Im about to move house, but when I do, I intend to get a few of those lined up and attach a blow off tube.

If anyone is in Tokyo, and has been brewing through the summer before, do you have any tips for a fledgling like myself?

 

[Sadamichi]

I just bought a umeshu jar from viva home over the weekend, it seams to have an airtight seal. The first one I bought is from Doit.

 

[surume]

Headed down to Bashamichi Taproom last Sunday afternoon with 5 of my colleagues to have a beer. They have Shimaguni Stout (a smoked beer) as a regular but they currently have another smoked beer for the season so if you're into smoked beers then I'd recommend it. I haven't had it yet, I had the Shimaguni Stout which was a little weak in smokiness... the guy at the taproom says the seasonal one is more smoky.

I (we) then went down to Craft Beer Bar. The Shiga Kougen double IPA is really good! Nice fruity (nectarines/peach) aroma... a must have

 

[ShizuokaBrad]

That Shiga Kougen beer sounds interesting, I'd like to give it a try some time. I was actually at the Taproom the other day as well and had The Great American Stout, which is a pretty heavily hopped stout. Definitely interesting to try such a departure from the typical style.

 

[Ogri]

The Shiga Kougen double IPA is really good! Nice fruity (nectarines/peach) aroma... a must have

Have a couple of batches of APA/Am IPA that I fermented with US-05 down at the lower end of the temp. range, probably a bit too low like 12 to 13 Celsius, and they both exhibit that peachy/nectarine aroma, and flavour, but it definitely goes OK with the Nugget bittering and Cascade flavour,/aroma/dry hop additions.