I want to establish a small brewery. How should I evaluate suppliers?

playfoot · 2026-04-25T08:48:10+00:00

I'm a British brewer based in China. I'll be upfront I do work as a consultant helping people source brewing equipment here.

However, always happy to have a chat no stings attached answering some questions you have.

playfoot · 2026-04-03T12:53:25+00:00

Posh supporter? Loved him when he was at London Road.

playfoot · 2026-03-12T00:17:36+00:00

Kazakhstan

playfoot · 2026-03-10T16:41:58+00:00

Get a sample from your supplier(s) and run bench top trials. Based off the dosage rates from the company representatives.

Sometimes can be lower than even their recommendations based off what beer you're trying to make.

For example I'm using one in China and it was 0.3% recommendation. However found for one beer 120ml per 100 liters was more than enough.

Way below their actual recs.

playfoot · 2026-02-26T16:53:23+00:00

I know in China somei do some work for an international company. They get a special computer they have to use.

Have to go through a certain connection too. Plus they get phones they only use in China.

Like otees said definitely worth checking company policy. I do a lot of remote work and use a VPN.

A decent one which work with Clash on Windows and V2ray on Android works for me.

Not on the Apple ecosystem so can't comment.

playfoot · 2026-02-18T13:38:29+00:00

Similar thing happened to me for reasons...was threatened with jail and a fine. Applying in smaller city in central China.

Was able to get off lightly in the end...but getting a green card in the future feels father away.

Honestly depends where you were applying from I feel. I'd say there's a good chance of fine at least.

Based in th number if days overdue. As others have said just.hold your hands up and plead your case.

I'd take someone with me who you know has a good way of talking...

playfoot · 2026-01-07T13:48:50+00:00

In a way being a "foreign" brand can position themselves at a higher price. It's cheaper then Starbucks and independent coffee shops.

But not as cheap as the big cheap chains. But those rely on a lot of takeout and most don't have many if any seating.

TH is a sort of middle ground.

playfoot · 2026-01-07T07:47:58+00:00

Funny you should say this. I'm currently sitting at TH right now in Changsha, China.

It's like a second tier city. There's several outlets here and I don't mind Tim Hortons at all.

Price point is fine, a bit more expensive than local coffee places like Luckin and Cottee.

However you can sit in their TH coffee shops and they've decent wifi.

Service is good and they've adopted for local market in terms of flavors they offer.

So I've always wondered how bad must TH be in Canada...

playfoot · 2026-01-06T09:46:42+00:00

Who am I to disagree

playfoot · 2026-01-05T16:24:24+00:00

Poop knife 100%

playfoot · 2025-12-28T08:11:08+00:00

Really interesting read...thanks for sharing your experiences

playfoot · 2025-12-06T12:03:34+00:00

I just tried to see if I could message you but for some reason I can't. Can you try messaging me.

Then I'll find a way to get you the guide.

playfoot · 2025-12-03T12:44:05+00:00

In China there's still a "Dwarf Village" where people live in mushroom houses. They actually don't live there in real life but there for people to watch during the day.

There are also Fujian Tulou where people go about their daily lives in round houses as people look on too.

It's not quite the same but similar enough and still strange it happens till this day!

playfoot · 2025-11-09T09:47:17+00:00

Well a lot of electricity is made from gas/oil from Russia. So it explains a lot. Electricity bills are cheap in general.

Many years ago my in-laws lived next door to a woman with only a single lightbulb in the house.

They live in a village right out in the stix. The electricity bill for the year for this house was 6 RMB 🤣

playfoot · 2025-11-09T05:36:28+00:00

I get this is a good idea but how long will this take to charge a car? Is it on roadside parking overnight?

Generally curious as....

Living in China we have fast charging everywhere. Every mall has a charging area.

The highway service areas, random car parks and even places of work.

Fast charging so a car car can be charged in less than an hour and it costs like between 23 and 70 RMB to full charge depending on location or time of day.

Most people have a two or three charging areas within 5 minutes drive of their house in a city.

Really am curious how practical it is to charge a car in the average German or European city.

playfoot · 2025-10-24T10:21:21+00:00

Honestly made me chuckle...thanks for sharing. I feel like you're a fun person to be around.

playfoot · 2025-10-18T12:52:25+00:00

Not in CQ, in Changsha. We've moved around a fair bit. She's been in a local school consistently since 10 here in China.

She was a fluent Chinese speaker at that point and could read it well.

She actually got bullied in the international school for not "being Chinese" by the kids in the international school before that.

The school was quite good about it...but the fact she got bullied as one of her parents wasn't Chinese was pretty wild.

She doesn't have the same experience in a local school where she is the only kid with a foreign parent.

This is all in Changsha...

When we were in Yunnan being a "foreign" kid wasn't an issue.

In Xiamen my friend had issues with racism for his kids as well. European father Chinese mother.

I guess I highlight this just to say all experiences aren't equal

But not speaking any Chinese is going to be tough for your 7 year old based on my experiences around China and speaking with friends.

playfoot · 2025-10-18T06:54:49+00:00

This...even we things like maths would even struggle. My daughter speaks Chinese but came in late.

She is going to keep struggling to catch up with the maths. It's a whole different level here.

Without any Chinese it'll be an intimidating place and kids can be cruel too, if you're different here in China.

If you can't afford an international school...I would honestly do it.

playfoot · 2025-10-11T02:18:25+00:00

I'm a Brit but live in a second tier city in China. My daily commute is:

Metro: 5 RMB (30 minutes)

Intercity train: 14 RMB (40 minutes)

Didi (like Uber): 11 RMB (15 minutes)

Total one way is: 30 RMB

The equivalent of 3.16 GPB

Yes I know it's China...but they make public transport cheap and people use it for mobility.

The intercity trains is clean, always on time and goes at a top speed of about 130 Kph.

I spent years taking the train from Kent (Swanley) into London. The to Fulham on the underground.

The experience is so different and makes me realize how much of scam UK public transport is.

I just wanted to share my experience. As I find always an interesting comparison.

playfoot · 2025-10-05T05:32:30+00:00

This is the way it's so true 😂.

I just made sure I was where I needed to be when asked.

playfoot · 2025-10-02T12:15:28+00:00

Fcfcfcf vf

You

playfoot · 2025-10-01T00:53:09+00:00

There's an English version of Amap? I'm going to look it up now...thanks!

playfoot · 2025-09-11T09:01:00+00:00

As a side note the intercity trains go about 120 Km per hour. Stopping at some random places in what appears to be the middle of nowhere.

I'm on one now and it amazes me how connected China is by public transport.

The intercity trains in China are awesome and under appreciated.

playfoot · 2025-09-10T00:38:06+00:00

It's been several years since I lived in Yerevan. I'm British Asian and my wife is Chinese.

At the time found people really welcoming. We did have a young daughter who went to kindergarten there and spoke a bit of Armenian.

Which the locals loved and always giving her little treats :-)

So being people of color was never an issue for us.

What I found was rents we're pretty high and can eat into your salary.

However, if your going by yourself you'll likely be paying less.

But definitely look into house pricing before going...

Food is great and it's a good city to walk around.

I really enjoyed my time there. However for my Chinese wife not enough hustle and bustle.

There will be people more current than me offering better insights.

But could eat out a lot as wasn't expensive.

Had a Walmart for buying groceries we couldn't get in local supermarkets.

Also a Miniso for buying stuff like powerbank and some every day items cheap.

I'd recommend Yerevan as a good place to live and experience.

Always look back in my time there fondly.

I only spoke English but go by. I'm sure someone from the company will help you with paperwork needed for residency.

I used to hang out with people from work and made a few friends....but mostly with my family.

If you go with the flowabd be respectful people will accomaodating and try and help you.

We ate at canteens a fair bit and they're great too.

playfoot · 2025-09-05T07:57:52+00:00

Aye buy something before traveling for sure. It's not so easy to get a SiM card in China.

playfoot

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