Before I dive into this PicoBrew review, I first want to say that I have very fond memories of homemade beer. My friend’s family used to brew a batch once a month and, to this day, I remember the smell and the yellow frothy goodness gulped down by their and my folks nearly every weekend. As a youngster, the best part for me was at the same time we’d brew up some homemade root beer, which was the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted. I was never strong enough to get the caps on the reused bottles we used, but I could help with just about everything else.
My Attempts to Brew – BEFORE PicoBrew
When I decided it was time to try my own hand at home-brewed beer, I was really lost. I got help, read blogs, asked questions, and still wasn’t getting anywhere. Then a friend suggested I look at PicoBrew. I have to admit I was sucked in by the hearty looking design with all the bells and whistles. The fact that it connected to wi-fi to assure the process matched the flavor and the brew was a feature that, honestly, got me hooked on checking it out.
I read all the information I could find on the once Indy-product started with a Kickstarter fund. The one benefit I couldn’t ignore was the time. After so many failed attempts at making my own brew by hand, I was ready for an easier way. And that’s where the Pico comes in (see it HERE at Amazon)
Read the Manual
The PicoBrew Pico Automated Home Brewing Appliance really does all the work and thinking for you, and when I got everything out of the box I quickly realized I was over my skis again. The thick manual stared at me from the counter and I figured I better start reading. It wasn’t as nearly complicated as I had dreaded and once I got the initial cleaning out of the way, I was feeling pretty confident and got to work.
I already knew what I wanted to try first, a stout called Buffalo Sweat by Tallgrass Brewing, and thank goodness the Pico packs have everything ready in pre-measured bliss for those of us who struggle with such things.
I set up my account connected to wi-fi in a jif and watched for a bit, in wonder, as the high-tech brewery sitting on my counter went to work. (BTW: Check their video below this review for another quick look.)
Pico’s Push-button Paradise
I had read a few times the PicoBrew Pico Automated Home Brewing Appliance was like the Keurig for beer, and at this point I agreed. I happen to own a Keurig and felt the same way when I first tasted my steam brewed coffee just the way I liked it.
Though the PicoBrew Pico has more steps than Keurig, I no longer had to spend hours watching and monitoring the brewing process because my new machine could do that on its own. I took a break to let it do its thing and read more of the manual to get ahead of the game.
It turns out I could speed up the process even more if I went with the option of a faster ferment. This would save up to three days in the process, and I immediately knew this was for me. I had planned a day of football and