Picobrew distilling add on

[Single Malt Yinzer]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/17/pic ... istillery/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Picobrew has a new, cheaper countertop beer brewing system. That you already knew. But the company is now dipping its toes into distilling. The Picostill is an add on for the Pico Model C that turns that weird custom designed keg into a countertop distillery. Specifically it's a reflux still that uses vacuum distillation, which doesn't look as cool as a pot or column still, but makes far more efficient use of the space.

On its own the addon is $170 as a backer reward, but you can also get it packaged with the Pico C for $499. Even if it only makes beer and booze in very small batches, that a surprisingly good value. If you wait for the Picostill to hit retail channels though, it'll set you back $349.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/17 ... ng-for-all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[still_stirrin]

Seriously???

That system has plastics throughout. Not advised by our "rules to live by".
ss

[yakattack]

Sadly yet another person who.designs something without doing proper research. This should be moved to the what not to use board..

[FullySilenced]

It's a vacuum still... not sure what the high proof ethanol will actually touch material wise... so don't jump to any conclusions till someone actually see's one... maybe just be glass and copper... from the looks of the photo's

happy stillin,

FS

[skow69]

Brewing is all about temperature control, and that's doubly true for distilling.

No mention of the vacuum level or source.

The still attachment looks about 10 inches tall. How much reflux do you suppose they are getting?

Sounds like somebody who has heard of a still, but never actually seen one.

[Pikey]

So they've had $1,300,000 pledged of a required $ 350,000 and only 21 days to go

Sounds like a great way to make money - but what has it got to do with us ?

[skow69]

These are the charlatans that give hobby distilling a bad name.

[Jimbo]

Tinkertoys

Who the f wants a 5 liter still anyway. Let alone a plasticy shitty one thats costs entirely too much and doesnt allow you to learn about what the hell youre doing. Clueless in, clueless out, with a tiny jar of shitty product. Yay

[Desvio]

So they've had $1,300,000 pledged of a required $ 350,000 and only 21 days to go

Sounds like a great way to make money - but what has it got to do with us ?

Remember the Pet Rock? If you make it..... haha

[amdamgraham]

While the pico brew may seem a bit silly and the distilling attachment even sillier, early models are currently in use by some breweries to test recipes before going into larger production. It takes a lot of risk out of making something unique. So if you were a small distiller looking to differentiate yourself (as they all are - sometimes to a fault), you could test and optimize a recipe before going into production.

[DeepSouth]

I'm a small professional distiller, and I test recipes in my old hobby still, with a 15 gallon beer keg boiler. A 5 L still has absolutely no utility.

[Expat]

Heh, funny; I commented on the original Engadget article when it came out.

Completely useless!

[Pikey]

I'm a small professional distiller, and I test recipes in my old hobby still, with a 15 gallon beer keg boiler. A 5 L still has absolutely no utility.

Certainly not for the production of anything meaningful, but I keep thinking $1.3 million of FREE MONEY ! - sounds bloody useful to me !

[der wo]

I'm a small professional distiller, and I test recipes in my old hobby still, with a 15 gallon beer keg boiler. A 5 L still has absolutely no utility.

In Germany the professional distillers have the right to do test runs with 0.5! liter stills without notifying the customs. It seem for me, that it is possible, to test something even with such small stills. IMO if someone wants to have a 5l still, why not? Perhaps he should calculate the time effort and how much spirit he gets, but if the result is ok for him, why not.

Edit: The main problem with small stills is, that it is technically possible to run them very fast in comparision to the size. A "pencil lead" spirit run with a 5l still with 4l low wines on a hotplate will need only 1h including heating up if you want. For the notorious bad cuts with small stills is the distilling speed to blame for, not the still.

[Bushman]

I agree to some extent with Jimbo. Having said that I am convinced that having a smaller 5 gallon still in your arsenal is a good thing. I have added and am adding a second 5 gallon still for infusion of botanicals with already distilled nuetrals. I can also see the use for testing small batch recipes.