The craft beer obsession in America appears to be much more than a fad, as craft breweries continue to pop-up in all states. The success of these operations is tied to America’s expanding palate. Capitalizing on these tastes is Pico Brew, a Seattle-based startup whose Pico makes beer with speed and precision, something lacked by traditional homebrewing kits.
Pico Brew had previously rolled out a sophisticated beer-making machine, the Zymatric. That appliance, which was launched in 2013 and currently sells for $1,999, is the world’s first all-grain, fully-automatic beer brewing machine, according to the company’s claims. The company used patented technology from the Zymatric to deliver a product that is smaller and more affordable than its predecessor. (On the company’s website, the Pico can be had at a special pre-order price of $599.) The goal of the Pico is to also make homebrewing craft beer simpler than it was with the Zymatric. The company claims that the Pico can be easily operated by those who have never attempted the process before.
Just as the Zymatric, the Pico was made possible due to a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign. Named a “Kickstarter Staff Pick,” the project hit its crowd funding goal of $200,000 within 9 hours of being launched on Oct. 26, 2015. Despite hitting the mark, the Pico faithful have been so thirsty for their own specialized brew that the 1,898 backers have pledged $1.4 million to the project.
Pico Brew justifies the cost of its Pico due to its many enticing features. The 32-pound machine brews five-liter mini kegs of beer at a time, and the fermentation process takes about a week. Consumers can connect the machine via Wi-Fi to what the company calls a “BrewMarketplace,” which allows one to brew a fresh craft beer from an assortment of breweries from around the world.
The more adventurous drinker can create a custom beer designed specifically for their preferences—a process made possible by the company’s “FreeStyle PicoPaks.” To create the unique brew, one selects a base beer style (e.g. IPA), then chooses the grains, hops, and yeast that goes into the blend.
The Pico also features a sous-vide cooking mode, which allows users to craft meals that pair well with their brew.
By purchasing on the company’s website, consumers should have the Pico shipped to them around May, though the company cautions that delays could be met due to the manufacturing and delivery processes. Those purchasing the machine from Pico’s Kickstarter page could have the machine at an earlier date. The cost of a Pico purchased on Kickstarter varies depending on the package selected.
