Pardon the folks at PicoBrew this week if they pause to toast a number of different offerings and accomplishments.
The Seattle-based makers of home brewing appliances kicked off the celebration on Monday by announcing its latest machine, the Pico Model C, is in stock and shipping following a record-setting campaign on Kickstarter.
The countertop brewery appliance pulled in $1,927,217 from 4,301 backers on Kickstarter last spring, setting a high mark in the crowdfunding site’s food category. Now selling for $549, the machine will be available starting Nov. 1 at these retailers: Best Buy, Williams-Sonoma, Macys, Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Here are other promotions timed for this week:
- Tuesday: PicoStill, a distilling attachment for the Pico Model C, will be available for pre-order on the company’s website. The attachment allows users to distill essential oils and hop oils, which can be used to enhance the aromas of beer. With the proper licenses and permitting, it can also be used to distill spirits. PicoStill can be pre-ordered for $249, or bundled with the Pico Model C for $679, and will ship in January 2018.
- Wednesday: PicoFerm will be available to pre-order. This Wi-Fi connected smart fermentation device attaches to the Pico Model C keg and allows users to monitor and track a beer’s fermentation to determine when it is ready to drink. PicoFerm can be pre-ordered for $59, or bundled with an extra Pico Model C keg for $99, and will ship in November.
- Thursday: PicoBrew will host a big craft beer tasting with beer industry insiders and media in the PicoBrew Tap Room with curated flights from its selection of PicoPak craft brews.
- Friday: The BrewPulse mobile app will be available for free download. Users can log in while brewing with Pico and track their progress, buy additional PicoPaks and view PicoFerm fermentation data.
PicoBrew was founded in 2010 by brothers Bill Mitchell, a former Microsoft executive, and his brother Jim, a food scientist, along with engineer Avi Geiger. Last year, GeekWire tested the Pico machine at home.
The company said that early backers of the Pico Model C Kickstarter campaign — the fourth successfully funded and fulfilled campaign for the startup — have already received their units and started brewing.
“With the launch of Pico Model C, we’re pushing our offerings beyond just a craft beer appliance to a full countertop brewery and ultimate kitchen appliance,” Bill Mitchell, CEO of PicoBrew, said in a news release. “The PicoFerm fermentation device and BrewPulse app give beer brewers even more precision and control over their brews, while the PicoStill and sous-vide capability allow them to explore culinary creation beyond beer. We think every foodie and beer-lover should have a Pico Model C on their countertop.”
Looks like the company will drink to all that …
