Beer brewing and drinking craft beer is very popular right now. The stores are full with a mad variety of different craft beer products. Do you enjoy this type of beverage? If you want to brew your own beer or try following the recipes of others without the stress of building your own machinery, PicoBrew might have some exciting products for you.
PicoBrew was founded in 2010 by Avi Geiger, Bill Mitchell, and Jim Mitchell from Seattle in the US. Ever since they have been invested in by Spring Creek Investment Management and other firms, reaching a funding of $13.9m in three rounds.
Ever since PicoBrew was working on building smart machines to help the average person pursuing their hobbies and aspiration to brew their own beer without making a mess. They have a variety of products, and you should check them all out if you’re into the field of brewing. Maybe one of them is the right one for you.
Pico
Pico, also labeled as Personal Craft Beer Brewery, seems to be the flagship product of PicoBrew. It has been launched in January 2016. While commonly the “grain-to-glass” time is between seven and ten days, Pico can brew five liters of fresh craft beer in only two hours.
It’s not difficult to prepare a fresh craft beer with the Pico. Simply brew your PicoPak, ferment in a keg, carbonate, and drink. There’s a great variety of PicoPaks available, and most of them cost around $25. Some PicoPaks are cheaper, a few others are more expensive.
Pico can be bought for $799 and comes with a PicoPak.
Zymatic
The Zymatic by PicoBrew is a little more professional than the Pico. If you want to sell your beer creations, this might be more likely the right brewing machinery for you. It’s computer-aided and allows you to recreate recipes, so your drinks taste the same every time without variances.
You can create custom recipes or even import your favorites via BeerXML. The system is connected to the internet as well so you will be able to monitor the processing remotely from your computer or smartphone. If you created an ace mix, you could also offer it as PicoPak on the BrewMarketplace.
Zymatic is available for purchase at $1999.
KegSmarts
You can mount the KegSmarts unit on most kegerators, and you will be easily able to control the beer serving temperature. To further support you, there is also a display with detailed information about each beer on tap and how much is left.
An automatic fermentation control system regulates conditions to match your recipes. The KegSmarts units are connected to the Internet, so you are able to monitor them remotely. You can even hook up multiple devices at the same time.
KegSmarts is available for purchase starting at $299.
Summary
I thought the PicoBrew product was up to par with the technology they hold and features they offer. They aren’t cheap, but they offer a great value for their price. If brewing is or might become your hobby, then the systems are affordable.
I don’t want to calculate how much money you could save with this potentially in comparison to either buying bottled beer or brewing in a moonshine lab. This is just sophisticated, neat technology and it does not aim to save money on consumption. Consider it a luxury asset instead. Enjoy the preparation, enjoy the processing and enjoy drinking (of course, responsibly). Cheers!
If you’re curious about mixes, recipes and ways of brewing, you should also check out the BrewMarketplace on the PicoBrew website.
YouTube: PicoBrew Pico
Photo credit: PicoBrew
Source: PicoBrew website / Crunchbase
