PicoBrew, a Seattle startup company run by a former Microsoft executive, is set to begin shipping their new home beer brewing machine, the Zymatic. In October 2013, the PicoBrew principals launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their venture. The idea was to create the equivalent of a high-end espresso maker for the home brewer. Their $150,000 goal was met in a single day, and they have gone on to amass over $660,000. Nothing like a bit of prospective customer support!
Earlier versions of home brewing devices have been on the market prior to this, but they were more expensive and limited as to the kind of beer they could produce. At $1699, Zymatic is still cost prohibitive for many households, although professional craft beer brewers have been eyeing the machine for possible use on testing small batches, as the machine isn't limited to the type of beer it produces.
Zymatic does have an interesting feature: the machine connects to the Internet and is capable of sharing recipe and batch information with other home brewers. Ingredients are mixed automatically and the user can walk away and return to a batch of unfermented beer in 3.5 hours. After a week of fermentation and added carbonation, the recipe is ready to meet a frosty mug.
Visit the PicoBrew website to learn more. Story via Forbes.
Anyone with me?