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The company is set to debut its HomeBrew system at CES 2019. It's a capsule-based beer-making machine that relies on automation and fermentation algorithms, and is completely self-cleaning, so it's a seriously fuss-free way of brewing your own beer. Depending on the beer type (there are five: American IPA, American Pale Ale, English Stout, Witbier and Czech Pilsner), the system can produce up to five liters of beer in about two weeks -- you can check on its status at any time using the companion app for iOS and Android.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/11/lgs-homebrew-craft-beer-system-ces-2019/
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LG's Automated Craft Beer System Could Make Homebrewing Much Easier
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Can anyone remember when the times were not hard, and money not scarce?
(Score: 2) by VLM on Thursday December 13 2018, @12:16PM (4 children)
Several comments are focusing on the fact this doesn't produce enough beer quickly enough to keep an entire college fraternity drunk, I admit I don't drink much, but when I do I want the variety and I want the good stuff, so I'm not seeing an issue with less than a pint per day or whatever the problem is.
I've brewed beer and this is much more impressive to me than "I made me an arduino timer that adds the hops after 45 minutes"
The "why" question I don't get is unless you're into the technology itself, joe 6 pack normie NPC would likely be more impressed with a magic box which is a fridge turned into a keg-er-ator than a magic box that slowly makes a little beer. I mean, I already got a magic machine that I pump money into and it drives me to the store and back, then beer appears in my fridge as money disappears from my wallet. And I suspect the programmers haven't got code good enough for custom brew, so if it boils down to "its a really complicated way to make Miller Lite" then I'm not seeing the point its like pretending an "ez-bake" oven makes you a pastry chef.
(Score: 2) by hubie on Thursday December 13 2018, @05:04PM (3 children)
Since I enjoy making bread, I used to think this way about breadmakers until I learned that they actually do a good job at making bread. If this goes in the direction of the breadmaker, then I would say it is a good thing. However, if it goes off in the direction of something like a Keurig or a SodaStream, where they (try to) lock you into their specific system and you have to buy packets specifically designed for the device, then that would be a disappointment.
For what it's worth, I used to own a breadmaker, and though there is nothing better than waking up in the morning to a just-baked loaf, I eventually gave it away because I never used it much, because making bread in the stand mixer is super easy too (if only I could automate that so that I can have my bread in the morning!). I also brew my own beer, but I don't think that I would be in the market for something like this.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Friday December 14 2018, @01:16AM (2 children)
You can have your bread in the morning. There are some recipes that use a tiny amount of yeast where you let it rise overnight (even up to a day), then shape it into a loaf when you get up, and by the time the oven preheats, you can chuck the loaf in and bake it.
There are similar recipes that involve "retarding" the dough in the fridge overnight, then pulling it out and baking in the morning. Many claim you need to let the dough warm up before baking, but most can be modified to bake almost directly from the fridge.
Finally, there's the parbaking option: bake a loaf until the inner structure is just set, then freeze the loaves. In some cases, you can pull a loaf out and finish the bake in short order, giving you fresh bread at whatever time (including the morning).
Any of these options, with a bit of practice or experimentation, is much better than inferior product I've generally experienced from.bread machines... which is often a bit dense with an odd texture and weird crust... and all the types of bread you make with them tend to have similar weird properties.
(Score: 2) by hubie on Friday December 14 2018, @06:20PM
Thank you for this. I've done some overnight sponges then finished them the next day. I hadn't thought about the parbaking option. In a pinch, I've picked up those frozen dough loaves from the grocery and baked them and they came out pretty well. I hadn't connected the two and thought to try that method myself. I guess it might be a little trial-and-error on the baking time upfront, but I should be able to figure it out with a digital thermometer.
(Score: 1) by Goghit on Saturday December 15 2018, @05:51PM
Another alternative is a Zojirushi breadmaker. I tried several other breadmakers via the local thrift shop - they all went back after a couple of trial batches. The Zoji makes bread as good as my mother's. She learned her craft at 8 baking in a wood stove.
The Zoji can be set up to 12 hours in advance so you come home to fresh bread and hot chili in the slow cooker. It's pricey but it's one of those kitchen gadgets that I will replace the moment it breaks. Fortunately Zojirushi still makes high quality equipment that lasts longer than your average refrigerator nowadays.
If Zojirushi makes a brewing machine equivalent (add your own basic ingredients and lots of control over the program) I'm in. This new system though looks like another Silicon Valley RFID capsule subscription widget thingy. Fuck 'em and the venture capitalist horse they rode in on.