Very interesting product

[catskillsbrew]

I just came across this Kickstarter project:

{MOD EDIT: Kickstarter Linked removed due to site rules against it}

It looks really interesting but I wonder if this is a good fit for homebrewers and how it will work, especially when it comes to replacing bottle conditioning and bottle fermentation.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hello]

I just didn't know why I'd want to fill a bunch of bags. It seemed like I'd have storage issues myself.
Or maybe I don't get it.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Interesting. I was just at Target, and saw a machine that takes tubes of beer. There's also the Krups one too.

Seems everyone is on the k-cup bandwagon.


Now... if you have to bring the bag to get it filled... why not just drink there? I don't think that bag would make it home full with me in the vicinity! Lol!



Thanks for linking this. It's interesting...

 

[hunter_le five]

Kinda cool I guess, but seems like an expensive solution to a minor problem.

I've never had a problem emptying a growler before the beer goes bad. And the small quantity (1 gallon) is kind of lame to me. If I just want 11 beers of something, I'll just buy a couple six packs or fill up 2 of my growlers. If I want it on tap, I want at least a sixth-barrel keg worth.

 

[j1n]

I don't see the appeal. I keg and if i want to bring some to go i can just fill growlers or bottles. Most homebrewers will go with a kegging system rather than filling a bunch of bags. Also you would have to force carb or prime each bag which would be annoying.

Also the non homebrewer than likes to have beer on tap at home usually go with a kegerator and buy kegs of the beer they like.

 

[RDaneel]

The SYNEK looks like a good idea for someone (like me) who homebrews infrequently, wants the convenience of a countertop system, and would occasionally get a bag filled at a local brewery or growler station. My local beer merchant has great options, and being able to fill 128oz that would last 3-4 weeks on the counter (assuming I didn't drink it first) would be cool.

Clearly, a First World Problem/Solution, but still kind of cool...

 

[ringo8553]

I think most places would not be able to figure out what to charge to fill the bag


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[jrubins]

I came across the kickstarter for the synek today, and I have to say, it seems like an awesome idea. I think you guys might not be the target customer. Think of a micro or nano brewery looking to get some distribution. 40% of the cost of a beer is its packaging, Synek *could* reduce that barrier to entry. So, it's not so much about the end users buying a $300 appliance, so much as selling a lot of bags.

would love to know what others think though. Craft beer does seem like it's ripe for innovation in the packaging and distribution.

 

[chickypad]

Think of a micro or nano brewery looking to get some distribution. 40% of the cost of a beer is its packaging, Synek *could* reduce that barrier to entry. So, it's not so much about the end users buying a $300 appliance, so much as selling a lot of bags.

Yeah, but who are you going to sell the bags to unless there are a bunch of end users willing to shell out the $300? To create incentive to buy the dispenser I think you would need to hit a certain tipping point where the selection would be good enough to rival what you can get now in traditional packaging, and then pass on some of that savings in packaging to the consumer. The problem I see is that there seem to be a number of these ideas floating around, could turn into a VHS vs. Betamax kind of thing.

 

[Anderbrau]

Since I don't own a kegging system yet, I would definitely be interested. The Synek comes with a refillable CO2 tank that, according to the website's FAQ page, is capable of force-carbonating a cartridge. I could "keg" a gallon or two of each batch, and bottle the rest for long-term storage or for handouts. At $300, though, I would need to actually lay my hands on one and "kick the tires" before commiting.

 

[Weezy]

While I'm utterly uninterested in another appliance on my counter top, I do like the bags. I've long wanted a proper solution to replace growlers that (1) maintains carbonation/pressure, and (2) dispenses from a nice tap setup (please no comments about all the stuff that is out there to maintain pressure on a growler. They're short of the overall goal).

The interesting thing is that the bags look to use off the shelf QDs. We should be able to rig the bags up to our existing keezers. I'd love to get bags filled at the local micros and hook them up in the keezer. I see Roundabout brewery is an early adopter...i don't need an excuse to get their beer to go.

It looks like the bags aren't intended for reuse, so I'd expect that you buy the bag and a fill at the brewery...fine by me as long as the price isn't off. Which is critical really. The marketing almost makes it sound like this is a premium solution. Whenever you hear things spun as premium, expect a premium price.

 

[FoggBrew]

I'm having trouble finding more information about this potentially nifty machine. Their site offers no technical specs and the video just does a good job of explaining a growler isn't as good as draft, and drafts should be on your counter, next to your coffee maker.

Albeit, it's a cool idea. I want a kegerator, I would love even just one tap on hand in my tiny studio apartment, but the space is minimal and my wallet is thin. $300 is a lot.

However, I brew one-gallon batches, making this incredibly ideal for a way to "keg" my beer (if I had the counter space, I'd consider the idea of getting one).

Honestly, a gallon is too small. Other than putting my home brews in it, I don't think I'd want to fill a bladder with 10-beers worth of craft suds and bring it home and potentially keep it for a month. Draft beer is good, yes, but unless I have the real-estate on my countertop and $300 to spend on a super-small kegerator, why bother? I'd be better off using that money to add a tap to the side of my fridge and store a keg inside.

 

[Sayvillebrew]

My wife got me a Synek and a few breweries fill the bags near me. It's pretty neat. More of a novelty but fun nonetheless. For the first time, I force carbed a gallon of homebrew and it took about a week to carb and it turned out great. Then I thought it would be cool to have a bag all carbed up ready to go so I hooked up the co2 "foam" tube from a fill kit to the extra port on my manifold. (I know...how could I have an extra port!). This should work fine. The bag has a release valve that off gasses at 15psi. So as my beer is at serving pressure, I just have a bag carbing up. I think I want to get a splitter and have multiple bags going at once. I think this will be cool when I do some 1 gallon batches. I can just pour the whole batch in a bag and plug it in. I thought I would share my Synek experience. Cheers!