Does anyone know anything about the Picobrew Unpak’d System? There isn’t very much information provided.
What gravity can I achieve?
Can I use pellet hops? The picture shows whole hops.
Is it set it and forget it like other Picobrew systems?
How long do the Unpak’d bags last? Indefinitely? One brew? Something in between?
Any other useful tidbits?
This is new feature to let you use your own ingredients. It’s $329 for 1.3G batches. Inexpensive way to try out picobrewing.
Pellet hops preferred. You need to use a bag. I know Picobrew sells them, but I don’t know if other bags will work. Not sure what the max amount of grain is. I believe the bags are intended for reuse. I planm to upgrade mine and give it a try, but it will be a while before I get to it.
Thanks. I’ll be interested to hear how it goes.
There is now a user manual on the Pico brew website.
https://picobrewcontent.blob.core.windows.net/content/picoc/PicoC_ManualBrew.pdf
This is a very manual process. I think this is geared for someone who has a Pico C and wants to brew with their own ingredients. It is not for home brewers with existing systems who want a small batch Pico Z (fully automated brewer).
In a nutshell, you place the grain bag in the step filter and manually mash. Then you stop the system and drain the bag and pour the wort into the kettle (or filter I can’t remember which). Then you bring to boil and stop the system to add hops to the step filter at each time step.
The Pico Unpak’d idea made me start thinking that a Pico Pro or Pico C might be good to pick up via Craigslist. That was until I came across this review of the Pico Pro from a few years back:
I actually had the opportunity to buy a used Pro for $125.
I wanted a Pico C/Pro for smaller batches after reading good things about the Zymatic, but decided against it. Maybe when it’s time to downsize the brewery I’ll buy a Zymatic.
Don O! I learned to brew years ago using Don O videos. His [normal] system is based on a Cooler, braded hose, and BK ala Denny brew. I later added a pump (to alleviate lifting heavy pots of hot water) and RIMS (to ease moving thru temp steps) but my basic system still lies at the heart.
I’m not sure I really get how this makes sense for them. From what I’ve heard, it seems like it turns a very automated process into a very manual process. It detracts from the printer/ink cartridge model they set up. It also undermines the Pico Z.
It’s not for me, but I see the attraction to repeatability that it offers. Is it a PITA to clean?
Nope, it’s a breeze. You just hook up a keg of water, add a dishwashing tab, and run the cleaning cycle.