S1 All-In-One Automated Home Craft Beer Brewer

There's a lot I like about the iGulu S1 and a lot I'm not so crazy about. Overall, I think it's a good device for someone who wants to impress their friends with "homemade" brew, but it's far from a machine that will hone your brew craft - or even teach you the fundamentals.At its core, the S1 is not to dissimilar from the automated bread machines that were really popular a decade or two ago. You dump in all your ingredients, set the type of product you're making, and let the machine do everything else. Though the S1 does provide you with some data along the way, it is largely hands-free once you have a batch started. For those who want the novelty of creating their own beer without having to *learn* how to brew beer, this process is probably enough and I imagine they'll enjoy sampling the different recipe packs and having a few pints of fresh-brewed beer on tap.But if, like me, you have some knowledge, interest, and/or experience in craft brewing, the limitations of the S1 become quickly apparent.Out of the box, you can get a batch brewing within a very short amount of time. Setting-up the tech is simple, but the app seems largely pointless to me. It gives you a little bit of data about the machine and the brew cycle, but there is really not a lot of function or reason to check the app over a multi-day brew cycle.Getting the machine ready to brew was also relatively easy and the included instructions were helpful for understanding how to disassemble the various parts, but I was surprised at the lack of importance paid to the sanitizing process - or even how to best achieve sanitized equipment. The only instruction is to, in fact, sanitize the carboy and tubing - nothing more. Any experienced brewer or distiller will tell you how important it is to thoroughly sanitize your equipment. Stray yeast, bacteria, or mold spores can easily (and quickly) spoil your batch. And since you're pitching yeast into the mash before reaching boiling temperatures, proper sanitation becomes even more critical.Next, I was surprised - and perhaps a little concerned - that the carboy (which is the fermenting chamber) is fully plastic. Considering the price of this machine, a glass carboy would have been a better option. Fermenting in plastic is less-than-ideal and many brewers/distillers go to great length to make sure their product never touches plastic. Similarly, the set includes several replacement parts, which is handy, but also tells me that the manufacturer knows that plastic parts under pressure and temperature changes are prone to fail.Moving beyond the plastic fermenting chamber, the recipe kit was mostly what I expected - premeasured ingredients you dump into the water-filled carboy. What I wasn't fully expecting was the use of liquid extracts as opposed to actual hops. In hindsight, this should have been obvious but, for me, it takes the true craft out of the brewing process and limits you to predefined ingredients - even if you want to explore the "Master Mode". You have some flexibility, but the S1 is clearly designed to guide you to their recipe kits. Again, this may not fully be a concern for users who just want to set it and forget it.Currently there is not a large variety of recipe kits, but there are a few I'd like to try as I get more familiar with the capabilities of the machine. I'm not crazy about the subscription model, so I was happy to find the kits can be purchased individually. The kits are about $20 (when purchasing single units) and the yield is While my dislikes about this machine might come off as overly critical, I do genuinely believe there is a place for this automated brewer with broad appeal for new/casual initiates to the craft. The ease of use is remarkable and the fact that the brewer is almost completely self-contained is pretty amazing. It's certainly enough to get you started and interested in brewing, but if you're looking for more control and greater volume, you may find yourself outgrowing the S1 in a short amount of time.

This compact brewer allows home made beer (and theoretically mead). The device is self contained, requiring 1 gallon (116 ounces) of distilled water, 120v ac, a brew kit, and connection to a 2.4 wifi.Unpacking and setup is easy, though the instruction manual is sparse. Strongly recommend viewing a YouTube video prior to operating the first time. After connecting to the internet (and possibly upgrading the firmware), the brewing instructions (temperature, duration, etc.) are downloaded using an RFID tag that comes with each brew kit. (The programing could also be done via app, though the documentation and settings were to sparse in the initial use.)The included brew kit (Heffenwisen or German Wheat Beer) will take 11 days to complete the cycle. There are many different packs available, each costing about $20 for a gallon of liquid heaven.The brewer stands 22" tall, about 12" wide and deep. While brewing there is a low volume fan running, not really noticeable. There is an option to attach C02 which will carbonate the beer after fermentation, again, the instructions for how to obtain the set up and connect it was lacking.Overall easy to use, allows custom brewing or from following the manufacturer's kit. In theory it can also make mead, though an internet search did not quickly identify any recipe or kit. It will take 11 days for the initial batch to be done, will update the results then.

I love this micro-brewery system. It is easy to set up and use. Just follow the steps as shown. It makes about one US Gallon of the "Devils Brews", and does it cleanly. I also own the Pinter Gen-3. Both are simple to use, this S1 is a bit simpler, as it chills the beer by itself. It is not cheap in price, but you will get what you pay for. In this case, that is a great thing.

My husband is amazed by this all-in-one craft beer brewer. He loves the idea of making his own beer at home, and the setup looks impressive. That said, it’s definitely not as easy as it seems; there’s a learning curve. For my girl's night, he made different ciders of all flavors. It was alright, but not the best. Still, he’s totally hooked and determined!