A new Kickstarter-backed machine aims to take home-brewing into the 21st century. The PicoBrew Zymatic, conceived by former Microsoft executive Bill Mitchell, may look like an oversize microwave, said Nathan Ingraham at TheVerge.com, but think of it more as “the Nespresso of beer brewing.” Its computerized controls give hobbyists unprecedented precision in fine-tuning their recipes. They need only load the device with the appropriate hops and grains, select a recipe, add water, and step away. After four hours, the five-gallon keg attached will be filled with unfermented beer; add yeast to finish. But refining your IPA isn’t cheap. “At $1,300, it’s not really for the casual home-brewer,” said Casey Johnston at ArsTechnica.com. The device may prove most valuable for commercial craft brewers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
‘The menu’s other highlights smack of the surreal’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Education: More Americans say college isn’t worth itfeature College is costly and job prospects are vanishing
-
One great cookbook: ‘More Than Cake’the week recommends The power of pastry brought to inspired life
