Top 5 things you need to know before buying from China
The vast majority of the brewing equipment in use worldwide are manufactured in China, most of the brewing equipment companies in the US or other countries are buying the whole system, components, parts, and fittings from China or select their OEM in China and re-sell the product to the local customers. The alpha operation, SS Brewtech, ABE, Deutsche, the list goes on.
Chinese suppliers are definitely capable of doing good stuff with no doubt. We are here to list some tips for you when considering buying from China.
1. Where to buy
Firstly, China is huge, geographically speaking, almost 90% of the Chinese brewing equipment manufacturers are located in two regions of China, one is Jinan city which is located in Shandong province, the north of China; While most of the others are located in Ningbo or Wenzhou city, which is in Zhejiang province that in the south of China. There are some manufacturers located in Shanghai and other cities as well.
If you are tied in the budget, you may check the suppliers from Shandong province, they offer relatively lower prices on the equipment, however, the parts and fittings that most of them use to craft or assemble the equipment are not the best in the market of China.
You may check the suppliers below which are from Shandong province:
This manufacturer has rich experience in serving customers worldwide as well as the domestic market in China. The feedbacks from their customers are generally good.
Offering pretty good turnkey system solutions from 2BBL to 60BBL, their equipment are sold to Canada, the US, and other countries in Europe.
Located in Shandong province, but their products are manufactured in Ningbo city which is located in southern China.
One of the earliest established brewing equipment manufacturers in China
They are specialized in not just brewing equipment but also keg filling, bottling, and canning equipment, make sure to check with them if you are looking for that equipment.
If you have a relatively flexible budget for your brewing equipment purchasing, we recommend you to check the manufacturers in southern China below, their prices are most likely higher than the northern suppliers but use better parts, fittings, and components:
Specialized in Nano brewing systems as well as large tanks. 2BBL-3BBL oil/steam/electric heating systems are their star products, make sure to get in touch with them if you are looking for a Nano system.
Specialized in keg washer/filler and brewing systems.
Their main target market is South Korea and the US. They have sales representatives in South Korea and a warehouse in the US to stock 3BBL to 10BBL tanks.
Their chief engineer and production leaders are former workers at GEA which is a German corporation, mostly active in the food and beverages sector.
If you are looking for Distillation Equipment, DYE is the way to go!
Located in Wenzhou city, the south of China, DYE is one of the best in distillation equipment in China, Good quality, and excellent customer service.
2. What to buy
There is a joke saying"Everything is made by God. And everything else is made in China" You can find suppliers from China for almost everything needed in commercial brewing, not just for breweries, but also distilleries, cideries, kombucha and coffee brewing, etc. We recommend Brewlink.com which is a B2C platform that has many top selected suppliers listed, every one of them has to pass the quality inspection and reputation investigation that implements by the Brewlink representative staff including our China branch. You may use it as a tool to gather information and quotes, it would save a lot of time of yours since you can send one RFQ(request for quotes) on the home page to get multiple quotes from different suppliers.
However, instead of telling you what to buy, we prefer to suggest what to not. You may like to purchase these products locally:
Gas/propane burner
Glycol Chillers
Steam boilers
The reasons are listed below:
1. Product information
Product drawings, instructions, manuals, etc. are essential information for these types of equipment, those information allows buyers to better understand the product, and perform installation, operation, and maintenance work. Local suppliers can usually provide very detailed product information to ensure that buyers fully understand what they need to know.
2. Fast after service
Chillers, boilers, and burners require regular inspection and maintenance. Local suppliers can provide faster and more convenient after-service. If there are some parts & fittings that need to be repaired or replaced, local suppliers can also provide them faster. If the buyer has any questions during use, they can also get the responses by contacting the local suppliers. After all, no one wants to wait 24 hours, when your Chiller shuts down for some reason or the burner not working suddenly.
3. Complete qualified certification
For example, in the United States, breweries cannot use boilers, burners, and chillers that are not UL certified. The local government has strict requirements and corresponding penalties for this. Sometimes, these will be ignored by buyers and caused unnecessary trouble. Local suppliers are more aware of local laws and regulations, and their products have been verified by the market. Purchasing those types of equipment locally can save some trouble for you.
3. Ask for references
All the suppliers listed on Brewlink.com will have to pass the reputation investigation conducted by their representative staff which includes the reference check. However, we recommend you to ask for references again when dealing with the supplier.
4. Ask for UL
When it comes to any electric components (control panels, wires, electric parts), please ask for UL certified product.
5. Look into details
Before moving forward with an order, you may like to look into the details of these terms:
5-1 Drawings
Make sure the dimension, design, materials, parts, and fittings are correctly shown on the drawings. Confirm the production details including finishing method(like 2B finish), polishing, acid passivation, etc.
5-2 Contract
Make sure all the products and quantities are listed correctly. Please have the supplier include parts and fittings that go with the equipment, and specify the warranty policy, payment terms, shipping terms, and anything that matters to you.
5-3 Schematics, P&ID, Power requirement
Make sure to have an electrician, and piping contractor go over the document and raise questions before signing the contract with the supplier.
One of the best functions on Brewlink.com is you can send one RFQ(request for quotes) on the home page to get multiple quotes from different suppliers.
While our target business now is more focused on selling in-stock tanks in the US, our branch company/manufacturer in China is able to provide turnkey brewing equipment solutions from 3BBL to 120BBL, their products are listed on brewlink.com Click HERE. You may like to go and check them if you are looking for anything that we can't provide.
Recommend to browse on desktops or laptops for full functions.
Their service team could be found via info@brewlink.com Feel free to contact for any further questions you may have.
Thank you.
