PicoBrew Introduces Its Professional "Z Series" Craft Beer Brewing Appliances, Available Now for Pre-Order

The new Z Series builds on the pioneering technology created in 2013 for the award-winning PicoBrew Zymatic, the world's first all-grain brewing appliance, and extends it with a blend of unique, data-center-industry inspired functionality to produce a family of modular, scalable brewing appliances. The upgraded fluid distribution and heating components work together with the new modular, rackable and stackable chassis components to create truly scalable brewing solutions. The new Z Series features stainless-steel, heavy-duty components and was designed with simplified maintenance in mind. The Wi-Fi-connected appliances can be used to create recipes that run brewing cycles with precise control over temperature, fluid flow and timing, or brewers can download and run existing recipes from PicoBrew's extensive recipe library.

The Z Series gives brewers the capability to produce between 1 to 10 gallons of beer at a time, with each model increasing the output by 2.5 gallons. Special pre-order pricing will be offered until March 15^th:

• Z1 produces up to 2.5 gallons per brew cycle (MSRP $2,500, Pre-Order for $1,499)
• Z2 produces up to 5 gallons per brew cycle (MSRP $4,000, Pre-Order for $1,999)
• Z3 produces up to 7.5 gallons per brew cycle (MSRP $6,000, Pre-Order for $2,999)
• Z4 produces up to 10 gallons per brew cycle (MSRP $8,500, Pre-Order for $3,999)

The pro-grade Z Series features upgraded components suitable for professional use in high-duty-cycle environments where up-time matters. Its modular design allows brewers to scale batch sizes to meet their needs, from small experimental batches to more cost-effective production quantities.

"I'm super excited about the Z Series. It has the flexibility to let me brew pilot batches up to 10 gallons with the potential to sell them in my tasting room," said Barry Chan, co-founder and brewmaster at Seattle's Lucky Envelope Brewing.

"We have heard the demand for larger brewing-volume solutions from our customers loud and clear," said Dr. Bill Mitchell, CEO of PicoBrew. "After almost 2 years of experimentation and prototyping, we arrived at the Z Series:  a modular solution that can meet the needs of advanced homebrewers, bar and restaurant owners and pro-brewers alike."

Ron Zimmerman, proprietor of The Herbfarm restaurant and early adopter of the Zymatic, looks forward to the increased capacity of the Z Series and to sharing his recipes with beer fans worldwide: "Over time, the Zymatic has led me all over the beer world, through styles, ingredients, and eras. I've particularly enjoyed exploring the near-forgotten flavors of lost beers, the first of which was my Franklin's Old Ale. For all-out versatility, nothing beats the infinite grain bills, hop additions, and mash schedules of the Zymatic," Zimmerman said.

In addition to brewing with loose grains and hops, the Z Series appliances can also brew PicoPaks, biodegradable recipe packs that come filled with the water amendments, grains and hops needed to brew craft beers from more than 200 breweries around the world (To see the current selection of PicoPaks, visit the PicoBrew BrewMarketplace).

PicoBrew Network for Homebrewers

PicoBrew also announced today the launch of the PicoBrew Network (PBN) for Homebrewers. "The PBN program together with PicoBrew's BrewMarketplace enable essentially an 'App Store for Beer'," said Mitchell. Brewers develop recipes on Z Series devices using their own loose ingredients, then follow the PBN portal process to create and publish PicoPaks which other Pico and Z-Series customers can brew.  All PBN published brewers earn royalties on their BrewMarketplace sales and receive unique data insights on their customers. The new "Homebrew Beers" store on BrewMarketplace is set to explode as more than 800 homebrewers have already joined the PBN with the intent to publish.

"While we have all probably dreamed of quitting our day jobs and opening a brewery, startup costs and a competitive landscape make this option unworkable for most homebrewers," said Mitchell. "The PicoBrew Network (PBN) gives homebrewers the opportunity to distribute the beers they create and earn royalties, while PicoBrew does all the work of marketing, manufacturing and fulfilling the Paks."

"Our record-setting Kickstarter launch of the Pico C last Spring has resulted in thousands of thirsty craft beer lovers constantly foraging for their next great beer on BrewMarketplace," said Mitchell. "We can't wait to see how customers of the new Z Series are going to use these innovative all-in-one beer creation and distribution machines to expand their businesses by publishing into this marketplace, and we look forward to meeting the pico-beer millionaire."

About PicoBrew
PicoBrew was founded in Seattle in 2010 by brothers Bill and Jim Mitchell, a former Microsoft executive and food scientist, along with engineer Avi Geiger.  Combining their food science and technology expertise with their passion for homebrewing, they set out to improve the craft beer brewing process for small producers and homebrewers. PicoBrew introduced its flagship product, the award-winning Zymatic^® automatic beer-brewing appliance for beer brewing professionals and homebrewers, in 2013. The Pico™, designed for consumer craft beer enthusiasts, followed in 2016. Both product lines are designed to improve the precision, repeatability and overall quality of the brewing process to create consistently delicious craft beer. For more information, visit www.picobrew.com or follow PicoBrew on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Contact:
Kristen Joerger, LKPR Inc.
[email protected]
646-484-4577, 603-494-3295 (c)

SOURCE PicoBrew

Related Links

http://www.picobrew.com