PicoBrew first hit the Kickstarter scene back in 2013 with the first version of its at-home craft brewing station. Since then, it has successfully shipped multiple fully-funded projects to backers. Fast forward and Pico has returned with its newest creation, the Model C, with a promise to make brewing at home “easier, more affordable and more fun” than ever before…
While brewing your own beer at home isn’t a costly endeavor, it can be very intimidating to get started. Pico C hopes to soothe those worries with a step-by-step automated process that is largely foolproof, according to the manufacturer. But don’t count on making large batches of your favorite brews, each keg puts out around just five liters.
So how does this countertop system work? It all starts with PicoBrew’s BrewMarketplace that allows customers to choose from a variety of popular beer recipes from makers all over the United States. In Keurig-like fashion, your batch of ingredients arrives in a pod that can then be mixed to brew a batch of your favorite drinks.
The system itself is designed to be the most user-friendly appliance that Pico has ever released. Model C has a trimmed-down design that ditches the costly stainless steel shell and OLED display for a much simpler approach. This move also resulted in a $250 price drop versus the previous generation.
PiceBrew uses a proprietary fermentation keg that acts much like a pressure cooker in many ways. Once your settings are selected on the display and the recipe is scanned by a built-in RFID reader, the Model C will begin carefully crafting your batch as instructed. By simplifying the process, experienced brewers will notice a lack of customization along the way which may turn off some prospective buyers.
While today’s launch brings a new at-home brewer from Pico, the brand is also providing some details on its accompanying iOS app. This adds the ability for users to remotely track the progress of their beer, monitor temperatures and provides native access to Pico’s subscription service. For $59 per month, you’ll get unlimited access to the library of available brews with the option of “checking out” two at a time. If you’re not ready to commit to this level of brewing, you can buy single packs along the way too.
After just a few hours on Kickstarter, PicoBrew has already raised over $123,000, well on its way to the initial goal of $350,000. An early bird pledge of $279 will deliver a unit in August when the full retail price will jump to $549.
[9to5-press-release]
PicoBrew Debuts the Next Generation of Craft Beer Brewing Appliances, Pico Model C
SEATTLE, April 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — PicoBrew, manufacturer of the world’s first line of automatic craft beer brewing appliances, today announced the newest addition to its consumer product family, the Pico Model C, and a Kickstarter campaign to help fund initial production. The Pico Model C Kickstarter campaign offers early backers a chance to purchase the new model at prices starting at just $279USD. Pico Model C builds on the technology and market success of the all-stainless Pico Model S launched into the channel late last year for an MSRP of $799, but makes brewing your own fresh craft beer even more affordable, simple and fun.
“We’ve spent a significant amount of time listening to our customers who were early adopters of the initial Pico to identify areas where we could streamline and simplify the use of the appliance even further,” said Dr. Bill Mitchell, CEO, PicoBrew. “By making improvements to our hardware with a sleeker design and easier-to-use and clean brewing keg, and by offering a more accessible price point, brewing fresh craft beer at home can be a reality for an even larger number of craft beer enthusiasts. We are excited to offer incentives through our Kickstarter campaign that will allow the earliest backers to secure their own Pico Model C for more than 50% off the retail price, with plenty of other enticing add-ons to choose from.”
Features of the new Pico Model C craft beer brewing appliance include:
- Sleek, black powder-coated exterior;
- High-contrast two-line OLED display;
- Brews existing PicoPaks and Freestyle PicoPaks in about 2 hours;
- Easier-to-use, dishwasher-safe Pico C Keg with a simplified hose connection; and
- More affordable price point.
Pico Model C will retail for $549USD when it hits stores in fall 2017 and will include the brewing appliance, Pico C Brewing Keg and 5L serving keg. PicoPaks and CO2 carbonation kit will be sold separately.
The Kickstarter campaign will run through May 12th with a goal of raising $350,000 for production. An initial offering of 500 Pico Model C units is available for backers who pledge $279 or more, and backers can also opt for add-on incentives like additional kegs and special PicoPaks. Additional incentives will be announced throughout the campaign. For the latest updates, visit www.picobrew.com to sign up for the Kickstarter campaign e-newsletter.
Coincident with the launch of their new appliance, PicoBrew also announced two other supporting products.
BrewUnlimited is a new PicoPak subscription service that allows customers to brew as many PicoPaks as they want for just $59 per month, including shipping. Customers are limited to two unbrewed PicoPaks at any time during their subscription, but as soon as they brew may reorder any PicoPak including the new design-them-yourself FreeStyle PicoPaks. As a limited-time Kickstarter incentive, customers get two months of BrewUnlimited for just $100.
BrewPulse is a new mobile application that serves to help manage and control your craft beer life. Purchase PicoPaks through the BrewMarketplace, monitor the progress of your brewing cycle in real-time, and now track fermentation and carbonation progress to achieve your finished beer. The app will be free for download and available for iOS and Android coincident with Pico Model C shipping and compatible with the original Pico Model S as well.
For more information about Pico Model C and the Kickstarter campaign, visit: www.picobrew.com/kickstarter.
For high-res images and video of Pico Model C, visit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lwp5b07t35hrnpa/AACbXm_K6uArfuXTG41tUjqVa?dl=0
About PicoBrew
PicoBrew was founded in Seattle in 2010 by brothers Bill and Jim Mitchell, a former Microsoft executive and food scientist, along with engineer Avi Geiger. Combining their food science and technology expertise with their passion for homebrewing, they set out to improve the craft beer brewing process for small producers and homebrewers. PicoBrew introduced its flagship product, the award-winning Zymatic® automatic beer-brewing appliance for beer brewing professionals and homebrewers, in 2013. The Pico™, designed for consumer craft beer enthusiasts, followed in 2016. Both machines are designed to improve the precision, repeatability and overall quality of the brewing process to create consistently delicious craft beer. For more information, visit www.picobrew.com or follow PicoBrew on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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