A K-Cup for Beer? PicoBrew Pico Promises Craft Beer at Home

PicoBrew got started just a few years ago with the goal of creating a comprehensive, easy-to-use microbrewing system. The company put out the Zymatic , a $2,000 device that automates much of the beer-brewing process while allowing consumers and breweries to experiemnt with their own ingredients.

It's a large, expensive product, however, and you still need to put in the right mix of grains and yeast and other beer components yourself. That's why PicoBrew is launching a crowdfunding campaign for the Pico on Kickstarter.

The Pico is an automated, connected microbrewing system similar to the Zymatic, but at half the size and (during the campaign) a quarter of the price. Its goal is to make the process much easier through the use of PicoPaks, the microbrewery version of Keurig coffee machine K-Cups.

Each PicoPak contains the barley, hops, and other ingredients needed to brew beer, all in a single package you slide into the Pico and set to brew. This could allow famous breweries to more easily distribute their beer to home users, creating an extra revenue stream. More than 50 breweries and brewmasters have partnered with PicoBrew to develop and release PicoPaks, including Dogfish Head, Rogue, and Dieu du Ciel.

The brewing process takes two hours, which is less than the five hours the Zymatic requires. However, you still need to wait a few weeks for fermentation, so I couldn't really get a first-hand experience of the Pico when PicoBrew brought a demonstration unit to PC Labs. The hardware and prototype PicoPaks look well thought out, however, and the promise of brewing my own Dogfish Head beer is very tempting.

The Pico Kickstarter campaign started today, and a $499 early bird pledge will get you a Pico and one PicoPak; get three for $549. Once those are snapped up, the Pico will set you back $599.

The campaign has already raised over $70,000 of its $200,000 goal. If the campaign is funded, PicoBrew plans to have Picos ready to ship in spring 2016. And, like the Zymatic, we'll test and review the Pico as soon as it's available.