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How did you get what you're pouring to show up on the KegSmarts? So far it is just an expensive display screen for me....

Thanks!
 
fp3csu said:
How did you get what you're pouring to show up on the KegSmarts? So far it is just an expensive display screen for me....

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I had to manually enter it, I'm on my phone right now so can't lookup the exact process but it's pretty simple. In the brewpub menu you assign a beer to a tap, there is an option in there to manually create a beer. You define the name, ABV, ibu's etc. Pico support said a software update should be out soon for Pico integration. Patiently waiting.

Have you tapped anything from the pico yet? How was it?
 
Thanks for the info!

So far, Buffalo Sweat, Cocoa Vanilla Porter and LA-31 Bière Pâle. The first two were good for what they were. The Buffalo Sweat was my first brew ever, in life. So it was good but I think I messed something up as it was a little metallic tasting. But I was so excited that I didn't let it bother me.

The second beer, the porter, kind of fell into the same category as it was the first time I ever force carbonated something in the corny keg and served it through the tap. It was good too but I'm still working on the patience curve. I think I should have left it alone for a few more days before pouring.

The LA-31 was a disaster, I tried to burst carbonate it at 30 psi, then lower it to serving pressure but I messed something up. Even after a few days of sitting at 42 degrees and 11 psi I got glasses and glasses of foam.

I have the Barbarian Red Ale carbonating right now and will be excersizing extreme patience before diving in.
 
Yes! I learned the same lesson years ago when I started brewing, just leave it at serving pressure and wait, never have an over carbing issue which is a disaster. And the extra time waiting usually mellows out the brew, which I was reminded of on this first Pico brew, two weeks tasted much better than one.
 
I brewed my third batch tonight, Buffalo Sweat, man it smelled amazing! I decided I better run the deep clean cycle as recommended every 3 brews. I used the included Finnish tab, and even though I ran a rinse after the brew session it still cleaned up some gunk. Make sure your running the deep clean as recommended!

IMG_0742.jpg
 
harrke said:
The heat mat only wraps around 3/4ths of the way. I use the cozy to hold it in place, then wedge the probe between the cozy and the keg, "opposite" the mat in a manner of speaking.
Click to expand...

Thanks, got it. It's worth trying.
 
Hummm indeed. Would it be an overkill to deep clean after each, or second brew?
 
fp3csu said:
Thanks for the info!

So far, Buffalo Sweat, Cocoa Vanilla Porter and LA-31 Bière Pâle. The first two were good for what they were. The Buffalo Sweat was my first brew ever, in life. So it was good but I think I messed something up as it was a little metallic tasting. But I was so excited that I didn't let it bother me.

The second beer, the porter, kind of fell into the same category as it was the first time I ever force carbonated something in the corny keg and served it through the tap. It was good too but I'm still working on the patience curve. I think I should have left it alone for a few more days before pouring.

The LA-31 was a disaster, I tried to burst carbonate it at 30 psi, then lower it to serving pressure but I messed something up. Even after a few days of sitting at 42 degrees and 11 psi I got glasses and glasses of foam.

I have the Barbarian Red Ale carbonating right now and will be excersizing extreme patience before diving in.
Click to expand...

Yet, PicoBrew's recommendation is to wait for force carbonation to be done in what...24hrs?

Personally I never Keged before, I always bottled my beers, and 2 weeks after the priming sugars, they were typically done for most styles. 48hrs in the fridge. I wonder if force carbonation should be the same waiting period?
 
Where are yall finding info about the "Deep clean" cycle? I see it listed in the menu, but there's no mention of it in the manual I received with my pico. I emailed their support staff a couple weeks ago asking about it, but received no response.

*edit*
I also brewed the Buffalo sweat and found it to have a metallic taste. I attributed that to higher than ideal temps during fermentation, but now I'm not so sure. Looked and smelled great, but was verrrrry sweet with the aforementioned metallic taste. Ended up dumping about half of it.
 
My Buffalo Sweat (fast ferment ~74 degrees/6 days) had no off tastes. Preferring a dry stout, I did find it very sweat - but no more so than any other Oatmeal Stouts. It was pretty tasty nonetheless, so it did not stop me from drinking 9 Pints in one session ;) I can confirm it was fully fermented.
 
There is a new manual on the Pico website, under the support tab I believe. I encourage everyone to check it every now and then, I have seen it updated a few times now. The version on the website is very different than the one shipped with my unit, and deep clean instructions are included. Other important stuff like how to clean a ball lock keg are there too.

I'm not surprised buffalo sweat was sweet, most milk stouts are and the description describes it as sweet. The metallic taste is new to me, have never heard of that off taste. How high were your temps, and fast or standard fermentation?
 
Lbarouf said:
Yet, PicoBrew's recommendation is to wait for force carbonation to be done in what...24hrs?

Personally I never Keged before, I always bottled my beers, and 2 weeks after the priming sugars, they were typically done for most styles. 48hrs in the fridge. I wonder if force carbonation should be the same waiting period?
Click to expand...

Force carbonation can be done different ways, personally I have a kegerator and choose to carbonate slowly at serving pressure, which typically takes a week or two. There is usually an added benefit of letting the beer age while you wait on carbonation. You can also force carb at higher pressures quicker, as Pico recommends in their serving kegs, I have over carbed stuff in the past and it was a nightmare you have to lower the pressure after a day or 2, so I choose the slow route. But this is with co2 bottles and ball lock kegs, I haven't seen any reports of problems with the pico process with the mini regulator and serving keg.

Lbarouf said:
Hummm indeed. Would it be an overkill to deep clean after each, or second brew?
Click to expand...

Pico says to deep clean every three brews, I see no reason to deviate from that yet.
 
jrb03 said:
Pico says to deep clean every three brews, I see no reason to deviate from that yet.
Click to expand...

And thinking of it... the dishwasher detergent could be a reason why not to. I am actually afraid the large clear tub may get "cloudy/hazy" with use due to the dishwasher chemicals. :( I hope not.
 
Dishwasher tabs like they send with the Pico are approved, don't use any with fragrance or gel or the plastic cased ones. Also don't use any normal brewing cleaners like PBW or oxyclean, this will result in a cracked step filter eventually (clear tub). They sell zymatic cleaning tabs on their website which are also approved for the pico, I'm going to order another keg and will pick up some of these to test out.

All this info came from email conversations with support, which I have found extremely helpful and quick to respond. Deep cleaning more often is probably not bad for the unit, but also should not be necessary. It's extra wear and tear on the system and time, takes close to an hour.
 
jrb03 said:
I'm not surprised buffalo sweat was sweet, most milk stouts are and the description describes it as sweet. The metallic taste is new to me, have never heard of that off taste. How high were your temps, and fast or standard fermentation?
Click to expand...

I was attempting a standard fermentation. Not sure of the exact temperature, I just remember the thermometer sticker being in the "too high for standard fermentation" range the first 3 or so days.
Speaking of this sticker...can you leave it on the keg? The manual says not to put it on a hot keg but when I peeled it off after cleaning the keg...about half of it stayed on the keg :confused:
 
Definitely use fast fermentation if you cannot control your temp in the standard range. To me that is the main benefit of the fast fermentation adapter, allowing fermentation at higher temps than the yeast is recommended at, which causes off flavors. They should call it the hot fermentation adapter lol.

Yes, that sticker is a major pain. I put it on a cooled keg and it still left half behind. I now have a razor scraper in my brew tools, takes it off pretty quick. I've seen others recommend goof-off but I don't want to put that greasy chemical on my keg, razor scraper works fine for me. I don't know about reusing because it will be on there during the boil of your next brew, which I imagine is why they give us a new one with each pack.
 
jrb03 said:
Definitely use fast fermentation if you cannot control your temp in the standard range. To me that is the main benefit of the fast fermentation adapter, allowing fermentation at higher temps than the yeast is recommended at, which causes off flavors. They should call it the hot fermentation adapter lol.

Yes, that sticker is a major pain. I put it on a cooled keg and it still left half behind. I now have a razor scraper in my brew tools, takes it off pretty quick. I've seen others recommend goof-off but I don't want to put that greasy chemical on my keg, razor scraper works fine for me. I don't know about reusing because it will be on there during the boil of your next brew, which I imagine is why they give us a new one with each pack.
Click to expand...

I've started simply attaching the temp sticker with a couple pieces of scotch tape on either end. Holds just fine, even in my fermentation water bath and still gives a temp reading. By the way, lighter fluid works great to remove sticker residue :)
 
Anybody know if it's possible (and what parts are required) to convert the included regulator to work with a ball lock disconnect?
 
I haven't tried it, but I don't see why some hose and a clamp wouldn't work.
 
Crap, I didnt even think of that! The big ol' barb on the end was throwing me off :)
 
If anyone reading this thread was on the fence about buying one of these:

"Dear Fellow Craft-Beer Lover,
It has come to my attention that you are not able to acquire and drink the freshest craft beers from brewpubs around the world. I feel for you! I want to share my newfound happiness, because thanks to my new Pico, I am able to make awesome, hard-to-find beers at home automatically, and customize them to taste!

I am writing to you to invite you to share my happiness. If you purchase a Pico for yourself using the BEERCODE below from PicoBrew.com, you and I will receive coupons for two free PicoPaks each, good for any of the beers in the entire BrewMarketplace online store!
MY BEERCODE: FMVA9MDY83
Thanks for making us both
happy for the holidays!"
:)
 
I can second the paintball tank regulator. Used one for years to force carb and serve out of my garage beer fridge. I used to brew one gallon and 2.5 gallon batches, the tank would last several batches.
 
I've barely got 3 batches through my Pico (3rd still fermenting) and I'm already thinking about moving up to a Grainfather for larger batches :pipe:
 
VagueSkunk said:
I've barely got 3 batches through my Pico (3rd still fermenting) and I'm already thinking about moving up to a Grainfather for larger batches :pipe:
Click to expand...

Let me know if you decide to do so and are interested in selling your Pico, I know someone who is interested.
 
So, got this list in e-mail today… 1/2 price PicoPaks!

Check back daily for a new PicoPak deal!
12/1: A Porter in a PicoPak Tree
12/2: Two Turtles Deaf
12/3: Three Farmer Tans
12/4: Four Tweating Wheats
12/5: Five Dinghy Blondes
12/6: Six Bieres a Paling
12/7: Seven Waters Shedding
12/8: Eight Buffs a Sweating
12/9: Nine Man Skirts Dancing
12/10: Ten Rays a Stinging
12/11: Eleven Fires Ryseing
12/12: Twelve Dead Guys Dancing
 
VagueSkunk said:
I've barely got 3 batches through my Pico (3rd still fermenting) and I'm already thinking about moving up to a Grainfather for larger batches :pipe:
Click to expand...

This is what I did, It might be another choice for ya. I start by doing two batches, that way you also get free shipping. I let both those cool overnight then use the rack feature to move both batches to one of these.

http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/fermenters/products/brew-bucket-mini

Two batches fit perfect, you also need one of these for it.

http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/accessories/products/blow-off-barb-for-ftss-lids

And some 1/2" hose as it will fill an airlock during first fermentation. I let it ferment in that one for four days them move it to a second brew bucket with an airlock for the secondary fermentation and dry hopping for six days. Then keg it in this.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/torpedo-ball-lock-kegs.html

I use the 2.6 gal one and it works great for the double batch, fits perfect.It fits in my fridge with the paintball CO2 bottle for force carbonating.

I like this setup cause it makes a nice size batch and those mini brewbuckets clean very easy. the kegs that I mash in also clean much easier when you don't ferment in them.

Cheers:mug:
 
Today is Bad Jimmy's cocoa vanilla porter for $13.49. I can't possibly brew fast enough for 24 gallons in the next couple of months, so I'm gonna wait and get 2 each on the 6th and 8th. I really want the 12/3 and 12/5 and 12/12, but choices!
 
VagueSkunk said:
I've barely got 3 batches through my Pico (3rd still fermenting) and I'm already thinking about moving up to a Grainfather for larger batches :pipe:
Click to expand...

On black Friday my Visa card was unleashed and I purchased a GF and sundry peripheral equipment to support 2 - 5 gallon draft batches from $99 freezer (soon to be keezer). I figure I drink too much to be waiting a month for a PicoPack. I'll keep the PICO as I still think it is nice to be able to grab a different beer from around the world. The GF is very compact, efficient and admittedly, somewhat expensive.. but if you like beer enough to have bought the PICO, it is a logical progression.. methinks.
 
Everything I've ordered has been received within a week. Pico units, extra kegs, and Pico packs are starting to show up on amazon with prime shipping, things are only going to get better.

Me thinks the logical progression is the zymatic. but I've brewed large batches in an e-biab rig I built like the GF in the past. All the extra equipment required, and storing it all, grinding cleaning weighing, just got tiresome. Not to mention the TIME, brew DAYS are now brew while doing other things. My house and wife were happy when the equipment, fermentation chambers, and grain silos were gone, glad I kept the kegerator though! The Pico was absolutely what I needed all along, and I love the batch size, keeps the taps rotating. 5 gallons is a lot of beer, especially when your not crazy about one on tap and have one ready. But that's just my experience.
 
jrb03 said:
Everything I've ordered has been received within a week. Pico units, extra kegs, and Pico packs are starting to show up on amazon with prime shipping, things are only going to get better.

Me thinks the logical progression is the zymatic. but I've brewed large batches in an e-biab rig I built like the GF in the past. All the extra equipment required, and storing it all, grinding cleaning weighing, just got tiresome. Not to mention the TIME, brew DAYS are now brew while doing other things. My house and wife were happy when the equipment, fermentation chambers, and grain silos were gone, glad I kept the kegerator though! The Pico was absolutely what I needed all along, and I love the batch size, keeps the taps rotating. 5 gallons is a lot of beer, especially when your not crazy about one on tap and have one ready. But that's just my experience.
Click to expand...


I agree with how fast products come now, its much better. I went from a 15 gallon partial mash system to the Pico and love the fact that my house does not look like a brewery any more. And that I let others do the experimenting. The cleanup is so simple now I love brewing again.
 
So, I thought it would be useful to post notes on the different beers we brew.

Today I brewed a Pico Pils. The brewing was fine. Cooled and pitched Saflager S-23. I placed the keg in my fermentation chamber with a plan to ferment for a week at 55F then raise to 65F for 3-days, then cold crash before racking, carbonating, and lagering for a month.

Has anyone tried this in a fast-ferment?
 
I have a Pico Pils pack but am waiting for the keg smarts warming jacket to ship so I can get this fermented, my house is too warm for the fast fermentation zone on this one. Let us know what you do!

I have been drinking on the Harlem Wit this week, really enjoying it, Wits are one of my favorite styles. I fast fermented (can we start using FF lol) at 75-76 for 7 days, and force carbonated at serving pressure in my kegerator for about 10 days before taping it. Will definitely be brewing this one again. Trying to decide between the 5 packs I have here which is next, thinking party porter would be good for Christmas.
 
BMacUC said:
Here's a picture of my current setup for fast fermentation. 3.5 gallon bucket from meijer, aquarium heater, aquarium pump, and aquarium temperature probe. Surround the fermenting keg with water, heat and circulate. I am on my second batch now and I have found that I can maintain temperature within 1 degree of setpoint. Pretty easy and cheap solution for anyone interested. I purchased the heater, pump and probe on ebay for less than $20 total (with shipping) and I think the bucket was only $3 or $4.
Click to expand...

What kind of pump and heater did you get/can you recommend for this kind of setup? Also do you think water circulation is needed?
 
nonac75 said:
What kind of pump and heater did you get/can you recommend for this kind of setup? Also do you think water circulation is needed?
Click to expand...

Here is the heater I bought: http://www.ebay.com/itm/25W-Aquariu...-Adjustable-/262104639039?hash=item3d06a7663f

And pump: http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-GPH-Aqua...-Hydroponic-/251722895695?hash=item3a9bda914f

I haven't tested without the pump so I'm not sure if it's required. However, it works so well with it that I plan to keep using it.
 

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