Minibrew.

[Ajes]

Hey.
I'm curious whether anyone here has any experience or opinions on this machine:
https://www.minibrew.io/

I'm looking around for an automated machine, and have been looking at this machine, alongside Picobrew, Brewie, Grainfather, Igulu, etc.

 

[Lax coach]

Aside from not being available in the US, $2700 plus $400 per keg (three included) seems like a lot for 5L brewing with your own ingredients. That's pretty close to what I paid for my 15G Brew-Boss system, 2 brew buckets, 2 fermentation chambers (inkbird-controlled refrigerators), and 4 kegs.

Granted it's $1300 + $400/keg for a picobrew equivalent where you brew only their kits. But I'd probably just go with the far cheaper and (likely) better-supported Pico at that point.

 

[Ajes]

Yeah, kind of how I felt.

I love the design, and how it's fully automated.
I was very enamoured by the proposed capability of being able to use your own ingredients and recipes.
I found the price quite high, but still tempting for a system that enabled you to experiment with 5L batches.

But as you state, with their basic system, you are locked into using their grain-kits - at twice the price of the picobrew C, which made the price go from being tempting to being a bit ridiculous IMHO.
Turns out that the machine CAN let you experiment, but for that you have to use their "brewportal", which you currently only get access to if you buy the big package that costs twice the price of the basic system. Yes, you get 2 extra kegs for that price, but to me that hardly justifies the price.
I could get a brewie and a nice temperature controlled fermenter for that same price.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, kind of how I felt.

I love the design, and how it's fully automated.
I was very enamoured by the proposed capability of being able to use your own ingredients and recipes.
I found the price quite high, but still tempting for a system that enabled you to experiment with 5L batches.

But as you state, with their basic system, you are locked into using their grain-kits - at twice the price of the picobrew C, which made the price go from being tempting to being a bit ridiculous IMHO.
Turns out that the machine CAN let you experiment, but for that you have to use their "brewportal", which you currently only get access to if you buy the big package that costs twice the price of the basic system. Yes, you get 2 extra kegs for that price, but to me that hardly justifies the price.
I could get a brewie and a nice temperature controlled fermenter for that same price.

I'm glad to see you're realizing that's a rather expensive gadget you're looking at. And they've got you coming and going.
Will it brew any better beer than say a BIAB system on the kitchen stove? I seriously doubt it.

What makes those kegs so unique to demand $400 per? You can get Torpedo kegs for under $100.

Then again, I've seen fancy drinking water 'enhancement systems' selling for close to twice that price.

 

[Lax coach]

What makes those kegs so unique to demand $400 per? You can get Torpedo kegs for under $100.

Temperature control. Eliminates the need for a fermentation chamber and kegerator.

 

[Ajes]

Yes - that is one of the parts that I like about the system!
Their kegs have the functionality to remove the trub and yeast from the bottom the same way that the catalyst or fermentasaurus does.
But yes, that still is quite a price for a 5L fermenter and keg.
Also:
The "craft pro" system that lets you experiment with own ingredients and recipes through the "brew portal" costs about 2400€ / 2700$
This does include 2 extra kegs - so with a bit of calculating:
Basic system: 1200€ / 1350$
2 extra kegs: 700€ / 800$
So the price of access to the "brew portal" would be:
2400 - 1200 - 700 = 500€ or around 550$
To me that's still quite a high price to "unlock" the full potential of the already expensive basic system.

 

[kh54s10]

Not available in the US. Not able to do custom recipes without buying the "Craft Pro" system. Extremely expensive. All proprietary parts.

And only 5 liters!!!! No thanks.........

 

[Mike Howard]

Sounds like this: https://beermkr.com/

Or this: https://www.cnet.com/news/lg-takes-up-the-mantle-of-brewer-with-homebrew-countertop-beer-bot/

Lots of small automated systems out there....