Beer Fermentation Tank – Trust in Japanese Craftsmanship and Easy Consultation Leave a comment

Consultation, design, and assembly all done domestically. It was reassuring to receive answers to questions even after delivery.

Dining Bar Operating Company L

A dining bar operating company expanding to 17 outlets mainly in Tokyo’s Nerima and Saitama Prefecture. While supporting the launch of restaurants, they opened a craft beer brewery in 2020. In 2021 and 2022, they won a total of five silver and bronze medals in the “Japan Great Beer Awards” and are planning further expansion of their beer business.

Originally, they were fully operating two tanks (foreign-made) of about 540L each. However, since they could not meet even half of the demand, they decided to introduce fermentation tanks manufactured by Nittokin Metal Industry.

For this article, we interviewed Mr. H, who is in charge at their brewery in Fujimi City, Saitama Prefecture, about the business situation and product introduction.

Starting Beer Brewing – Craft Beer Brewing as a New Business

– Can you tell us about the history and how this place came to be?

The establishment of this shop was about two years ago, and that was around the same time we obtained our brewing license.

Originally, our company was expanding dining bars mainly in Nerima, but while doing so, we considered starting a new business and decided to embark on craft beer brewing.

– Starting a brewing business from scratch, were there any challenges?

First, to get a beer license, we had to learn the beer-making process. However, we had absolutely no knowledge, so we learned from a consultant named Lina, taking about a year to study.

In the beginning, it felt more like we were just doing what we were told rather than understanding and doing it ourselves. Those were quite tough days, but lately, it feels like we’re finally getting the hang of it.

Initially, we wondered if we could really make beer, but as we learned about beer brewing, we discovered that even small companies like ours are brewing beer.

Decided on a Product Made in Japan for Peace of Mind, Even if It’s a Bit Expensive

The 600L fermentation tank delivered this time. Designed to fit perfectly in the space.

– I heard you originally introduced foreign-made tanks.

Yes. We introduced two tanks of 540L each. We had a production capacity of just over 1000L, but with 17 outlets, just one of them consumes about 300L, so supply was not catching up with demand.

– So you considered a new container?

As mentioned earlier, our consultant Lina told us about Nittokin Metal Industry’s containers.

While our first tanks were foreign-made, the route to get a Japanese-made product feels safer and more reliable. Above all, it’s easier to communicate, so you can convey your wishes during the design phase or consult in case of malfunction. Ultimately, we thought it was better to go with a product made in Japan, even if it’s a bit expensive, for the peace of mind it offers.

Additionally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in Ukraine raised concerns about how long it would take to ship from abroad, as well as worries about how much the shipping costs would increase. This was also one of the reasons for our decision.

– You mentioned “a bit expensive,” did our product seem pricey to you?

Indeed, foreign-made products are cheaper, but the shipping cost ends up being several hundreds of thousands of yen. Moreover, with Nittokin Metal, we can consult domestically and see our requests reflected in the design immediately. They also handle assembly at the brewery. They answered various questions, so I didn’t feel that the product was overly expensive.

It was great that the sales and technical staff were very supportive.

– We had interactions through our technician K and salesperson F, how was that?

At first, I was surprised by the wild appearance of Mr. K from the technical team, but it was nice that he was very supportive (laughs). I, as the person in charge on-site, had direct interactions with technician K, while our company representative discussed financial aspects with salesperson F. The arrangement made communication very smooth.

– How has it been after delivery?

It’s been about two months since the delivery, and due to the intense summer heat, we couldn’t make efficient use of the chiller and had to discard all the contents once. Currently, while consulting with technician K, we are in our second brewing process. We are still getting used to the quirks and characteristics of the tank, so it might take some time. The complexity and depth of beer brewing mean it requires a lot of trial and error, probably around a year’s worth.

Future Prospects-

– Your Weizen beer has won the Japan Great Beer Awards (JGBA).

Yes, that’s right. In fact, our IPA also won an award at the JGBA in 2022.

– Congratulations! With about 16 breweries in Saitama, it seems like you have a lot of rivals.

Although the number of breweries continues to increase year by year, the craft beer industry doesn’t feel like a rivalry, but rather everyone works together, sharing information and not keeping recipes secret, making it easy to collaborate.

– In the future, if you plan to expand the brewery, would you consider our tanks?

Yes, we are thinking of asking for a quote soon. After checking the space and costs required for the next location, we want to consider it while thinking about production volume.