I received my Pico Brew beer making system last Friday. I got it unpacked and setup over the weekend, and read through the instructions (and continue to reread them). The Pico Brew is pitched as the Keurig of beer. All the ingredients are pre-measured and are mainly contained in a grain pak and a hops pak. You put both paks in the machine, add water and let it go. However, unlike coffee, you don't drink the hot result, instead you then add the yeast and let it ferment for a week or two. After that you rack and carbonate it. Only after all that's done, do you have beer to serve.
I started my first beer Monday night, called Buffalo Sweat. It's a stout. I've done the brewing and hopping, and will be setting it up to ferment tonight.
I have a choice of standard fermentation or fast fermentation, and I've decided to go the standard route. It may take longer, but there's less chance of something going wrong.
Next, I have a choice of Forced Carbonation or Keg Conditioning carbonation. I'm not sure which way to go here. I think I'd like the beer better with Keg Conditioning, but it takes a LOT longer- 36 hours vs 3 weeks. I have more beer paks coming, so I may do this one with Forced Carbonation, and use my other serving keg with another beer to keg condition. I assumed that the beer would be in the fermenting keg for the whole time, and only transferred to the serving keg to drink. I have received an extra keg of both, so I think I'll be ok. My original idea was to have one beer being served while another was fermenting. That would work if I force carbonate, but not if I keg condition.
to be continued......
