Price is the main driving force for breweries to purchase brewing equipment from China. Setting up a brewery is an expensive business, and your biggest expenditure may be to buy brewery equipment for brewing beer. Many brewers are most concerned about: How to purchase brewing equipment from China? How to ensure that all accessories in the equipment are intact?
We have all seen some horror stories on the forums, buying poor quality equipment from a bad manufacturer. Some people shared the status of the equipment they purchased and their evaluation of the equipment. Among them, there are some good evaluations, and some are relatively poor. As an excellent manufacturer of brewery equipment in China, Micet Craft will share with you some tips for purchasing high-quality brewing equipment from China.
Tips for buying high-quality brewing equipment from China
Buy online from Amazon or other similar businesses
Nowadays, people buy many goods online, whether it’s electronics, gardening tools, or books. Of course, brewing equipment can also be purchased online, for small home brewing equipment can choose to buy on Amazon. But if it is large-scale brewing equipment, you can consider buying it from China’s B2B website Alibaba. When making an online purchase, you need to:
- Shop around
- Looking for comments
- View seller ratings
- Get recommendations from friends or family members or brewing consultants
- You may also communicate directly with the seller
You will not blindly choose to buy on the first website you visit, even if there happen to be the goods you need. Of course, you may not choose the cheapest option. You need to have a general understanding of the seller or company and feel that they are trustworthy before you choose to buy. The same is true for buying brewing equipment from China. You need to understand the manufacturer’s situation before you can buy equipment with confidence and start your brewery.
Now, I need to say frankly that Micet Craft is a brewery equipment manufacturer located in China. However, I need to tell you that not all Chinese equipment suppliers are trustworthy. There are indeed some suppliers who are thinking about the quality of their products. Their existence has cast a stain on «Made in China» that is difficult to erase. However, the equipment produced by Micet Craft is manufactured with superb manufacturing technology, and multiple inspections are performed on the equipment before shipment, and the shipment will be arranged after the inspection is qualified.
I want to share with you Micet Craft project cases in other countries. They purchased our brewing equipment and completed the installation to start brewing delicious beer. If you need it, you can contact us, and we will provide you with an invitation letter from the nearest customer to help you determine whether to purchase the equipment at Micet Craft.
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Have a complete equipment list and appropriate specifications
In order for your brewery project to have a greater chance of success, you need to make proper preparations. It all starts with your equipment list and proper equipment specifications. So you can know very clearly what kind of equipment you need. For example:
- How many vessels (2, 3, 4, or 5 vessel systems) will your brewery have?
- What is your preferred heating method?
- How many fermentation tanks do you need, and what size and configuration do you need?
- Do you produce a lot of high-alcohol beers? Do you need an oversized mashing bucket?
- Are you going to mainly make lager beer?
- Is the horizontal fermentation tank more suitable?
Example of equipment list from the customer
When you can understand your needs and requirements in more detail, you can purchase more suitable brewing equipment. We have recently cooperated normally with an Australian brewery, hoping to provide them with a turnkey solution for the brewery. The list of equipment they listed is impressive and they know what they need. They hope that the equipment can match the requirements of the local government and the brewing process, so there are clear brand names for the use of many key components.
Why do they have such a request? After inquiring, we learned that they hoped that the equipment parts could be replaced easily in the future. This also means that they do not need accessories produced by local Chinese brands, but choose international brands that can be purchased in Australia.
Ensure that the equipment complies with local regulations
Using their specified accessory brands will make it easier for the maintenance team to repair any problems that occur on the equipment. In addition, they wrote in the equipment requirements:
- Electrical wiring and installation must comply with Australian standards
- Fermentation tanks and pressure vessels must be designed and registered in Australia
These contents will make it easier for the device to pass government inspections and audits because it will have the necessary paperwork. The customer has also developed some other content, let us take a look at it together.
For their fermentation tanks, the following are some of their requirements:
- Tanks with individual temp controllers, PID’s and glycol solenoids wired-up on-board skid
- Spunding Valves
- 9” dry-hopping ports on the top of each tank
- Carbonation Stones in Each Tank
- Racking Arms
- All Tri Clover Fittings 1.5”
In addition, there are some requirements for brewhouse equipment:
- Steam Condensing Stack on Kettle Heat Exchange
- Mash Rakes and Plough
- Supplied with steam pipework, traps, strainers, and valves fitted to vessels ready to connect to single 1.5” BSB fitting from existing steam network
The more specific your equipment requirements, the better the project will be. For example, consider the height of the grain export manhole for possession of fee grains. Your requirements are precise, so you won’t let the manufacturers make their own decisions, thereby reducing the occurrence of accidents. In the initial communication with different brewing equipment manufacturers, clearly state that your instructions are a good way to evaluate how the company operates. The manufacturer’s feedback, questions, and responses are good indicators of the progress of the entire project. For example, you can determine whether there are good engineers in the manufacturer’s team through communication. Because they will make equipment drawings and layout drawings in time according to your requirements. In addition, Micet Craft is very happy to work with you to change the layout and drawings during the project.
Where to buy brewing equipment?
China has a vast territory. From a geographical point of view, almost 90% of Chinese brewing equipment manufacturers are located in two regions of China: Jinan and Ningbo. To be fair, most of the best quality equipment manufacturers are located in Ningbo. At the same time, Ningbo is also a place for first-line American equipment companies to look for OEMs. We will not mention any names here, but you can find them by asking your potential suppliers.
Why are so few American equipment companies cooperating with manufacturers in Jinan? This is because Ningbo has suppliers of all high-quality accessories and parts. Ningbo also has more clinker welding workers and other workers, such as polishers and passivation experts. However, this is the previous situation. Now, the brewing equipment manufacturing industry has been developed in China for decades, and the equipment manufacturing process and manufacturing level have been improved. In addition, some manufacturers in Jinan will also hire teams from Ningbo to complete the production of equipment. Therefore, not only Ningbo will produce high-quality equipment, but also Jinan. The manufacturing team of Micet Craft is specially hired from Ningbo, they have superb manufacturing technology and rich experience. Moreover, after the production of the equipment is completed, a series of inspections will be carried out on the equipment to ensure the quality of the equipment received by the customer.
One more thing, price is also one of the factors that affect where you buy. Higher labor costs and better accessories require higher production costs. Yes, the budget will also guide you from which manufacturer to buy equipment. Low-priced equipment does not have high requirements for quality, design, materials, and other parts (heat exchangers, pumps, motors, etc.). When using this low-standard equipment, maintenance, and repair costs, communication time, problem-solving and beer quality will always haunt you.
Conduct research and get customer reviews
When making an online purchase, browse the customer reviews of your potential suppliers or you can talk to their previous customers. Any legal Chinese brewing equipment supplier is very pleased that you can talk to the brewery they worked with before. Ideally, you can visit their brewery in person. There is nothing more reassuring than seeing it with your eyes.
Most equipment manufacturers have a list of previous customers who have worked with them and are willing to talk to potential customers. Micet Craft has already started to do this. If you need to visit our customer’s brewery, you can contact us directly. We will provide you with an invitation letter for your local brewery project, you can consult them:
- How was the communication during the project – is it easy for the company to grasp when needed, and did they keep you up to date throughout the process?
- How is the installation of the equipment progressing? How about communication when planning the layout and design of the brewery?
- What is the aftermath after the completion of the project?
- Every brewery will encounter some problems after a few months of operation. How can manufacturers help solve these problems, what have they done, and what are the solutions?
Compare
After you have completed your research on the brewery project and obtained a shortlist of potential manufacturers, you can get a project quotation. Depending on your list of brewers, the price difference between manufacturers may be around 20% to 30%. Once you get a quotation from each supplier, you can split the quotation into smaller units to compare prices between them:
- brewhouse equipment
- Cellar tank
- Glycol system
- Heating system
- Keg cleaner
These are just some examples, but it may throw some exceptions. If there is something outstanding compared to other suppliers, then it is worth asking the manufacturer about the cost.
Negotiation
When it comes to cooperation with Chinese manufacturers, price is a big attraction, but it should not be the only consideration. You’d better find the right balance between price and quality to get the best price. In the negotiation process, if you are a large company, you can be tougher. However, small companies like breweries need to negotiate more delicately. Here are some tips:
Show suppliers that you understand your industry
If you are buying brewery equipment, then you need to want the manufacturer to show that you know what you want and understand the brewing process.
When it comes to the specifications and details of the required brewery equipment, you need to prove that you know what you are talking about, which is a big deal for the manufacturer.
Let them know they are appreciated
As a professional Chinese brewing equipment manufacturer, Micet Craft has seen many customers who do not respect Chinese companies. Although customers will bring us business, we do not do anything at all costs. When choosing a manufacturer, take the time to cultivate this relationship. This is all part of an important Chinese «relationship«, you can find out through Google.
Good communication can make your equipment valued. You can give compliments when they do well during the manufacturing process. In addition, if you are satisfied with the equipment and promise to write them a good recommendation letter, you may receive better service.
Price negotiation
When buying brewing equipment in China, the price will have a certain amount of room for maneuver. You can negotiate with the manufacturer. When you and the manufacturer propose a price concession, you can get an ideal price. But the degree of price reduction is limited because the profit margins of many manufacturers are very low. So, if the price you negotiate is unrealistic and they agree, you may end up with inferior equipment. For example, they may change the grade of stainless steel to reduce costs. This is why we recommend checking during equipment manufacturing.
We know of a brewery that bargained very hard on prices, and in the end, the manufacturer delivered some very poor equipment. When the brewery complained to the manufacturer, they were told «You got what you paid for!». You need to make brewing equipment manufacturers earn part of the profits because they also need to pay wages.
Conclusion
It is entirely possible to buy high-quality brewing equipment at a favorable price in China. But you need to make sure:
- Clarify your requirements
- Good communication with manufacturers
- Respect (relationship)
- There is a written agreement (agree to the specification list) instead of just a contract
- Understand that manufacturers also want to be profitable
- Develop an agreed payment plan suitable for both parties
- Ensure that inspections are carried out at critical stages
As you can see, there are many factors to consider when purchasing high-quality Chinese brewing equipment. However, if you choose Micet Craft, we will give you the most complete service. If you need help in this regard, please contact us.
Get a turnkey solution for brewery equipment
If you plan to open or expand the brewery, you can contact Micet Craft directly. Our engineers will design and manufacture brewery equipment according to your brewing process. Of course, we will also provide you with a complete turnkey solution. Also, if you plan to expand the brewery, we will provide you with customized solutions.