PicoBrew Pico users

[RampantOctopus]

Wow, Lax Coach— that’s great info, I think our kits are likely to end up looking very smilar when all is said and done. Don’t know what I’m going to do w the C serving kegs (I got an extra before I knew better). Maybe these will be used when I gift a custom beer to an event or something. Expensive but what do I want then for when I have proper kegs coming.

I’m pretty surprised btw— the Pico Pro upgrade kit is actually really competitively priced all things considered. Good on them.

 

[Lbarouf]

The pro kegs are legit kegs that use the same exact poppets, posts, and lids as 5G cornies. It's actually identical to this Kegco model except the Pico ones come with an additional, red blow-off valve with a weaker spring, that is used for pressure fermentation; on top of the standard gray one.

If you purge the keg with CO2 before filling, the beer should last quite a long time. In roughly a year, I've only had one leak when I didn't seat the lid properly. Otherwise they hold pressure indefinitely.

I went sort of the opposite route as you, buying an original Pico/S, then adding the Pro Upgrade and another ball-lock keg to get rid of the stupid serving keg. Then added the couplers and two C kegs. Now I brew and ferment in the C kegs, then transfer to the ball-lock kegs to carbonate and serve. Works really well.

Same here.... the C type kegs are easy to clean. Since they can't be used for serving, they work well with the fermentation monitor as well. Unfortunately, they are not that useful. And the Kickstarter campaign got canned, I was going to buy a few kegs and monitors (they we both for the price of just the keg). Anyway, those with a mix of 1.7 and 3 gal kegs I can server single and double batches easily. It's probably the easiest small setup you can get.

 

[Lbarouf]

Wow, Lax Coach— that’s great info, I think our kits are likely to end up looking very smilar when all is said and done. Don’t know what I’m going to do w the C serving kegs (I got an extra before I knew better). Maybe these will be used when I gift a custom beer to an event or something. Expensive but what do I want then for when I have proper kegs coming.

I’m pretty surprised btw— the Pico Pro upgrade kit is actually really competitively priced all things considered. Good on them.

I agree the serving kegs can be good if you go somewhere and know the beer will be gone the same night, and don't want to bring the keg back with you.

 

[Lbarouf]

Anyone knows how to get rid of beer that backflowed into a CO2 bottle? I converted my mini regulators to be used with much larger bottles and provide gaz through a ball lock connector. The gaz out adapter does not have a check valve built-in, but found one that has now. Before I go about changing all of them, I'd like to know how the hell to get the liquid out of the tank, and if there's anything I should do to the regulator that had beer through it. :-S

 

[DrSafety]

Just speculating but the gas bottle will have to have the top valve removed to get the liquid out. Since you are dealing with high pressure compressed gas I would take it to a compressed gas supplier and have them perform this operation. If it is a paintball cylinder throw it out and chalk it up to experience and purchase a new one for $25. As far as the regulator once dried it should work if liquid didn't get into the gauge. You may want to remove the gauge and flush it out to avoid the stick residue on the valve and other components. Again I have no direct experience but just speculating on a compressed gas system.

 

[Lbarouf]

Just speculating but the gas bottle will have to have the top valve removed to get the liquid out. Since you are dealing with high pressure compressed gas I would take it to a compressed gas supplier and have them perform this operation. If it is a paintball cylinder throw it out and chalk it up to experience and purchase a new one for $25. As far as the regulator once dried it should work if liquid didn't get into the gauge. You may want to remove the gauge and flush it out to avoid the stick residue on the valve and other components. Again I have no direct experience but just speculating on a compressed gas system.

Thanks for chiming in. It is a smaller 24oz paintball bottle. That's my setup for parties, easy enough to haul around. I don't like the idea of disposable cartridges.

 

[chiefwigms]

Just wanted to say hi as I catch up on 57 pages of posts here. I just got my Pico C from woot and made my first batch (Redcon, now fermenting) having taken time off from the hobby due to the birth of my first kid... nearly four years ago... Now I've got two kids and I'm happy to be returning to the hobby; that is, with a little help from Picobrew. I'm pretty excited about this machine. I already ordered a second brew keg, serving keg, and picoferm so I can make more beer; I'm also eyeing the pro-upgrade as a way to get my hands on a small keg that I don't have to drink all at once.

Anyhow, I just want to say thanks to all of you who are posting all this awesome info and advice. I've got strong desires to hack my system already, but even as-is, this is an excellent piece of kit. Just wondering a few things:

1. Is there a sticky or anything like that here that has links to key posts? Tracks the status of Picobrew's decisions regarding the BYO kits etc?

2. From what I gather, no one has cracked the code on the RFID front, correct? Has anyone tried to brew while offline? Can you? Would that be a way to fool their system? (Obviously giving up the online tracking, but whatever...)

3. The pro-upgrade keg-- if I went there, how long do you think the beer would stay good? Is it truly a proper keg or do their valves let in more air?

Ok, I know I just asked a lot of questions for a new guy-- and I'm sure many of these questions have been covered before-- so mostly, consider this a very wordy hello, and if it spurs any conversation, I'll be thrilled to see what you guys have to say!

Thanks!

#2 can be done - just need to fabricate reusable containers (where i'm stuck)

 

[Ewelady]

months and months of brewing and I had a problem today! The drain in the stepfilter fell apart. I always flush water through it when I finish brewing and the little x part that held the spring in disintegrated. No effect to the beer because I was just going to run the rinse. Learned there is a "drain the stepfilter" under utilities that solves the problem of a stepfilter with no plug. They are shipping me a part but I am done brewing for a while.

It will be nice to have that second machine!

 

[Ewelady]

when did they start sewing the packs shut? That should work better then glue but I was surprised when I opened a box today.

 

[RampantOctopus]

when did they start sewing the packs shut? That should work better then glue but I was surprised when I opened a box today.

Ha-- no way! I just got one a couple days ago and it wasn't sewed shut! Was it a dark beer by any chance? Maybe it's a response to those purportedly bursting but wouldn't apply to all packs... That or maybe they're getting concerned about people attempting to reuse packs before they roll out BYO packs? Maybe?! Fingers crossed!

 

[Ewelady]

nope, Osiris Farmhouse Ale. I'd prefer them sewed shut! Had glue fail on to many of them and I inspect them carefully before I put them in. I've even stapled them shut when I felt they might fail. Cleaning grain out of the darn machine is a pain.

 

[BrewingBrian]

Do you guys ever pour the beer that remains in your step filter into your brewing keg after pulling out the hops and pico packs for discarding? I tried this for the first time this week with Denny's Vanilla Bourbon Porter, and I even captured a good bit that poured out of the hops pack. I'm wondering if I may have introduced some off-flavors by doing that, but my hope is that I can at least fill that 11th bottle that never seems to make it all the way. Also, my tilt showed 1.10 on my original gravity check, which is the highest I've ever seen. Not sure if that's related to me pouring all the extra in, or if this is just a very high gravity brew. Which reminds me....

This Denny's Bourbon Porters had a target of 7.8% abv. Any idea if that's before or after adding the recommended 3 shots of bourbon after fermentation?

 

[Ewelady]

I do when there seems to be a lot of beer in the hop pack or in the step filter. But I don't bother if it's half a cup or less. Not worth risking contamination for small amounts.

can't help you with the other question but post it on the Facebook Picrobrewers page, Denny posts there. Although sometimes he posts here.

Send him a message through this chat and ask him.

 

[BrewingBrian]

I do when there seems to be a lot of beer in the hop pack or in the step filter. But I don't bother if it's half a cup or less. Not worth risking contamination for small amounts.

can't help you with the other question but post it on the Facebook Picrobrewers page, Denny posts there. Although sometimes he posts here.

Send him a message through this chat and ask him.

Thanks. I wouldn't think contamination is the concern as it was just being boiled a few minutes earlier. It's just kind of what would be sent to the keg if that last drain step ran a little longer. Although, the part that poured out of top of hops container was maybe designed to be filtered better.

I'll reach out to Denny. I'm not an FBer, though

 

[Anyhowe]

I have a lightly/barely used pico Jori complete with two brewing kegs AND a pico still I will give away for $300. See the forsale section.

 

[Ewelady]

curious... are we all still brewing?

I am, drinking Amber Waves, cold crashing Truck Stop, fermenting Dinghy Blond (for bottling) and Moses something or the other which I had to add dates to and didn't get a good seal on the keg afterwards so it sucked air the whole time it cooled down.

 

[Lax coach]

curious... are we all still brewing?

I am, drinking Amber Waves, cold crashing Truck Stop, fermenting Dinghy Blond (for bottling) and Moses something or the other which I had to add dates to and didn't get a good seal on the keg afterwards so it sucked air the whole time it cooled down.

I definitely am. I brew once per weekend, and this is my current pipeline:

Currently on draft: Vanilla In Yo' Rye (brewed 9/1)
Waiting to be tapped: Nigredo (9/8)
Carbonating: Berlin IPA (9/16)
Dry Hopping: Bibock (9/23)
Fermenting: Barbarian Red Ale (9/30)

This weekend after the current keg kicks, the Berlin IPA will go into the fridge underneath the freshly-tapped Nigredo. The Bibock will get racked into the keg that currently has the Vanilla In Yo' Rye (after cleaning/sanitizing, obviously), and it will carbonate for the next week. I'll probably put Brew Free or Die IPA into the keg that previously held the Bibock. Rinse and repeat.

 

[PeteSeattle]

Funny thing ...

Tonight was my home brew club meeting. Our guest speaker was Annie, head brewer at Pico. She spoke about the system and the still. Also she provided some sample brews of her own design and they are quite delicious. In fact I won a pro serving keg filled with one of her IPAs!

I’ve graduated from my pico c but would gladly accept a free serving keg.
Cheers!

 

[Anyhowe]

@PeteSeattle wait what, you have a brew club?!

 

[PeteSeattle]

@PeteSeattle wait what, you have a brew club?!

I guess I should’ve written, “the brew club that I’m a member of...”
I didn’t start the club if that’s what you meant.

We meet at Sound Home Brew in Georgetown. Opened to anyone.

 

[REB810]

Hasn’t anyone tried or used the Brew your own option with the pico yet? Any suggestions or tips from what you have learnt so far would be appreciated !

 

[JM-brew]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/index.php?threads/636677/

PicoPaks - REUSABLE?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Do you mean the manual setting or custom pack?

Hasn’t anyone tried or used the Brew your own option with the pico yet? Any suggestions or tips from what you have learnt so far would be appreciated !

 

[REB810]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/index.php?threads/636677/

PicoPaks - REUSABLE?

Thanks- very helpful

 

[REB810]

Do you mean the manual setting or custom pack?

Meant the manual setting where you can use your own grains and hops

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I have updated the system, and I have entered a recipe, but haven’t used it yet.

 

[Brentk14]

I am looking to buy a Pico system, and I am going back and forth between the Pico C and Pico Pro. The C is on sale for $250 right now, and it looks like I can add the Pro Upgrade kit for $150. Is that a good idea, or should I go for the Pro?

 

[Lax coach]

I significantly prefer brewing and fermenting in the pico C kegs, because they're so much easier to clean. So I actually went the other direction, starting with a Pro and adding some C kegs to the mix, along with the requisite keg adapters.

I'd probably go the Pico C and Pro upgrade route. Things you'll miss out on by saving the $200:

• Stainless outer body
• Larger, better display
• 2nd ball-lock keg (worth $100)
• Unpak'd kit (worth $25)

But, you'll have a Pico C keg, which they sell for $59. So really you only get $65 more "stuff" for $200, plus the first two intangibles. Be aware that in order to do semi-closed transfers, you'll either want to buy the Pico C keg adapter kit ($19) so you can use the racking tube that comes with the Pro upgrade, or modify the racking tube that comes with the C to replace the glass wand with a ball-lock connector. The PicoFerm ($59) is also pretty cool, lets you monitor the progress of your fermentation. So consider that, but it's not required.

Alas, I've moved on from my Pico Pro to a Brew-Boss, so I have a bunch of this stuff that I'm not using anymore that I might be willing to sell. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Brentk14]

I significantly prefer brewing and fermenting in the pico C kegs, because they're so much easier to clean. So I actually went the other direction, starting with a Pro and adding some C kegs to the mix, along with the requisite keg adapters.

I'd probably go the Pico C and Pro upgrade route. Things you'll miss out on by saving the $200:

• Stainless outer body
• Larger, better display
• 2nd ball-lock keg (worth $100)
• Unpak'd kit (worth $25)

But, you'll have a Pico C keg, which they sell for $59. So really you only get $65 more "stuff" for $200, plus the first two intangibles. Be aware that in order to do semi-closed transfers, you'll either want to buy the Pico C keg adapter kit ($19) so you can use the racking tube that comes with the Pro upgrade, or modify the racking tube that comes with the C to replace the glass wand with a ball-lock connector. The PicoFerm ($59) is also pretty cool, lets you monitor the progress of your fermentation. So consider that, but it's not required.

Alas, I've moved on from my Pico Pro to a Brew-Boss, so I have a bunch of this stuff that I'm not using anymore that I might be willing to sell. PM me if you're interested.

Talk about great timing...I ordered the Pico C last night, because it said the deal ended on the 12th, and then today they are running a flash sale for $199...I called and emailed them, hopefully they let me get the $199 price.

 

[Lbarouf]

I significantly prefer brewing and fermenting in the pico C kegs, because they're so much easier to clean. So I actually went the other direction, starting with a Pro and adding some C kegs to the mix, along with the requisite keg adapters.

I'd probably go the Pico C and Pro upgrade route. Things you'll miss out on by saving the $200:

• Stainless outer body
• Larger, better display
• 2nd ball-lock keg (worth $100)
• Unpak'd kit (worth $25)

But, you'll have a Pico C keg, which they sell for $59. So really you only get $65 more "stuff" for $200, plus the first two intangibles. Be aware that in order to do semi-closed transfers, you'll either want to buy the Pico C keg adapter kit ($19) so you can use the racking tube that comes with the Pro upgrade, or modify the racking tube that comes with the C to replace the glass wand with a ball-lock connector. The PicoFerm ($59) is also pretty cool, lets you monitor the progress of your fermentation. So consider that, but it's not required.

Alas, I've moved on from my Pico Pro to a Brew-Boss, so I have a bunch of this stuff that I'm not using anymore that I might be willing to sell. PM me if you're interested.

I would echo the same. I use the pro.... with C kegs. When cold crashed, I rack it to corny kegs. the adapters make it easy to use either.

On a different topic, anyone ever used a traditional Norwegian kveik yeast in a pico pak? The fermentation range up to 98 degrees combined with the valve for fast ferment, seems attractive. I wonder if 3-5 days fermentation is actually reality. I was looking at the Gjernes farmstead, Voss Kveik’s profile looked pretty darn good.

Anyhow, if anyone used those in the past, I'd love to hear more.