Pico Brewery on Kickstarter - some automated brewery shite

[welly2]

Have you seen the price? It starts at $499 (early bird) and will retail at $1000.

It'll only let you brew using these brew packs and you can't use your own recipe to make your own custom beers. And it'll only make 5L of beer at a time.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1708005089/pico-craft-beer-at-home

I struggle to see the market for this, although I'm not a marketing bod so perhaps I'm missing something blindingly obvious. It's not like you're spending a couple of hundred on a coffee machine. It's a serious wedge of money. Surely if you're that interested in homebrewing to spend $500 or eventually $1000 then you'd get a more flexible system in place. And if you're not that serious about homebrewing but serious about beer, then $500-1000 is a shit load of 6 packs from your local bottle shop.

It's smart and clever and all that but possibly a bit too smart and clever.

 

[crowmanz]

They have the Zymatic which retails for $1999USD and brews 2.5 gal (a touch under 9.5L)

It will do well with the crafty's, it has already hit the target. It is basically the nespresso of home brewing.

Looks like you can only use the approved recipe packs which will be from $18-$30USD

 

[welly2]

They have the Zymatic which retails for $1999USD and brews 2.5 gal (a touch under 9.5L)

It will do well with the crafty's, it has already hit the target. It is basically the nespresso of home brewing.

Looks like you can only use the approved recipe packs which will be from $18-$30USD

Bloody hell, $2k and you only get under 10L of beer from it? You'll have to be brewing a LOT for that thing to pay for itself.

 

[Mardoo]

The Zymatic seems pretty shit hot, by my reckoning. When you have loads of professional brewers using it to refine recipes it's gotta have something going for it.

Not sure about this new one, but I'd guess there's a market. I mean, folks still brew lots of kits, and Americans love to buy shit they don't really need, as long as you tell them it makes their lives simpler, so...

 

[Moad]

I think there will be a market for that price, $1k not so much.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

There are some big names advocating it in that video.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Just watched this video on the Zymatic. If I wasn't into brewing already I reckon I'd take a punt on it. Having to fork out $2K on it would probably hold me back though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7cpKktRJZ8

 

[real_beer]

My take on things like this is similar to many new inventions, first in pay top dollar, then when mass production kicks in the price should tumble to reflect production and distribution costs. If this thing took off in the American market I'd have to think $700 would be a realistic retail price, especially as they intend to make money selling brew kits for it.

To me that's what's been disappointing about the Braumeister, sales have taken off around the world but prices haven't come down to reflect the increased production factor.

 

[welly2]

My take on things like this is similar to many new inventions, first in pay top dollar, then when mass production kicks in the price should tumble to reflect production and distribution costs. If this thing took off in the American market I'd have to think $700 would be a realistic retail price, especially as they intend to make money selling brew kits for it.

To me that's what's been disappointing about the Braumeister, sales have taken off around the world but prices haven't come down to reflect the increased production factor.

That's German efficiency! They're building it cheaper but selling it for the same price! Sitzpinklers!

 

[mongey]

its a good idea on paper but 5l ? what am I supposed to do with 5l ? that wont last a weekend

 

[Elz]

Good on em. Introducing more people to home brewing will only benifit the whole community. New ideas, new way of doing things, capacity to brew small batches to taste .... I love it (but wouldnt buy it!)

 

[Florian]

Sitzpinkler!

Nothing wrong with that, saves time on cleaning and sanitising.

As opposed to Warmduscher, who are just wasteful with resources for no apparent reason.

 

[Blind Dog]

its a good idea on paper but 5l ? what am I supposed to do with 5l ? that wont last an afternoon

FTFY

 

[Blind Dog]

My take on things like this is similar to many new inventions, first in pay top dollar, then when mass production kicks in the price should tumble to reflect production and distribution costs. If this thing took off in the American market I'd have to think $700 would be a realistic retail price, especially as they intend to make money selling brew kits for it.

To me that's what's been disappointing about the Braumeister, sales have taken off around the world but prices haven't come down to reflect the increased production factor.

Given Spiedels size, it always was mass produced and priced accordingly, much the same as any other large manufacturer introducing a new product.

 

[real_beer]

Given Spiedels size, it always was mass produced and priced accordingly, much the same as any other large manufacturer introducing a new product.

The whole philosophy of mass production is to make and sell more cheaper. As other manufactures jump on the one vessel bandwagon and the Braumiester looses the main focus of the public's eye Spiedel with have to decide if they want to sell more units at a cheaper price or sell less units for more money and stake its claim on quality. The problem with that is you could end up having the product everyone would like to have but can't justify getting because other systems offer just as many great features at a much lower price, bit like the guitar, car, and computer market. There's nothing wrong with Spiedel's products and the quality is superb but you only have to look at the last year and see how many companies are jumping on board the one vessel market at cheaper prices, the Grainfather a great budget system is now already under attack by Keg King itself. Most home-brewers, not all, are cheapskates by nature so let's see what happens. Apple had to eventually change its approach to pricing its products, it might not be doing so well these days but maybe it left it too long before it changed direction, who knows?

 

[GalBrew]

Most home-brewers, not all, are MASSIVE TIGHTASSES by nature!

 

[real_beer]

Yes, I was trying to be diplomatic :lol:

 

[Rurik]

My take on things like this is similar to many new inventions, first in pay top dollar, then when mass production kicks in the price should tumble to reflect production and distribution costs. If this thing took off in the American market I'd have to think $700 would be a realistic retail price, especially as they intend to make money selling brew kits for it.

To me that's what's been disappointing about the Braumeister, sales have taken off around the world but prices haven't come down to reflect the increased production factor.

That's German efficiency! They're building it cheaper but selling it for the same price! Sitzpinklers!

Speidel was already a tank manufacture, it is not like volume was going to do much given they are/were already running at a large capacity. If you want cheaper take a punt on something made in China. Oh look some one has already done that http://www.grainfather.com.au/#!online-store/c8k/!/Grainfather/p/44881857/category=11595346

 

[Rurik]

Speidel was already a tank manufacture, it is not like volume was going to do much given they are/were already running at a large capacity. If you want cheaper take a punt on something made in China. Oh look some one has already done that http://www.grainfather.com.au/#!online-store/c8k/!/Grainfather/p/44881857/category=11595346

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KJzSAEIlpY

 

[Blind Dog]

The whole philosophy of mass production is to make and sell more cheaper. As other manufactures jump on the one vessel bandwagon and the Braumiester looses the main focus of the public's eye Spiedel with have to decide if they want to sell more units at a cheaper price or sell less units for more money and stake its claim on quality. The problem with that is you could end up having the product everyone would like to have but can't justify getting because other systems offer just as many great features at a much lower price, bit like the guitar, car, and computer market. There's nothing wrong with Spiedel's products and the quality is superb but you only have to look at the last year and see how many companies are jumping on board the one vessel market at cheaper prices, the Grainfather a great budget system is now already under attack by Keg King itself. Most home-brewers, not all, are cheapskates by nature so let's see what happens. Apple had to eventually change its approach to pricing its products, it might not be doing so well these days but maybe it left it too long before it changed direction, who knows?

Agreed - the point was more that Spiedel was already a large scale manufacturer of similar products, with a chunk of change behind it, before it introduced the BM so already had or could access most of the benefits of scale before BM production started. The kickstarter crowd simply can't so price for hand building / small runs hoping that the product will catch on and they can cut costs and finally turn a buck or two. I somehow doubt that Spiedel will respond on price and my guess is they'll keep the BM positioned as the premium product in the sector.