Man Can keg System

[megabyte]

FYI - Just found this...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mancanbeer/mancan-put-a-brewery-in-your-fridge-not-a-growler?ref=popular

I have a hunch these might be a classic example of "Aliware".

Step 1. Surf Alibaba.com and look for something new the Chinese are trying to sell.
Step 2. Hit up kickstarter and pretend that you invented it and need help getting it manufactured.
Step 3. Profit. (No underpants required)

Linky to the actual manufacturer is here (FYI, 128oz is 1 gallon). I guess it's just business, but it's a bit deceptive how they say they're "developing" it and they need your help, if all they're doing is slapping their branding on it.

PS. Not having a dig at you at all Chris, I've just been looking into Kickstarter a lot lately for my own products so found this one interesting.

 

[takai]

I have a hunch these might be a classic example of "Aliware".

Step 1. Surf Alibaba.com and look for something new the Chinese are trying to sell.
Step 2. Hit up kickstarter and pretend that you invented it and need help getting it manufactured.
Step 3. Profit. (No underpants required)

Linky to the actual manufacturer is here (FYI, 128oz is 1 gallon). I guess it's just business, but it's a bit deceptive how they say they're "developing" it and they need your help, if all they're doing is slapping their branding on it.

PS. Not having a dig at you at all Chris, I've just been looking into Kickstarter a lot lately for my own products so found this one interesting.

Very true. Perhaps the thing they may have developed is the adapter, but that isnt hard, and from MHBs post it looks like that has already been developed too.
Things like this effectively become a large group buy instead.

 

[megabyte]

Perhaps the thing they may have developed is the adapter

Nah, the adapter is included from the supplier too, but to their credit they sure make a slick campaign video.

Things like this effectively become a large group buy instead.

Yep, kickstarter is an amazing tool and we're seeing promising success rates for campaigns in the Home Brewing space (beerbug, brewbit, brewnanny, picobrew, kegsmarts, grainfather, etc.). The only one I've seen that's failed is the brewometer which is a shame because it looked really interesting.

I think crowd-sourced funding is going to become a big part of our business model (at Digital Homebrew) in the near future.

 

[welly2]

Slightly related but mostly a bit of a rant here.

Just reading a review of the Picobrew (http://blogs.seattletimes.com/brierdudley/2014/12/15/review-picobrew-zymatic-the-beer-brewing-robot/) who describes it as "technology to simplify brewing, remove the drudgery and make advanced beer making more accessible to the masses".

Drudgery? Drudgery? Really? My other hobby, (analogue) photography involves steps that I assume this author would describe as "drudgery" because it doesn't involve a computer/robot doing the grafting. Is this what we've come to? Part of the appeal of making photographs using traditional methods and not having some computer make my beer for me is I get time to spend with mates, not looking at a computer screen but getting my hands dirty, and not pressing a button and having something do everything for me. As a result, I get a better end product for the graft. It makes you appreciate what you've created a whole lot better and you learn new skills that could be applied elsewhere. Since getting into brewing my own beer, I've also got into brewing cider, making cheese, constructing things out of bits of wood and metal, learning to use a drill and I could go on.

If I used one of those Picobrews, what would I learn? Sure, how to make a recipe (with up to 4 hop additions), which is something at least, but really not a lot more. I'm not sure a brew day with one of those Picobrews would be a very social event. Does everything have to be automated? And I ask this as a someone who has worked in tech for almost 20 years.

I think I'm done ranting, for now.

 

[spog]

Dug this out yesterday,it uses a C02 sparkler in the handle for pouring.
2x5 litre refillable kegs,it worked quite well although I haven't used it for a10+ yrs I might have a play with it soon.