Chinese Hops? What Next

[chappo1970]

Storm in a tea cup.

I would think the chinese attention would be set on the mega breweries and isohop production rather than us water tight sphinkered (sp.) homebrewers.

 

[Katherine]

I dont know how racism come into this at all!

Im a sucker for a asian supermarket.... I just prefer to buy my garlic local so its still pungent and sticky!

 

[newguy]

sounds like you're all just a bunch of racist f-wits to me.

The US, Canada, likely Australia, Britain, etc have all endured a period in history when there was no such thing as consumer protectionism. Anything was sold to anyone, dangerous side effects/contaminants known outright by the seller in most cases. China is undergoing such a period now and because of their low cost of production most of the developed world consumes their products. I have no doubt they'll eventually outgrow it but until they do I won't be a willing lab rat with Chinese produced food or drink. Same goes for food or beer ingredients.

 

[EK]

sounds like you're all just a bunch of racist f-wits to me.

Yeah, you're right. There would never be any question about quality control in Chinese food and beverage factories.

EK

 

[captaincleanoff]

China's got everyone else's jobs they don't need hops as well. IMO anyway.

well not surprising when they have 1/4 of the worlds population

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I think you will find - that if the Chinese are marketing their hops for overseas markets.. they will be aiming first and foremost at the mega brewers of the world... and these guys will be keeping a very very close eye indeed on the food safety aspect of the hops they might buy.

Perhaps healthy suspicion about the quality might be justified if its only the dribs and drabs of the hops making it out past the local brewing industry... but if they start to export in any meaningful way I doubt very seriously if there would be any safety issue at all with the hops. Cant really imagine AB-Inbev really wanting to have to deal with a recall of millions of cartons of Bud because of a dodgey batch of hops.

If the big guys start to use them.... then they're good to go as far as I am concerned

 

[fraser_john]

I buy Australian garlic up here quite easily.
Chinese garlic in grown in China with human effluent, it is then irradiated and bleached. It won't grow so I believe it no good for you at all.

Batz

I prefer to grow it myself, it almost grows itself and tastes better than even the bought Australian stuff.

Definitely stay away from the bleached chinese garlic, scary stuff that and no flavour to boot.

 

[Effect]

The purple garlic is normally Australian, that is what I prefer to buy more taste but harder to peel. The white garlic is probably Australian garlic but has being sent to China to be bleached.

most garlic is from either china or turkey...

you can get some australian garlic, it is more like a little purple onion.

 

[Mercs Own]

The large purple whole bulbs of garlic are most often from mexico.

The great thing about chinese grown hops is that they could be used very effectively in the chinese made brew systems being set up in Oz :icon_cheers:

 

[altone]

The large purple whole bulbs of garlic are most often from mexico.

The great thing about chinese grown hops is that they could be used very effectively in the chinese made brew systems being set up in Oz :icon_cheers:

So, we'll all be making Snow clones for the summer (feeble attempt at humour)

 

[Effect]

The large purple whole bulbs of garlic are most often from mexico.

The great thing about chinese grown hops is that they could be used very effectively in the chinese made brew systems being set up in Oz :icon_cheers:

oh really? cause I saw them marked as Austrlian grown...but who knows nowadays with labels...

 

[brando]

most garlic is from either china or turkey...

you can get some australian garlic, it is more like a little purple onion.

Most of the garlic I use is Australian - it comes from my backyard garden. Can't beat it!

 

[peas_and_corn]

Wow, use the 'C' word and people suddenly get into a furore. China has had scandals regarding food contamination, so has Australian products (I can't remember how many Australian products had been recalled because of 'glass in product'). The very fact that Chinese products are made in giant volumes (bigger than here), exported to more countries than any single product made in Australia, the fact they usually go through third party distributors they can't control, means that their scandals happen to be bigger and have more attention paid to them. However to paint the Chinese system as inherently bad and the Australian as always making perfect products is somewhat simplistic.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Wow, use the 'C' word and people suddenly get into a furore. China has had scandals regarding food contamination, so has Australian products (I can't remember how many Australian products had been recalled because of 'glass in product'). The very fact that Chinese products are made in giant volumes (bigger than here), exported to more countries than any single product made in Australia, the fact they usually go through third party distributors they can't control, means that their scandals happen to be bigger and have more attention paid to them. However to paint the Chinese system as inherently bad and the Australian as always making perfect products is somewhat simplistic.

Case in point, the GARIBALDI (sp??) salami fiasco. Good reputable(?) South Aussie company there!!

 

[Kai]

Wow, use the 'C' word and people suddenly get into a furore. China has had scandals regarding food contamination, so has Australian products (I can't remember how many Australian products had been recalled because of 'glass in product'). The very fact that Chinese products are made in giant volumes (bigger than here), exported to more countries than any single product made in Australia, the fact they usually go through third party distributors they can't control, means that their scandals happen to be bigger and have more attention paid to them. However to paint the Chinese system as inherently bad and the Australian as always making perfect products is somewhat simplistic.

Who painted such absolutes as inherently bad or perfect?

 

[Sammus]

at my local coles and woolworths the purple garlic is called spanish purple garlic, and according to the label its imported from spain. all the other stuff says its from china.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Who painted such absolutes as inherently bad or perfect?

TGake for example-

+1

Hence the need for all of us to share our rhizomes and grow as many of our own as possible. I'd hate to see Ross and the other retailers put in the position where all they have is "dubious" Chinese hops, though with NZ growing the varieties they do, I think we are safe.

Assumes that they *will* be bad quality.

I check all food labels and if it says China I put it back. Have seen pics of sewers running down the vegie feilds to fertilise. ICK
Not to mention that they wouldnt hesitate to chuck any sort of chemical on the plants to keep them healthy.

No way

I'd say that this is assuming that everything from China is poor quality or contaminated...

 

[geoff_tewierik]

Case in point, the GARIBALDI (sp??) salami fiasco. Good reputable(?) South Aussie company there!!

Poor microbiology. Using the last batch of salami to inoculate the fresh batch, never a good thing.

So glad Food Safety regarding fermented meats has progressed.

As for melamine - jeez that was a shit fight tracking down every raw material and getting responses from all suppliers confirming their source. Didn't help having multi-nationals breathing down our neck looking for answers.

So glad I'm out of the value added foods industry.

Regarding the hops, I'm dependant on my local supplier for my fix, and I trust his judgement.

 

[Adamt]

Who painted such absolutes as inherently bad or perfect?

These, more or less.

BribieG, NZ not on the list?

I am not excited about anything from China. They have no quality control of any kind on the products they produce. Remember the lead problem, tainted feed, and toothpaste. Just what the brewing world needs is China out producing all the other countries and dropping the price to nothing then all we can get are contaminated hops for our beer. Chinese hops will never be used by me even if I have to start brewing mead and cider.

This would be my concern as well. Personally, I will be sticking to English, Australian, NZ or US hops.

:icon_cheers:
EK

+1

Hence the need for all of us to share our rhizomes and grow as many of our own as possible. I'd hate to see Ross and the other retailers put in the position where all they have is "dubious" Chinese hops, though with NZ growing the varieties they do, I think we are safe.

+1 To that.

I have spent a bit of time in the Chinese back country and also delt with the Chinese mining industry and if they do hops anything like they do most other things they will be crap and you would be taking your own life in your hands by brewing with em.

Steve

I check all food labels and if it says China I put it back. Have seen pics of sewers running down the vegie feilds to fertilise. ICK
Not to mention that they wouldnt hesitate to chuck any sort of chemical on the plants to keep them healthy.

No way

After seeing what they add to their children's toys (lead), milk (melamine) and who knows what else to every other product they create I'm sticking with reputable suppliers and my own small hop garden.

<_< Pay-er a-er anyone?

 

[Batz]

I know it started with Chinese hops,and I mentioned garlic.. but like all things grow,brew,make your own, we do it in Kin Kin.


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Batz