PicoBrew Pico Model C Beer Brewing Appliance Review
The PicoBrew Pico C Beer Brewing Machine Is The Ideal Brewing Appliance For Homebrewers Who Want To Easily Make Their Own Craft Beer At Home.
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The PicoBrew Pico C is just one of the beer brewing machines that are available in the PicoBrew family.
This beer brewing appliance can easily make 100s of different beer recipes without the need to buy any of the traditional homebrewing equipment that is often required when brewing beer at home.
Best of all, this countertop model makes the entire brewing process so simple that even the most inexperienced home brewer can enjoy drinking their very own craft beer in just 7 to 14 days.
Pico Brew Review
PicoBrew is a company that was started by two brothers who got tired of the inconsistency and the amount of time that was involved in traditional homebrewing.
They combined their knowledge of software and automation with their love for beer, and created a “beer brewing appliance” that would allow anyone with any skill level to easily brew their own beer at home.
How The PicoBrew Pico C Works
Being able to create you own beer from your kitchen countertop is what this Pico Brew system is all about.
With just this one machine, you are able to consolidate the many time-consuming steps that are required when homebrewing the traditional way, and let the machine take over the majority of the brewing process.
Eliminates Conventional Brewing Steps
The manual steps of mashing, sparging, steeping the grains, adding the malt extract and hops, boiling for 60 minutes, cooling the wort to the correct temperature so you can pitch the yeast, are now gone. All of these steps are automatically done for you when you use the PicoBrew home brewing system.
For a hard-core home brewer, this might sound like taboo, but for those who just want to make their own home brew without all the science behind it, this home brewing system is just fine.
Getting Started With The PicoBrew Pico Model C Beer Brewing Machine
You will have access to detailed instructions on how to operate the Pico C, but this is just a quick rundown of the brewing process.
Before you start brewing, you need to connect to the internet and create an account so the PicoBrew can read the RFID codes on the PicoPaks.
After you complete the “first rinse” to clean the parts, you will insert your PicoPaks into the machine, which is sorta like you are using a coffee machine.
The actual brewing process will take between 2 and 3 hours to complete, which allows you to do something else while the machine is doing its thing. After it finishes brewing, you come back the next day after it has cooled, and pitch the yeast.
There will be some involvement getting the kegs setup for fermentation, and then again when it’s time to transfer the finished beer to the serving keg.
Two weeks after opening the box, you can be drinking and sharing your homemade beer with family and friends.
Pros
- Beer recipes from real breweries
- Easy cleanup and dishwasher safe
- Can adjust ABV and bitterness of beer recipes
- Create your own PicoPaks
- Monitor the brewing process online or with the app
Cons
- Must have a WiFi connection to brew
- PicoPaks are ordered separately from the brewing system
- Machine can be noisy
Pico Home Brewing System: Thing To Consider Before Buying
Anytime you are faced with a buying decision, there are always things you should consider before you buy a particular product. The last thing you want to do is purchase a specific product, only to find out later that it was not what you were looking for.
So before you make your final decision, you might want to think about a few of these things:
How Much Beer Do You Want To Brew?
If you are looking to brew 5 or more gallons of beer like you can with most homebrewing and ingredient kits, the Pico C can only brew about 1.5-gallons, which is the equivalent of thirteen 12oz bottles.
Since the brewing process only takes a few hours before you transfer to the brewing keg for fermentation, you can immediately start brewing again as long as you have another PicoPak.
If you are set on making batches larger batches, this brewing machine is not what you are looking for.
Do You Have Any Knowledge Of Home Beer Brewing?
Traditional homebrewing is definitely not hard, but it does require some special brewing equipment and some basic understanding. Any previous brewing experience or knowledge can help but it is certainly not required when using this homebrew machine.
Fortunately, if you love beer but have absolutely zero knowledge of how beer is made and the brewing process, the PicoBrew system is made for you. All you need to do is follow some simple step-by-step directions and you are well on your way to making your own beer.
How Much Time Do You Want To Spend On Brew Day?
Typically if brewing with extract, you can have your beer in the fermenter in 1-1/2 to 2 hours, but it takes quite a bit of hands-on involvement. For all grain, it could be 8 or 9 hours and take up most of your day.
But with the Pico C, the brewing process will still take about 2 to 3 hours with some active participation, but it is pretty much hands-off. You can go do something else while the machine is doing its work.
Many homebrewers love the science behind beer brewing and don’t mind spending their day in their home brewery. Then you have other people who would rather just press a few buttons and be done.
It’s all up to you how involved you want to be and how you want to spend your day.
How Much Are You Willing To Spend?
Everything comes with a price, and the Pico C will cost you some money. While you might not be able to find similar all-in-one brewing machines for much less, you definitely can find a complete homebrew kit much cheaper.
Again, it just comes down to what you are looking for. If ease of use and saving time is your main goal and it fits into your budget, an automatic brewing machine would suit you fine.
Pico Brewery In a Box: What's Included
Inside of the main box will be more boxes that contain the instruction guide and the items listed below.
- The PicoBrew Brewing Appliance
- Brewing Keg With Lid
- Serving Keg
- Step Filter
- Step Filter Lid
- Racking Tube
- Keg Cozy
- (2) Keg Wands
- Airlock
- Bung
- Tubing Extension
- Keg Seal
- Keg Seal Stopper
- Keg Brush
- CO2 Regulator
- Carbonation Adapter
- Hops Pack Cradle
- Fast Fermentation Adapter
- Dip Tube Brush
- Cleaning Tab
Are There Any Deal-Breakers?
There are two things that we wish were different, but they are not deal-breakers.
Although you have the option to come up with your own personal recipes, there is a slight catch. You have to log into your account on their website and create your own custom recipe there. Once you do, you have to wait until they send you a PicoPak that includes your recipe.
And just so you know, you really can’t tweak the standard PicoPaks that you purchase other than adjusting the ABV and the bitterness of the beer.
Also, being able to monitor the brewing process in real-time is a really cool feature, but it does require a wi-fi connection in order to brew with this machine. There is no way to brew if you are “off-line” and not connected to the internet. And if your internet connection tends to be spotty at times, you can run into some problems.
Final Say On The Pico C
If you are looking for simple way to make your own craft beer without all the fuss and mess, that usually comes with traditional home brewing, the PicoBrew Pico C should be enough to meet your needs.
Being able to easily replicate beer recipes from different breweries across the world is the number one reason that we recommended this automatic beer brewing system.
Just to be clear, this model really isn’t a fully electric all-in-one brewing product. Like many similar models, there is still the need for a little involvement in different stages of the brewing process, including transferring the beer to the fermenting keg
Even though the cost might be out of the range for some and hard to justify, you really do get a lot for the price you are paying.
Happy Brewing!