PicoBrew, creator of the award-winning PicoBrew Zymatic automatic beer brewing appliance, has launched the company’s latest product, the PicoBrew Pico. While PicoBrew’s flagship Zymatic product targets beer brewing professionals, the Pico is a craft beer appliance for the home craft beer enthusiast.
“With Zymatic we pioneered the fully-automatic, high-quality, craft beer appliance,” said Dr. Bill Mitchell, CEO of PicoBrew. “Over 1,200 Zymatic customers all over the world are now enjoying higher quality test batches and more precise, repeatable results. Now with our more compact and approachable Pico we’ve truly created the craft brewing appliance for beer lovers everywhere.”
After years of R&D related to heating, fluid distribution and ingredient packaging, PicoBrew reduced the cost and complexity of the patented processes and technology employed in Zymatic, and designed it into a compact, stylish package. At 12” wide and 31 pounds, the Pico, for the first time ever, allows someone with no brewing experience to easily brew five (5) liters of fresh, top-quality craft beer in the comfort of their own kitchen. 
The new PicoPak system employed by the Pico uses pre-packaged ingredient packs available from brewers and breweries around the world. PicoPaks ensure that new brewers achieve great brewing results right from the start. Customers looking for more customization can personalize their batches to adjust bitterness and alcohol levels.
Brewing on Pico is as simple as filling a keg with water, loading the hop and grain modules into the machine and hitting “Brew”. Automatic steam-cleaning and compostable pulp packaging for grains and hops make clean-up easy. After brewing, the beer is fermented by adding yeast from the PicoPak, and then transferred to five (5) liter serving kegs and carbonated. Some PicoPaks also employ a dry-hopping step where a hops package is added for more flavor and aroma.
“Although the craft beer market is expanding at a record pace, small craft breweries face increasing challenges getting distribution for their beers. At the same time, craft beer lovers around the world are eager to discover and experience unique fresh craft brews,” said Mitchell. “We’re excited to help both craft breweries squeezed by this increasing beer market consolidation, and craft beer lovers who can’t get the beer selection and quality they crave.”.
Also new is the PicoBrew BrewMarketplace, a giant “AppStore for beer.” Brewers and even homebrewers publish their beers on BrewMarketplace and receive royalties on every sale. Customers explore and purchase beer based on in-depth knowledge about the beer and brewer, community ratings, trends and peer feedback. Any brewer seeking to publish their beer on BrewMarketplace can join the PicoBrew Development Program (PDP). More than 50 breweries and brewmasters have already joined the program and are working with PicoBrew to create PicoPaks, including Dogfish Head, Rogue, Dieu du Ciel! (Canada), and Cervecería Barbarian (Peru). “Our hope is that with the Pico acting as essentially a ‘3D printer for beer’, and the BrewMarketplace connecting craft brewers and customers, we can fundamentally improve the quality of beer consumed by the world today,” enthused Mitchell. “Our mission is to get the world brewing, and Pico is at the center of it all.”
The Pico will retail for $999 MSRP at general availability in Spring 2016, but is available now for pre-order on Kickstarter by clicking on the buy link below.
