Over the past few weeks, I've transformed a section of my kitchen into a mini bar and brewery after dedicating some counter space to the Igulu F1 smart brewer.
As the name suggests, this sleek barrel-shaped appliance is a smart home device designed especially for brewing beer at home, or wine, cider or kombucha, if you're not looking for something alcoholic. Plus, you can insert a compatible keg into the machine to instantly pour pints when you don't want to wait for a batch of your own beer to be ready.
If you brew your own beer, this smart device promises to take all the hassle out of it. It can automatically alter its temperature from 35°F to 86°F (2°C to 30°C) to best suit your brewing needs. Thanks to an automatic pressure management system, if the Igulu F1 coffee maker detects that the fermentation process is building up too much pressure, it can release some to return to a safe value. This should prevent your system from exploding; something that can happen if you are not careful when preparing with a manual kit.
To see if brewing beer at home is really as easy as Igulu suggests, I thought I'd give F1 a try and was pleasantly surprised by the results. So much so that I am already preparing my second batch.
My redemption arc brewing beer
I have exceptionally limited experience in the art of brewing beer. I helped my dad with a couple of bagged beer kits when I was a teenager (the results tasted like yesterday's urine) and although my master's degree in biotech briefly mentioned brewing, the only thing I remember from that lecture is the syndrome of autobrewery, a condition in which your body effectively becomes a brewery; you eat carbohydrates and then wandering gut microbes produce alcohol inside you. If I contract that then something will have gone very wrong.
It's not out of the question: I worked in a pub one summer while I was home from university and was never asked to work there again, so you can guess how it went.
To help me get started on a more successful brewing adventure, Igulu sent me three of their bagged beer brewing kits. If you're an inexperienced brewer like me, this is a great place to start. Like an alcoholic delivery from Hello Fresh, they come with pre-portioned ingredients and instructions.
What's more, when you've followed the recipe and added all the ingredients to the F1's removable barrel, you'll simply place it back into the machine's tank and then place an included RFID chip in a spot on the machine's logo. This initiates a pre-programmed brewing process that does everything for you: manipulating pressure and temperature to the precise needs of the beer, cooling it down to 35°F and heating up to 86°F (2°C and 30°C).
After waiting the nine days the machine said my beer would last (and then letting the brew cool), I was finally able to drink some. I excitedly invited some family members to try it too, and I think my dad summed up the result best: “It tastes like beer.”
Even if it's not the greatest compliment, I'll take it as mission accomplished.
Flying close to disaster
The only thing I would criticize about the Igulu brewing machine is that the instructions are not always 100% clear.
For example, the instructions on the back of the beer bag I used gave me precise details on when and how to add all but one of the ingredients inside. Then I had to do a lot of research online until I found a video that explained what I should do to avoid a disaster.
Additionally, while the instruction manual for the main machine is complete, it is not presented in the best way. It jumps between different stages of the brewing process and the end result was that at times I didn't fully understand what I was supposed to do, so I made some avoidable (but thankfully minor) mistakes.
I also had trouble setting up the Igulu app on my phone. However, I never needed to use it so I can't complain too much about this aspect.
Should you buy the Igulu F1?
Despite my issues, I think the Igulu F1 coffee maker is a delight. Although I didn't put much effort into drinking the beer I had brewed (the most important thing was that it tasted good), it had the sweet taste of achievement. I say I also like that it can double as a keg cooler for those occasions when I want to have a cold pint for myself or a guest, but don't want to wait more than a week for a batch to finish brewing.
However, at its hefty starting price of $699/£555, I'd compare it to a high-end espresso machine in terms of people who should consider purchasing it.
If you drink beer regularly and want to try making your own, then it might be worth getting this device. This is especially true if you don't have time in your busy schedule to operate a more manual brewing system, or if you're concerned about brewing risks that the Igulu F1's safety features help mitigate.
If that's not you, you're better served with regular beer from the store or waiting for Igulu to release a more affordable model, although there's no telling when or even if that will happen.
