# Recipe For Tsingtao



## whatwhat (9/8/10)

Hi all I am currently planning my next brew and am finding it a little difficult to come across a recipe for "Tsingtao". Does any one have a recipe they can share? I have never done an all grain before and will probibly steer clear for a while yet. Saying that i normally use kits or extracts with the addition of various hops and or steeped grains to make a brew so im not all thumbs and could handle some thing a lilttle come complex than adding 1 kg of dextrose to a tin. Any help?


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## bum (9/8/10)

Having recently returned from China I can't help myself here.

Water
Urine
Leave it in the sun a few days

Not helpful but goddamn that is a horrible beer.


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## bcp (9/8/10)

For me beerlao is the best beer i've had in asia. That's out of cambodia, singapore, Thailand, malaysia, china, hong kong, mongolia, south korea, philippines, east timor, PNG, india, myanmar, sri lanka & Japan. Trying the local beers in each country is part of the fun, hey. Sometimes. :icon_drool2: 
I had beerlao alongside a tiger on my last trip & it was way ahead. 

Here's a Tsing tao recipe I found. If you wanted to start with extract, maybe someone could advise on how you convert. I only did three tins & straight into all-grain. 
6 3/4 lb. American 6 row
# 1lb. Rice Hulls
# 1 1/2 Lb. Rice
# 1/2 Lb. Crystal 10L
# 1 Lb. Rice syrup
# 1/3 oz. (9 grams)Tettnanger
# 3/4 oz. (21 grams) Saaz
# 1/4 oz. Saaz
# 1 tsp. Irish Moss
# Wyeast Pilsen Lager yeast
# 3/4 cup Corn Sugar

*Directions*
Grind rice and cook untill soft(about 20 min).Mash all grains together including the hulls and rice for 30 min at 122f.Raise to 150 for 60 min. Sparge and accumulate 1 1/5 gallons of wort. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.Add the rice syrup,Tettnanger,and 1/5 oz.of Saaz.Add water to get 2 1/2 gallons.Boil for 50 min. and add The rest of the Saaz and the Irish Moss.Boil for ten more min.Cool,add water to make 5 gallons and add yeast.

*Comments*
# Primary 7 days
# Secondary: 1 week
# O.G.- 1.048
# F.G.- 1.010
# Alcohol-4 1/2% 
*Servings*
5 Gallons


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## Fents (9/8/10)

bums a horrible beer!

its ok, i dont mind it if im at some fancy chinese place smashing crocodile or pork spare ribs. fairly overpriced tho tbh.

best bet would be a "blonde kit" some suguaz and some fairly neutral yeast. one of the kit n bit boys will probably have a recipe.


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## bum (9/8/10)

Fents said:


> bums a horrible beer!



YOU ARE!

Having had a few now I really don't believe you could make this beer with extract. It'd leave far too much...taste. I should say I've never had it here - the BUL is probably an entirely different beast.

Gotta second the call about Beerlaos. Not too shabby all things considered. Popping up in a few bottlos here these days too.


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## Bribie G (9/8/10)

I have 800g of genuine Chinese Saaz hops in the freezer, I can send you 100g if you like :icon_cheers: 

1 can Coopers Canadian
1 kg Dextrose
300g Carapils
30g Czech Saaz
100g Chinese Saaz

US-05 yeast

Method (remembering that with extracts you are only going to approximate the flavour):

Steep the Carapils in 1L hot water at 70 degrees for half an hour
Strain into a stockpot and boil with the 30g Czech Saaz for 20 mins.
Pour into fermenter, mix with the dex and the kit and ferment at around 17 degrees for 10 days.

tip the Chinese Saaz down the toilet.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (9/8/10)

Had the Tsingtao White labelled beer in Hong Kong last year (the 'non' export version - the green label is 'export' version). I found it quite drinkable as I walked around the markets - though I spent more time drinking some Bavarian Brew, which was far better.

Having said that, it was about 50c Aussie or so for a 640ml bottle of Tsingtao white is so stinking cheap, I did knock over a few. But in the 2nd week I was there, 7-Eleven had a special of my two Bavarians for about $1.90 Australian, so I switched over to that - it was so worth paying double the amount!

Seriously, this begged two issues:

1. Why is Tsingtao green label priced comparative to the German beers we get here (don't get me started on "brewed under supervision" beers), when it is so inferior in quality and the renmibi/yuan is worth 2/3rds of the paper its printed on. I would never buy it in Australia - there is so much better beer for a comparative price; and

2. How much excise/tax are we paying on beer? I know it's a fortune (I'm a tax accountant after all), but seriously, when 7-Eleven sells German beer for 95c a tin on special, and the closest I get is Oettinger at $3 a can, and the shipping routes are fairly similar (my brother worked for a shipping company and confirmed this for me), I can only think that we are being seriously gouged by the Government.

oh and a third issue:

Why the hell can't I buy beer anywhere - America you can, Japan, Hong Kong, Europe - but I get treated like a crim if I want to buy anything here. Sure, I love Dan's, but if I want to go down to a convenience store and pay $1 for a tin and take it home and drink it, I stinking should. Especially in Qld - sure the competition that Dan's brought it was good, but I get sick of being treated like a little boy. 

Dan's is like a library (as mr murphy said) - I go there to browse. But if I want a tin of fizzy german num nums - I don't want to travel for it. Plus, if there was actually the ability to sell beer - I'd probably walk to the convenience store. 

Maybe this would be another way to cut drink driving and antisocial behaviour - we have strict alcohol laws, but the alcohol fuelled violence in the city/valley friday nights is escalating, and drink driving isn't getting any better. So all this nanny state garbage isn't actually solving the problem, yet in countries where there is a beer culture plus accessibility, there is less of these issues.

Sorry to go :icon_offtopic: , just a little frustrated.


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## bum (9/8/10)

Bloody hell. Someone started early today.


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## Bribie G (9/8/10)

bum, raja is dead right, when I was in Germany as well as Coca cola dispensing machines they have beer dispensing machines, put in your euros and down drops a half litre bottle of Pils or Helles and you're well away.


At service stations   

Also the UK is much more relaxed, most corner stores sell grog and supermarkets have beer aisles interspersed with the baked bean aisles etc. However I think the problem with the Valley etc is not the availability of beer, it's the binge drinking culture which they also have in the UK despite alcohol being more readily available. A lot of the problem is that the drinking occurs as 'pre drinking drinking' where they are half pissed before they hit the Valley Station. Actually at the Station Food Concourse itself when the partying Gen Ys pour off the train at 10pm onwards there's a Mr Liquor store right there, where they could drop in and pick up a bottle of Chardonnay to take to the Chinese BYO restaurant. But it's not well patronised and going on the bare shelves I don't know if it will be there for much longer. 
I would imagine that they opened the store with the idea that people coming into the Valley would pick up supplies - fine for those going to a restaurant, but most of the clubbers are in a different category and have already drunk a four pack of vodka blitzer on the way in.

Edit: I work in the Valley and usually exit work after 11pm, and have noticed that the beer of choice on the footpath BYO dining tables in Chinatown nowadays is Fat Yak - my God we live in hope


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## jakub76 (9/8/10)

Here's a published Extract recipe... 

Tsing-Tao, China's super premium beer, is brewed in Quingdao Shandong. This medium-bodied lager has a finely beaded white head, and is tawny gold in color. It has a satisfying light malt and good hop flavor, finishing with a mild malt nose. 

Yield: 5 gallons (18.9 L) 
Final gravity: 1.010-1.011 
SRM 3-4 
Original gravity: 1.047-1.048 
IBU 18 
4.7% alcohol by volume 

Crush and steep in gallon (1.9 L) 150F (65.5C) water for 20 minutes: 
lb. (.23 kg) 10L crystal malt

Strain the grain water into your brew pot. Sparge the grains with gallon (1.9 L) water at 150F (65.5C). Add water to the brew pot for 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) total volume. Bring the water to a boil, remove the pot from the stove, and add: 

4.5 lb. (2 kg) M&F extra-light DME
1 lb. (.45 kg) rice syrup solids
oz. (14 g) Tettnanger @ 5.0% AA (2.5 HBU) (bittering hop)
1 oz. (28 g) Czech Saaz @ 2.5% AA (2.5 HBU) (bittering hop) 

Add water until total volume in the brew pot is 2.5 gallons (9 L). Boil for 50 minutes then add: 
oz. (7 g) Czech Saaz (flavor hop)
1 tsp. (5 ml) Irish moss 

Boil for 10 minutes, remove pot fom the stove, and cool for 15 minutes. Strain the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to obtain 5 gallons (18.9 L). When the wort temperature is under 80F (26.6C), pitch your yeast. 

1st choice: Wyeast's 2007 Pilsen lager yeast
(Ferment at 42-52F [6-11C])
2nd choice: Wyeast's 2035 American lager yeast
(Ferment at 42-52F [6-11C]) 

Ferment in the primary fermenter 5-7 days or until fermentation slows, then siphon into the secondary fermenter. Bottle when fermentation is complete with: cup (180 ml) corn sugar 

Pour into a Pilsner glass and serve at 45F (7C).


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## Nick JD (9/8/10)

I quite like Tsing Tao. It's better than most of the Aussie Lagers.


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## Phoney (9/8/10)

BribieG said:


> Also the UK is much more relaxed, most corner stores sell grog and supermarkets have beer aisles interspersed with the baked bean aisles etc.



Alcohol is sold in supermarkets in Victoria & the ACT too.


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## seemax (9/8/10)

Having spent a bit of time in China for work I've tried a lot of beers and most are weak and too sweet. 

The only semi drinkable beer is the local beer in Chongqing, close to 5% and more hop than malt, perhaps they use less rice and more formaldehyde?


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## Fourstar (9/8/10)

One bribie would love.

I had a Tsing Tao Stout whilst in HKG this year. 8.5% of awesomeness! :icon_drool2: 

Although it doesnt beat ABC stout. best foerign stout... end conversation!


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## pbrosnan (9/8/10)

BribieG said:


> bum, raja is dead right, when I was in Germany as well as Coca cola dispensing machines they have beer dispensing machines, put in your euros and down drops a half litre bottle of Pils or Helles and you're well away.
> 
> 
> At service stations
> ...



Most other continents in the world treat beer in much the same way. For some reason we are not to be trusted unless served packaged beer by a highly qualified liquor store technician (the gin palaces of VIC and the ACT excepted).


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## bum (9/8/10)

Throughout my career I have never worked with any less than two people who use the phrase "You're eating into my beer-drinking time" when they are being delayed regardless of whether it is before lunchtime or not.

I stand by the decision.

I don't complain what they don't sell food in toyshops. What a stupid argument. Buy beer where they sell beer. I assure you that you won't die of waiting.

Or you could just make some.


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## pbrosnan (9/8/10)

bum said:


> Throughout my career I have never worked with any less than two people who use the phrase "You're eating into my beer-drinking time" when they are being delayed regardless of whether it is before lunchtime or not.
> 
> I stand by the decision.
> 
> ...


Er ... what are you talking about??? BTW Tsing Tao isn't a bad Asian lager. If I was to make it I'd just make something like Tiger, any of the useful contributions here will do it. I would probably try and do it all grain but given the lightness and provided you can get round the extract flavour you should be able to pull it off. I'd recommend a low end ferment temp, 10-12, any higher and I reckon you'll start to get the extract twang. If you wanted all grain then it's all pils malt and perhaps some rice and cane sugar.


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## whatwhat (10/8/10)

Thanks for the suggestions people, much appreciated. I will let you know how i go with it.

Thanks again

ps not claiming it's the best beer in Asia, just a dam good brew over yum cha or dim sum. what ever takes your fancy


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## cdbrown (10/8/10)

I do really find it stupid having say woollies liquor separate from the main shop especially when the doors are right next to each other. In a few shopping centres they've changed it so you can get access to the liquor part from within the store, but it's essentially still a separate shop. UK was easy - when food shopping could also buy the booze at the same time. If I was walking to the park I could drop into the local deli (or off-license) and purchase a few cold cans to have down the park. They didn't have a huge range but it was convenient. Wanted something more then a bit further down the road was a proper bottle shop with a bigger range and cartons to buy. Ahh so easy.


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## bcp (10/8/10)

If anyone is confused, rest assured that 'Tsing Tao' is, indirectly, chinese for 'Where beer comes from', which in this case is Qingdao. Ok, that's a very indirect interpretation, actually. 

But I wouldn't want anyone to think that half the guys were completely off topic or anything.


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## hsb (10/8/10)

Re: the ease of buying beer in Supermarkets in the UK - it's also killed off a great many fantastic UK pubs and reduced the availability/existence of great beers. Always a flip side to these things IMO.

Good luck with your Tsingtao - report back with your results.


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