The Pico automated homebrew machine. (via PicoBrew)
Okay, truth time. I made the Drinkmotizer, the Raspberry Pi drink mixing robot, for almost the exact same reason of these guys here. I should have kept going all the way to kickstarter...
Could you be serving homebrew at your next holiday party?! The Pico, created by PicoBrew Inc., is trying to revolutionize the way we think of creating and drinking beer with a new and kind-of affordable kitchen gadget that automates the beer making process. It’s kind of like a having a fancy Nespresso machine in your house, but instead of lattes, it makes beer to your taste – without the guesswork. If any of you have tried to make your own beer, then you know that a lot can go very, very wrong. Of course, you’ll still end up drinking it, but you won’t necessarily enjoy the taste.
The Pico is quite unique and automates the complicated process of stabilizing temperatures, timing when to add the hops, when to add the yeast, and how to control bitterness and the final alcohol by volume. The Pico isn’t their first rodeo. They created a similar machine called the Zymatic which is a larger and beefier version that retailed at $2000. The price discouraged consumers, but did get the attention of breweries looking to test new recipes. The Pico intends to bring automated beer brewing to the mass market by lowing the price tag and the size to about half. Their new machine has been released on Kickstarter with early birds starting at $500.
With the campaign at a close, PicoBrew raised almost $1.4 million (significantly more than its pledge goal of $200,000). After December 1st, the public will have to wait until the Pico goes on the market where it is expected to retail for $1000. That is still a pretty penny, but it is certainly more conceivable than buying the Zymatic for $2000.
Judging by the success of the Kickstarter Campaign, it seems like there will be a lot of happy beer aficionados on Christmas morning. The Pico is expected to be delivered in March 2016. What makes this even more interesting are the PicoPaks that you buy for use with the Pico (like buying Keurig coffee cups). These packs have measured hops, grain, yeast, and everything else you need to create an artesian, microbrewer beer. There are over 100 different PicoPaks which act like recipe ingredients to brew your own tried, tested, and approved craft beer. Some commercial PicoPaks include Rouge and Elysian.
The new PicoBrew Development program also allows you to submit your personal recipes for certification and inclusion in their ‘BrewMarketplace’. This seems to open up the microbrewer marketplace to consumers and breweries alike. It will be really interesting to see how this develops. All you require is a Pico, a 5L mini-keg filled with water, and a PicoPak to make high-quality beer in your own home – which is pretty cool.
However, I wonder how many people will actually pay $1000 for such a luxury on retail. After all, $1000 could also buy you a lot of craft beer from the local supermarket…
Want to see how a beer is made with PicoBrew, watch this how-to
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