PicoBrew’s Pico C Nears $1.5 Million: Announces Free Fermentation Monitor if the Project Becomes Most Successful Food Campaign on Kickstarter

With less than two weeks until its Kickstarter comes to an end, PicoBrew’s latest project, Pico C has successfully raised nearly $1.5 million from more than 3,600 backers. The campaign was launched last month, originally seeking $350,000, which was quickly achieved in a matter of hours.

As previously reported, PicoBrew described Pico C is a smart craft beer brewing appliance that allows anyone to brew 5L kegs of professional quality craft beer using ingredient-and-recipe PicoPaks from great craft breweries around the world. The company noted that the device builds on the technology created for its big brother, the award-winning Pico Model S but is even easier to use and more affordable.  The company also claimed that Pico C is the easiest way to brew fresh craft beer from breweries around the world or custom craft your own brew innovations. Pico C’s features include:

• High-contrast two-line OLED display;
• Brews existing PicoPaks and Freestyle PicoPaks in about 2 hours
• Dishwasher-safe Pico C Keg with a simplified hose connection

At the time of the campaign launch, Dr. Bill Mitchell, CEO of PicoBrew, stated:

“We’ve spent a significant amount of time listening to our customers who were early adopters of the initial Pico to identify areas where we could streamline and simplify the use of the appliance even further. By making improvements to our hardware with a sleeker design and easier-to-use and clean brewing keg, and by offering a more accessible price point, brewing fresh craft beer at home can be a reality for an even larger number of craft beer enthusiasts. We are excited to offer incentives through our Kickstarter campaign that will allow the earliest backers to secure their own Pico Model C for more than 50% off the retail price, with plenty of other enticing add-ons to choose from.”

As the campaign nears its deadline, PicoBrew is seeking to make the project very memorable on the Kickstarter platform. The company reported that if the initiative reaches $1.812 million by its closing date, May 12th, all backers pledging $250 or more will receive the new PicoFerm for free, and all backers will gain bragging rights as supporters of the most successful food Kickstarter campaign ever. Mitchell shared:

“First-time brewers and seasoned brewers alike are going to love PicoFerm because it takes the guesswork out of fermentation and gives you the information you need to control what’s happening in your keg. It’s just another way we’re helping our customers become expert craft beer brewers so that they get the best results possible whenever they brew.”

PicoFerm is described as a web-connected fermentation monitor that makes the process of monitoring a beer’s fermentation progress as simple as opening an app on your phone. Using patent-pending technology, the device monitors the fermenting beers pressure and temperature and sends a precise forecast of when the beer will be ready to drink to the free BrewPulse app. It will also send tips on how to improve fermentation to the app, such as suggesting temperature changes speed up the fermentation process and will warn users if it detects any problems. PicoFerm will retail for $89 USD when it hits stores in the Fall. 

PicoBrew is currently selling the Pico C starting at $279. The company also reported that Pico C will retail for $549 when it hits stores in fall 2017 and will include the brewing appliance, Pico C Brewing Keg and 5L serving keg.