PicoBrew Pico users

[VagueSkunk]

*Edit* I just took a quick look while I was home for lunch and found the Picobrew unit itself, the step filter and the hops cradle. Are there any other accessories that you're looking for? I have the sous vide adapter as well.

 

[msav]

Keg Wands, keg cozy, co2 regulator, Racking tube, rubber keg lid and plug, red fermentation plug, cleaning brushes, and keg tap.

see this ebay auction for a picture.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402274464178?hash=item5da96d31b2:g:oqgAAOSw-zdeyBDQ

 

[VagueSkunk]

Ah, ok. I'm sure that I'll be able to find most of that stuff with the exception of the co2 regulator; I know for a fact that I tossed that thing out. Hope that's not a deal breaker. Almost positive I have the wands, lid and plug.

 

[msav]

nope. I have 4 of them and they are all built like crap. The picobrew one the gauge got stuck after the first use. I started buying them with external gauges that I could replace.

 

[VagueSkunk]

Here's what I have:

PIcobrew unit
Step filter
Hop cradle
2 wands
2 silicone keg seals
1 neoprene keg sleeve
2 cleaning brushes
1 red silicone plug
1 user manual
1 sous vide adapter

How's $150 shipped sound to you?

 

[Trevor Mack]

If you have been in the market for a specific Pico C/S/Pro recipe crafter look no further. I've said I had a working profile available for BrewCrafter, but since I haven't gotten traction getting that merged and released in the "official beta crafter" experience why not make it available in an "unofficial alpha/beta crafter.

Anyways I've done just that with a dev pipeline including my fixes and updates that were purposed to BrewCrafter at crafter.pilotbatchbrewing.com feel free to give this "alpha/beta preview" a spin. No clue when these new features (PicoFree / PicoPak recipe, newly fixed email integration and more coming) will get merged into the "official beta crafter" experience.

 

[msav]

If you have been in the market for a specific Pico C/S/Pro recipe crafter look no further. I've said I had a working profile available for BrewCrafter, but since I haven't gotten traction getting that merged and released in the "official beta crafter" experience why not make it available in an "unofficial alpha/beta crafter.

Anyways I've done just that with a dev pipeline including my fixes and updates that were purposed to BrewCrafter at crafter.pilotbatchbrewing.com feel free to give this "alpha/beta preview" a spin. No clue when these new features (PicoFree / PicoPak recipe, newly fixed email integration and more coming) will get merged into the "official beta crafter" experience.

seems to be something wrong on the beercrafter web page. tried to create a sign in but then it will not accept my password to login, tried the reset password and I do not receive email to reset password

 

[RampantOctopus]

Added a few recipes and a very basic inventory beer xml (technically a recipe) users can use to shortcut building a db on your deployment of brewcrafter. If anyone is interested, it can be viewed here: BrewCrafter 2

 

[Trevor Mack]

Added a few recipes and a very basic inventory beer xml (technically a recipe) users can use to shortcut building a db on your deployment of brewcrafter. If anyone is interested, it can be viewed here: BrewCrafter 2

Thanks mate. Yeah major downside (IMO) is that BrewCrafter never had a basic prefilled in ingredient list with really the very basics (2 row, crystals, Vienna, etc). Nice hack to get around that you have there! Like it. If I get time maybe I'll build "shared" ingredients that default into each user's account. I understand that default isn't good enough given regional disparity in product (and seasonal differences in hop crops)

 

[ferm.adventures]

Just picked up a Pico Pro/S to play around with. Looks like I shouldn't expect the Pico Free to open for purchase again. Has anyone come up with another option or am I lookup at tedious manual brews?

 

[RampantOctopus]

There are a few people who have suggested diy grain and hops carriers (some posting pics and plans) on Facebook Groups -- the hops carrier is the trickier part but for sure there are ways to diy it.

you could also use the step filter with a grain bag and when the system gets to the boil, you could pull the grain bag and add hops per your schedule directly to the keg in a spider... sure, not as automated, but self regulating...

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I actually will be trying to get rid of some of my original Picobrew kegs. I only need to keep 3 of them

Are these the small corny kegs?
If so, how much are you looking to get for them?

 

[msav]

Just picked up a Pico Pro/S to play around with. Looks like I shouldn't expect the Pico Free to open for purchase again. Has anyone come up with another option or am I lookup at tedious manual brews?

After tediously making a stainless steel grain bin and using SS perforated, I ended up with too much grain getting into the step filter and clogging. I ended up just putting a bag inside the grain bin. Problem solved. Knowing what I know now. I would not have build it the way I did. It only needs to be a bin (without lid) and a few holes in the bottom. The hops bin just needs to hold 4 different hops in the hops bags.

if you do try and make one don't over complicate it.

 

[rjsmith]

I also noticed the cart was open again for any extras, not sure how long that will last this time around.

Cart just closed roughly 2 hours ago... there are a few extras so stay tuned to your emails over the coming week for the announcement to those that subscribed on pico-free.com for when that hits.

Hi Trevor, just dusting off my original Pico from the kick start and fired up the server. I had given it up for junk. I'm late in the game by the looks of it. if you have any spares left over I would be interested in purchasing one.

 

[RampantOctopus]

Hi Trevor, just dusting off my original Pico from the kick start and fired up the server. I had given it up for junk. I'm late in the game by the looks of it. if you have any spares left over I would be interested in purchasing one.

Trevor was just the messenger— the guy who was sourcing the kits is done but if you’re on Facebook you should join the picobrewers group (Facebook Groups) as the pico-free kits occasionally pop up for sale. Alternatively, other folks there have made their own grain and hops carrier solutions, so even without the pico-free, you’re not SOL.

 

[Trevor Mack]

Recently there have been 2 complete unit setup for grabs in Texas and Florida (with a PicoFree).

I don't have any extras personally available, though there maybe some available if you ask around the Facebook group that RampantOctopus mentioned above.

Though beyond building or finding a grain and hop bin, you can still get use out of the device in "manual brewing" mode just not as much value as from the automated aspects that convinced you to get it (eg. Picopak simplicity).

 

[Texas]

So I have a second hand pico C and a Picostill. Don't care about the latter and would like to just sell the setup.

If I decided to wade into this mess... Is it worth it? I mean I do small batch all grain, plus I have a Beermkr and also do extract kits.

Is there a way to edit recipes and do automatically?

 

[RampantOctopus]

So I have a second hand pico C and a Picostill. Don't care about the latter and would like to just sell the setup.

If I decided to wade into this mess... Is it worth it? I mean I do small batch all grain, plus I have a Beermkr and also do extract kits.

Is there a way to edit recipes and do automatically?

Hi Texas-- so I've got a mixed bag of thoughts for you. In no particular order:

The Still - probably get you $100+ on ebay or online. People want these but to be sure, they are flaky and difficult to use. If you like a challenge, they're fun, but for sure they're a pain. Ironically, if you go there-- I'd make your wash on a stove and not in the Pico... sugars and clogs and such...

The Pico C - totally a nice little machine but has basically zero resale value. You might as well engage with it-- you might actually really like it. Check out Trevor's blog post about using it as an automated machine even without PicoBrew's Paks: True Potential of Picobrew = ChiefWigms Server + RaspberryPi

... the downside is, you'll need to fashion your own hop carrier and grain bin (less important)... but people are on that too. Visit the FB Picobrewers group and take a look at some of the diy solutions people have come up with: Facebook Groups

I'm really glossing over a lot here-- and I don't have first hand experience with the Beermkr-- but I think the Pico is head and shoulders over the Beermkr in terms of actually making beer you have control over. I don't doubt that the Beermkr can turn out a delicious beer, I just don't see how you'd be able to bring your own ingredients to the party (and how you could get by without using their consumables-- bags etc).

 

[Mutant]

As for doing anything with a still, large quantities allow better cuts. The small quantity of a PicoStill is ???

 

[RampantOctopus]

As for doing anything with a still, large quantities allow better cuts. The small quantity of a PicoStill is ???

Small quantity is small.
500-800 ml b/c the c keg is what, 5L? It’s an interesting little device though, being a vacuum still and all.

 

[Trevor Mack]

crossposting an announcement I saw go out to the Facebook group, Picobrewers today...

TLDR; your picobrew unit still works just fine simply navigate to http://picobrew.com to gain access to the brewhouse instead of https://picobrew.com (which has an expired certificate).

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/picobrew-zymatic.434787/post-9171005

 

[fissionc]

After tediously making a stainless steel grain bin and using SS perforated, I ended up with too much grain getting into the step filter and clogging. I ended up just putting a bag inside the grain bin. Problem solved. Knowing what I know now. I would not have build it the way I did. It only needs to be a bin (without lid) and a few holes in the bottom. The hops bin just needs to hold 4 different hops in the hops bags.

if you do try and make one don't over complicate it.

Agreed, I tried several filtration lids on my custom 6QT grain bin, and each failed to prevent grain from spilling over into the step filter. So I too now use a grain bag inside the bin, and finally acheived the goal of a fully automated hands off brew session, hurrah. The extra effort of cleaning out the bag is not much given the payoff. I'd still be open to finding a solution but not a big priority for me anymore.

 

[Trevor Mack]

Got some potentially good news. The creator of the PicoFree boxes has gotten word from the manufacturer/printer in China that they would be willing to do another run if we can get to a specific (still to be determined) Minimum Order Quantity (known as a MOQ).

Here is the email copied directly from what was sent to those that subscribed to updates at Pico Free - Brew the beer of your dreams

Dear Brewers,
So I have decided that I would see about doing another run of Pico-Free Boxes. I have discussed with the manufacturer and it seems that I can get them to produce if can get enough orders. So PRIOR to pulling the trigger, I wanted to see how many people are still looking for Pico-Free boxes. IF YOU ARE STILL INTERESTED, please send an email to the [email protected] with the number of pico-free boxes that you would like to purchase in the SUBJECT line.
As you know the global logistics situation is a little slow right now. I cannot guarantee when they will arrive, but I would guess February, at which point I would ship them all out right away.

Thank you for your interest, and please ignore this message if you are no longer interested. Thanks.

 

[Trevor Mack]

The important stuff first... pre-order cart is open (shipping, logistics, and factory are ready when MOQ is hit).

THIS IS A PREORDER, ONCE I MEET MY MOQ I WILL PLACE THE PRODUCT ORDER!
From the time the cart closes, likely before 12/31/2020 it will likely be 3 to 4 months till delivery due to the global supply chain issues.
If I do not meet MOQ, i will refund your payment MINUS about 4% that I loose through the ecommerce site and PayPal.

As always, all additional money that I collect I will donate to charities for children.
https://www.pico-free.com/product/pico-free-buy

And the email that went out today:

December 12, 2021 Update.
OK so I have a chance to make one last order, and I have found a way to ship that wont raise the price too much. That being the case, I have decided to do the order. The price is a little more than previous orders, but that is just the supply chain issues in the world causing freight and raw material costs to rise. But I fear that if I do not order now, I will miss the chance to reorder.

THIS IS LIKELY THE VERY LAST TIME I CAN DO THIS SO PLEASE ORDER IF YOU WANT YOUR PICO-FREE!!!
AS ALWAYS I WILL DONATE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO CHILDREN'S CHARITIES.

Ender who worked on the software portion of this project has gotten a very generous offer from his company to match all donations made. These donations will be donated to the The Greater Boston Food Bank.

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN for your support of this project!
https://www.pico-free.com/

 

[Trevor Mack]

Update regarding PicoFree.

Just a quick note for everyone interested in this last order of PICO-FREE.
Good News, we have met MOQ, so the order will go in. I will place an initial PO this week to get the order in and production booked in. I can revise the PO if I get more orders, so no issue.
BUT PLEASE NOTE that THE CART WILL CLOSE on SUNDAY THE 19th at midnight CST. ONCE IT CLOSES, I am afraid that there will be NO MORE future orders.
So if you want to be able to do automatically brew on your Pico C, S, or Pro, then please order this week from www.pico-free.com
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL.

Again the cart will CLOSE on Sunday the 19th at midnight CST.

 

[fissionc]

Looking for a little support -- During a recent brew my Pico C was was heating very slowly and that added an hour or two to the total time. The temperature climbed very slowly during the brew, and even stalled out below the top boil temp so that threw up a couple errors. I just ran a deep clean and at first it was taking 5 minutes to heat the water every 1 degC. After the deep clean with detergent it's heating 3L of water at a rate of 1 deg C over 1.5 minutes, certainly an improvement but maybe not quite full capacity.

Both the steam and main pumps are healthy and primed with normal flow rates on both. Does the thermoblock accumulate baked on wort if the main pump gets choked at any point during a brew session?

Happy to hear any tips or tricks for troubleshooting, maintenance, or just thoughts on how best to treat the machine. Some people have mentioned they run deep cleans between each batch.

 

[Trevor Mack]

@fissionc I've found that after a couple of clean sessions that it is good to do a back to back cleaning. You sometimes would be surprised how much gunk gets on any of the heat exchangers and pumps over time especially if you aren't diligent of doing a HOT rinse immediately after a session run.

A good rule of thumb is to periodically run back to back cleans until the disposal water is near clear and the inline filter no longer contains any grit.

 

[fissionc]

@fissionc I've found that after a couple of clean sessions that it is good to do a back to back cleaning. You sometimes would be surprised how much gunk gets on any of the heat exchangers and pumps over time especially if you aren't diligent of doing a HOT rinse immediately after a session run.

A good rule of thumb is to periodically run back to back cleans until the disposal water is near clear and the inline filter no longer contains any grit.

Great advice, I've seen the recommendation before and will do more deep cleans. I do use hot tap water for my post-brew rinses, which until this last time was enough to keep the pipes clean. As someone who likes to tear down appliances for maintenance, it takes some restraint not to pull out the exchanger and see the deposits with my own eyes!

 

[Trevor Mack]

The pumps likewise can get gunked up. I've found that a hot clean with a pause at a near boiling temp over night can help to loosen things up a bit. Then followed by a full second clean after resuming.

For those that are adventurous you can take apart soak and reassemble, but I wouldn't recommend to people that aren't comfortable with disassembly and reassembly of electronics.

 

[BuckoWA]

The pumps likewise can get gunked up. I've found that a hot clean with a pause at a near boiling temp over night can help to loosen things up a bit. Then followed by a full second clean after resuming.

For those that are adventurous you can take apart soak and reassemble, but I wouldn't recommend to people that aren't comfortable with disassembly and reassembly of electronics.

I did tear apart my pumps and was amazed at how gunked up they were, even after religiously cleaning them after brewing. It’s a bit of an adventure but doable. Pay attention, take pictures as you disassemble, or try what Trevor suggests.