PicoBrew

Nope, but will probably not try it. The Kureg produces good brew but I prefer those I make in a more old fashioned way from fresh grounds and a hot water pour filtered through a paper filter. So I suspect the Pico system will produce fairly consistent beers but not the great ones that we see from some brewers.

(I'm also not a big fan of the amount of non-biodegradable trash created by the widespread use of the Kureg cups so if the Pico creates a similar problem I'll definitely not even be willing to try it.)

 

This brewing system has come up occasionally as a topic in the Homebrewing forum. Here's a link to a search I did of that forum if anyone would like to see more comments about it:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/search/35093670/?q=Pico&o=date&c[node]=8

 

Does that mean it'd give 8 ounce pours only when you want a full mug and generate an unnecessary amount of waste?

I wouldn't be interested in this. Even if they could actually deliver quality that's just not a fun way to drink beer.

 

I understand the reluctance to give up homebrewing for a device. But just so the discussion is an informed one, the Pico system brews 5 liters at a time (1.3 gallons). You still need to wait for beer to ferment, but the upfront brewing process is automated. And the company has made efforts to learn from the mistakes of Keurig and use biodegradable packaging (if I remember correctly, it's a sugar cane byproduct that makes something resembling cardboard). Also, the company has a Kickstarter/indiegogo for a cheaper version of the original device ... and allows you to customize ingredient packs on the website. They've even developed a distilling attachment for, um, distilling hop oils and such. So, machine vs. old-school debate aside, they do seem to innovate different brewing experiences.

 

You can make fine wort on a picobrew. Homebrewer's make wort. Yeast makes beer!

 

a very cool but bizarre and expensive machine. the primary draw of home brewing is learning the process and equipment to make your own beer - this device takes most of that fun away. zero chance this company and concept takes hold IMO.

 

There was a time where if you had a car, you did at least some of the work to keep it running. At one time if you wanted coffee, you had to grow and grind the beans and make it over a fire. Seems inevitable that any human endeavor will see some level of automation, which will be seen as sacrilege by diehard dot-it-yourselfers. That's fine, folks can and will keep brewing the best beer the old way, while a new army of "brewers" will get into it only because it's been made brainless.

 

There are many who who Homebrew that make the wort using extract. Much of the work is done by the extract manufacturer.

I see the Pico as something that would be attractive to someone living in a small apartment. It would be attractive to someone that was handicapped. And so on.

Coffee is typically grown near the equator. Hawaii is the only state where coffee is grown, well, and in the territory of Puerto Rico. Doing a quick search, I see a very limited amount is grown in CA, a recent development. Coffee was introduced to the Colonies before the revolution. People would have roasted the beans and then made coffee. Just saying.

I still do some car maintainance, but not as much as I used to.

 

at $799 for the current pico "bread machine" brew set -- that new army is gonna have to have lots of disposable income.

 

Coffee is grown in a limited basis in Guam, too.

 

Add to the list...

My BiL was on Guam to visit his Daughter, who is married to a Navy Seviceman. He said it was odd, every day there was news and sports, no weather. The weather was the same everyday when he was there. That seemed odd when he talked about it.