There is a growing community of English-speakers beer drinkers in Japan.
The Beer Education, Enjoyment and Research Society (BEERS) is an English-speaking beer club in Tokyo. I believe that there is a subgroup of people interested in homebrewing. If you email tokyobeers@yahoo.co.jp, you can get on the mailing list and find out about the monthly events. This may be one way to meet the other homebrewers.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tokyobeers/
Brews News is a Tokyo beerdrinkers newsletter edited by Bryan Harrell.
http://www.bento.com/brews.html
Monday, March 26, 2007
Using Pickling Tubs
Pickling tubs, or buckets, are used for making tsukemono and are widely available in kitchen-supply stores. They can be bought in a variety of sizes, are made of food-grade plastic and so are suitable for beer brewing. I have two 30-liter containers.
By itself, it can be used for primary fermenetaiton.
By adding a spigot, a pickling tub can be used as a bottling bucket and mash tun.
I bought a spigot, and added that to my pickling tub to make a bottling bucket. To cut the hole for the spigot, I drew a circle on the side of the bucket near the bottom, then used a drill to cut a series of holes just inside the circle. Then I used an X-acto knife to enlarge and smooth out the hole, testing with the spigot until it just fit.
When I picked the height of the whole, I unfortunately choose it too low, so that the weight of the bucket is borne by the spigot. This is a problem when the bucket is full of wort. I have to place a spacer under the bucket to get the spigot off the ground (or turn it upside down) so the weight doesn't break the spigot.
The tub also came with a plastic plate for pressing down on the vegetables. This I used for a false bottom for sparging mashed grains. I drilled a couple hundred holes in this plate. For sparging, I put three bowls upside down inside the bucket, which hold the plate off the bottom and above the spigot. Then the grains go on top of the plate, and the runoff goes through the holes. The problem with this setup is that there is a gap between the plate and the side of the bucket, and so I have to carefully place the grains in the center so not too many fall off.
A better idea is to use the double-bucket technique. Drill holes in the bottom of a second tub of the same size and this can be used to hold the grains inside the bucket with the spigot. Since these buckets can be stacked inside one another, the second bucket doesn't require much additional storage space.
I used the brewpot-in-the-bathtub method for cooling wort until I found a technique which is almost as effective as using a wort chiller.
I put the shower head, which is on a hose, inside the pickling tub filled with cold water. Then I put the brewpot into the tub. Following that, I turn on the shower with cold water and low pressure so that cold water gradually moves up pass the surface of brewpot, and then overflows out of the pickling tub. The kettle is 13 liters and the pickling tub is 30 liters, so there is enough space for the kettle to float, but not enough for it to tip over.
By itself, it can be used for primary fermenetaiton.
Bottling Bucket
By adding a spigot, a pickling tub can be used as a bottling bucket and mash tun.
I bought a spigot, and added that to my pickling tub to make a bottling bucket. To cut the hole for the spigot, I drew a circle on the side of the bucket near the bottom, then used a drill to cut a series of holes just inside the circle. Then I used an X-acto knife to enlarge and smooth out the hole, testing with the spigot until it just fit.
When I picked the height of the whole, I unfortunately choose it too low, so that the weight of the bucket is borne by the spigot. This is a problem when the bucket is full of wort. I have to place a spacer under the bucket to get the spigot off the ground (or turn it upside down) so the weight doesn't break the spigot.
Sparging Bucket
The tub also came with a plastic plate for pressing down on the vegetables. This I used for a false bottom for sparging mashed grains. I drilled a couple hundred holes in this plate. For sparging, I put three bowls upside down inside the bucket, which hold the plate off the bottom and above the spigot. Then the grains go on top of the plate, and the runoff goes through the holes. The problem with this setup is that there is a gap between the plate and the side of the bucket, and so I have to carefully place the grains in the center so not too many fall off.
A better idea is to use the double-bucket technique. Drill holes in the bottom of a second tub of the same size and this can be used to hold the grains inside the bucket with the spigot. Since these buckets can be stacked inside one another, the second bucket doesn't require much additional storage space.
"Wort Chiller"
I used the brewpot-in-the-bathtub method for cooling wort until I found a technique which is almost as effective as using a wort chiller.
I put the shower head, which is on a hose, inside the pickling tub filled with cold water. Then I put the brewpot into the tub. Following that, I turn on the shower with cold water and low pressure so that cold water gradually moves up pass the surface of brewpot, and then overflows out of the pickling tub. The kettle is 13 liters and the pickling tub is 30 liters, so there is enough space for the kettle to float, but not enough for it to tip over.
Buying Supplies and Equipment
In English
Beer Club Japan in Kobe. Good selection of ingredients and equipment, including grains; liquid yeasts by special order. Has an English-language page and English speaking-staff.
http://www.bcjkobe.com/english/index.htm
Home Microteq in Tokyo. Sells Brewiser products, including malt extract and hop bags.
http://members.tripod.com/~Home_Microteq/index.html
In Japanese
Tokyu Hands sells a starter's kit, and a limited supply of equipment and malt extracts.
Advanced Brewing Appears to have a good selection of ingredients and supplies.
http://www.amy.hi-ho.ne.jp/brew/
My Beer Kobo Satoru (マイビア工房さとる) in Kobe. A good selection of canned malts. Dried malt extract, pellet hops and some equipment. Japanese translation of one of Charlie Papazian's books.
http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~beer/index.htm
Ura Sake in Okayama. Starter kits and Cooper's supplies.
http://www.ura-sake.com/
Beer starter kits, also starter kits for wine making, coffee roasting, etc.
http://www.auvelcraft.co.jp/beer/index.html
Beer kits and few other ingredients and supplies.
http://beer.ocnk.net/ http://www.kenahoma.cx/beer/
An odd and short product list, some kegging equipment
http://www.beerex.co.jp/
Sells a starter kit and a keg, books. Has directions for mashing in Japanese.
http://www.nbjapan.co.jp/
Outside of Japan
There is no shortage of mail-order brew supply stores in the U.S. and elsewhere.
F. H. Stienbart, Portland, Oregon. The online store has a large selection of ingredients and equipment. The staff is helpful and responsive, and I've requested items which are in the store, but not listed on the on-line site. I buy from them regularly, and they will ship to Japan, including heavy items.
http://www.fhsteinbart.com/
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
External Links
Cervesa Japonica is a blog by Stephen Lacey on Japanese craft beers, beer fests and homebrewing.
http://japan-beer.blogspot.com/
Beer Advocate
http://beeradvocate.com/
Brewium seems to be a new site "dedicated to the science of homebrewing"
http://www.brewium.com/
Homebrew Talk Wiki
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Wikipeida articles:
Beer
Homebrewing
Homebrewinng Beer
Brewing
Wikibooks Brewing
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Brewing
Google and "convert" Google is useful for converting to and from metric, for example pipe sizes:
convert 5/8 inch to mm
and for comparing prices in different countries, for example prices of dried malt extract:
convert 12 usd/3 lbs to yen/100 gram
http://japan-beer.blogspot.com/
Beer Advocate
http://beeradvocate.com/
Brewium seems to be a new site "dedicated to the science of homebrewing"
http://www.brewium.com/
Homebrew Talk Wiki
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Wikipeida articles:
Wikibooks Brewing
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Brewing
Google and "convert" Google is useful for converting to and from metric, for example pipe sizes:
convert 5/8 inch to mm
and for comparing prices in different countries, for example prices of dried malt extract:
convert 12 usd/3 lbs to yen/100 gram
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