Brewbot

Saw this today. Interesting idea and looks pretty good but $2,700 seems like quite a bit.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cargo/brewbot-the-smart-brewing-appliance

SteveLikesBeer said:

Saw this today. Interesting idea and looks pretty good but $2,700 seems like quite a bit. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cargo/brewbot-the-smart-brewing-appliance

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The price is probably in the ballpark for someone looking for a turnkey setup, think of what a Sabco or MoreBeer costs. Not for me and I'm not sure I see it being successful but I did find their design concepts interesting. It's worth checking out the video.

Thanks for the link!

I thought it was a really cool concept. Really liked the design idea. I don't see it lending it self to advanced brewing techniques though. I would like to see how the stackable fermentation vessels work.

Just this this on KS too. I might have to go down to baileys taproom portland and see first hand. I thought it kinda looked a little bulky but cool concept & nice looking UI. I remember seeing something a while back that was a closed system AIO while back but also had a tap to dispense in a week time. I can brew 10 gallons now at a time and haven't even spent that much for the hobby, goo luck guys.

Those stackable fermentors look neat.

grathan said:

Those stackable fermentors look neat.

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Those look to be nothing more than steam table trays with a seal on the lid...

I meant the concept. Easy to clean, store. They don't require a lot of ferm chamber space.

Doesn't appear their Kickstarter goal will be achieved, which is too bad. Looks like a really interesting concept.

I had a lot of questions that make me wonder how much of a working prototype they have or how well it really works.

The stackable fermenters were interesting but how do you get the beer out of them to your serving vessels? Also, unless they seal completely tight, transporting a shallow container like that seems like it would be difficult and messy.

Regardless, I like the outside the box thinking and not doing things the same way just because it's always been done that way. I use Better Bottles for fermenters which work okay but also have their less than ideal characteristics. My Better Bottles replaced glass carboys as they were just a cheaper and lighter version. The glass carboys likely became the fermenting vessel of choice back in the day based on availability to the homebrewer, not based on any real science of functionality concerns.

Anyhow, hope they continue the entrepreneurial dream...

The need to team up with the WilliamsWarn guys. I mean whats another $5k
Really it is not a bad offer for $2k for a trunkey system. I would just think cleanup would be a *****. And for that money couldn't they have at least run everthing in stainless instead of copper!

I saw this too and had the same thoughts as all of you. I wish they went more into the details of how it works at least somewhere on the site. Like, how does it chill, how do you rack from the fermenters, stir the boil/mash, etc. This seemed geared toward people who don't already brew.

I do like the stainless/reclaim wood look though. It'd be cool to try out.

Its a hipster brew tower!!!!

Ok its an interesting concept. I just dont see it being a practical purchase for anyone

I don't have an iPhone, so I guess I'm out.

Its a really interesting concept, wish they explained a bit more of how it would work. Not sure how the stackable fermenters would work, no airlock? How would you rack out of one?

I want to see a video of it in use making beer, not just one of water being pumped around and heated a few degrees. They claim they have a working prototype but there are a lot of details now discussed like a false bottom for the mash tun and something to filter the hops in the boil kettle.

crane said:

I want to see a video of it in use making beer, not just one of water being pumped around and heated a few degrees. They claim they have a working prototype but there are a lot of details now discussed like a false bottom for the mash tun and something to filter the hops in the boil kettle.

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Had similar questions to you. Also, how do you hook up water sources.

Ok, I am going to have to play the bad guy here. To me it seems like a metal pan with a heat plate and chiller below it, and a valve that will allow it to gravity to the vessel below. Using shallow metal pans would allow something like an induction heater or two to be used. It seems like a nothing more than it fills the amount of water, then follows a heating and timing schedule. From the video you have to add everything yourself, it just controls temp and moves it to the vessel below which appears to be steam pans. I will say its larger than that ones I linked below. But it just seems like heating and cooling timers. I would suspect the fermentation takes place elsewhere which the type of pans would easily allow them to be set on a temp controlled surface or placed in something larger that is similar to a bread proofer(Think Subway sandwiches)

http://www.polarware.com/food-service/steam-table-pans/gasketed-cover.php

I agree with you RickH - for $2500 you could build a who lot more with more function/capacity. I can see people with money to burn buying these things, making a few batches and then moving on to the next toy.
Realistically you could build a BIAB RIMS countertop setup for (don't nail me to this) ~$500 (~$500 FOR A 2.5 Gallon eBIAB). In the not so distant future I would like to build a external boiler eBIAB (RIMS tube for mash & boiling), should be sweet for test batches

i'm not into it. it oversimplifies the process so "anyone can be a brewer". i can see a lot of trust fund hipster types in the bar boasting about how they're homebrewers with one of these things. plus it seems to only do small batches and it's process is limited. kinda like a microwave for homebrewing. if they got picked up by keurig we could even buy IPA k-cups.

i would think you could do the same with a raspberry pi setup and a bit more coding. if i had an all electric setup to mess with i would consider working on something like this.

RonPopeil said:

i'm not into it. it oversimplifies the process so "anyone can be a brewer". i can see a lot of trust fund hipster types in the bar boasting about how they're homebrewers with one of these things. plus it seems to only do small batches and it's process is limited. kinda like a microwave for homebrewing. if they got picked up by keurig we could even buy IPA k-cups.

i would think you could do the same with a raspberry pi setup and a bit more coding. if i had an all electric setup to mess with i would consider working on something like this.

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You could do the same with an Arduino - and as part of the open source creative commons licence of Arduino both PicoBrew and Brewbot should have to release their code (not sure how much use that would be though)
I really wish I had the money to play with to develop a "cheap" alternative, I suppose I could reduce some costs initially by not using automated valves and just pausing with an alarm to move the hose to the next step

mattd2 said:

You could do the same with an Arduino - and as part of the open source creative commons licence of Arduino both PicoBrew and Brewbot should have to release their code (not sure how much use that would be though)
I really wish I had the money to play with to develop a "cheap" alternative, I suppose I could reduce some costs initially by not using automated valves and just pausing with an alarm to move the hose to the next step

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This is true. The thread I started about source code is what I am hoping can turn into exact what your talking about. Or close atleast. Something open and cheap that you can customize to work with only what you have. Even if it just acts like a PID, a cool looking PID. We need more sharing of info!

RickH said:

This is true. The thread I started about source code is what I am hoping can turn into exact what your talking about. Or close atleast. Something open and cheap that you can customize to work with only what you have. Even if it just acts like a PID, a cool looking PID. We need more sharing of info!

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I'll be "sharing" "my" (i.e. my use of others libraries ) code for a 3.2" touchscreen control panel when it is done (in the future). At the moment it's got 2 buttons - next and prev. ... that is all

I think the problem here is that they are trying to break into a niche market with an expensive product that doesn't really do that much. If you have never brewed beer at all, I could see this appealing to you, as you don't understand the process and it simplifies it for you. But a lot of home brewers are DIY and cost savings minded, and for the price being asked you could put together a pretty amazing all stainless non automated system. I just don't see someone wanting to spend 2000 bucks to start brewiung some beer.

Sure some of us wind up spending that anyway, but it's after we've been brewing for awhile and the hobby has really taken hold and it's not just about making beer.

newbies13 said:

I think the problem here is that they are trying to break into a niche market with an expensive product that doesn't really do that much. If you have never brewed beer at all, I could see this appealing to you, as you don't understand the process and it simplifies it for you. But a lot of home brewers are DIY and cost savings minded, and for the price being asked you could put together a pretty amazing all stainless non automated system. I just don't see someone wanting to spend 2000 bucks to start brewiung some beer.

Sure some of us wind up spending that anyway, but it's after we've been brewing for awhile and the hobby has really taken hold and it's not just about making beer.

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People spend a ton on espresso machines. It's a fad, but one I'm willing to bet they'll win on.

That's really interesting. I don't know that I would have thought of that as a concept.

It will probably go but it's certainly not for me. Although it. Would be a great conversation piece in my office.

In my opinion, the whole idea of home brewing is my love of the process. Why the f!ck would I want a machine to let me know when my beer was done? Its to fancy- good thing its in Europe! Get in there, feel the heat, F8ck it up, brew it again, oh- **** its good. Repeat.

This "hobby" is becoming too trendy. The days of laughtring in a bucket must be over. Frowny face!