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While I was searching how to solve some brewing problems I watched a video for picobrew Pico https://youtu.be/LFtH24eCNbU This machine will be in the markets soon ... but there was another products already in the market.

My Question: is it better than home brewing?

Mr_road
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user13886
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    Also this one, iGulu: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/igulu-smart-automated-craft-beer-home-brewery--4#/ – Wayne In Yak Jul 10 '16 at 18:30
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    Technically it is homebrewing, though I think most people will get what you're saying. To me it's kind of like the comparing someone posting cell-phone pictures to Instagram and someone taking pictures with a D-SLR camera and tweaking the white balance in Photoshop; both are photographers, taking photographs, which may be just as nice in their own way, but people will probably have strong opinions about which is a 'better' photographer. In the end, it's really about how much you want to put into it and what you want to get out of it. – Franklin P Combs Jul 10 '16 at 20:33

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It depends what you mean by better. Using a regular homebrew system with tanks/pots gives you flexibility to deal with any problems or whims of fancy as they come, whereas the PicoBrew system looks more like for someone who wants to run dependable recipes without paying much attention to the actual brew. It depends what matters to you more.

A.Yuen
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If you live in a very small city studio flat then this may be the way for you, very little space is taken up and it all come very neatly packaged.

But... if you want to make your own beer recipes, not one devised by another and want to learn the process and experiment then is is probably not for you.

I think it is a brilliant idea, I don't know how much you would hack it and add some extra malt here or swap out the hops there, but for a simple easy to use system with little mess and very low space requirements I think it is wonderful.

I will not be buying one, but it depends what experience you want, and how much you love cleaning fermenters :)

Mr_road
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I have a Pico. You really can't compare it to homebrewing. It's not intended to be the same thing. It's for craft beer lovers who want to drink beers they can't get otherwise, or who just want the freshness of making it themselves. I also have a Zymatic and a traditional cooler based system. Which one I use depends on my goals and what I feel like.

Denny Conn
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I'm not a fan, it's the keurig of beer. I guess if you have a beard and can't change a tire this is what you buy to say you made a beer.

Understanding how beer is made and executing makes you a homebrewer.

Evil Zymurgist
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    I think you have a misunderstanding of what the Pico is and who it's intended for. – Denny Conn Jul 13 '16 at 18:50
  • @DennyConn it comes in a pack, you press a button and it automates the mash. How is that not exactly what Keurig does? I completely understand what it is, and I'm not a fan. But if you can't execute a brew from scratch then this is for you. – Evil Zymurgist Jul 14 '16 at 12:51
  • I think what you miss is in the statement "Understanding how beer is made and executing makes you a homebrewer". This is not a system intended for a homebrewer...it's for a beer fan. For people who live where they can't have a full brew system. – Denny Conn Jul 14 '16 at 16:19
  • @DennyConn imo, if you use a Pico to make a brew it does not make you a homebrewer. Use of these systems are banned for use in many homebrew competitions. – Evil Zymurgist Jul 14 '16 at 16:46
  • OK, first are you talking about the Pico or the Zymatic? The Zymatic is really no different than a lot of other fancy homebrew systems using PIDs. I agree about the Pico...it's not homebrewing and isn't intended to be. It's beer making. I've heard the rumor about the Zymatic being banned form comps, but I've never been able to find any evidence that it is. Do you have some specifics? – Denny Conn Jul 14 '16 at 18:07
  • @DennyConn most comps describe it as "automated brewing systems" but allow for homemade systems that uses brewpi etc. Basically anything that removes the majority of the skill needed to brew is not allowed. Similar to brew your own brew houses are not allowed, as they offer professional equipment and assistance. – Evil Zymurgist Jul 14 '16 at 19:27
  • @DennyConn AHA National Comp. "Your homebrew cannot have been brewed on equipment used to brew beverages for any commercial purpose, whether for commercial research, production or any other purpose, including equipment at brew-on-premises establishments." – Evil Zymurgist Jul 14 '16 at 19:35
  • Well, neither the Zymatic nor Pico qualify as commercial equipment, so no problem. You may not be aware of it, but I'm on the AHA Governing Committee so I help write these rules. I'm pretty familiar with them and their intent! – Denny Conn Jul 14 '16 at 19:46
  • again, if you're talking about the Pico, I agree. But the Zymatic is a different thing. With the Zymatic, the only thing removed is the drudgery and a bit of labor. It's not that much different from all the brewers that have something like a Brutus10. That's a pretty much "automated brewing system" and AFAIK beers brewed with it have never been disallowed. I understand your feelings. When I first saw the Zymatic, the first words out of my mouth were "DO NOT WANT!". Then I tried it. And changed my mind completely. – Denny Conn Jul 14 '16 at 19:50
  • @DennyConn yes I know who you are. I think the rules need to extend to such systems that remove the need for talent. I'm all for automation, but a commercially available product like the Pico and other monkey button systems really undermine the goals of brewing education. – Evil Zymurgist Jul 14 '16 at 20:01
  • Again, talking about the Pico, I agree about comps. But when you talk about "monkey button" systems, with all due respect, you don't really know what you're talking about. What about somehting like this...https://www.morebeer.com/products/rider-digital-brewsculpture-v4.html? What about the Grainfather or Spiedel system? Do they undermine the goals of brewing education? And why is it you get to define that for everybody? Isn't this homebrewing? Doesn't everyone get to decide for themselves? – Denny Conn Jul 14 '16 at 20:16
  • @DennyConn I think we're on the same page, with the Pico being a "monkey button" system as there is no real useful user control other than setting mash temp and when hops drop dimmed down to ABV/Bitter settings... Monkey presses go button. I like automation, with meaningful brewer control as is with the other systems you have mentioned. Every hombrewer strives for more control and automation in their brew house, nothing wrong with that. – Evil Zymurgist Jul 14 '16 at 20:54