I was pretty excited when the iGulu F1 smart home brewer turned up at my place. But I had to wait as I was going on holiday. When I returned, I set the brewer up and again had to wait while the beer brewed. Cutting to the chase, I am now enjoying the beer, but once it runs out, I am going to have to wait for the next batch.
Let’s go back in time for a moment: the year is 1989, and my girlfriend and I (now wife) bought a homebrew kit. Since then, I have never stopped brewing, which has involved a fermentation tub and a lot of 750ml glass bottles. Today, the iGulu F1 is a temperature-controlled, carbon dioxide-fed brewing machine that brews five litres of beer and delivers it perfectly chilled via a pub-style beer tap.
The machine requires 240 volts and measures 33 x 46 x 51cm, so you need space for it to work its magic. To make beer, you buy a kit which contains all the ingredients. I was surprised to find the main ingredient is a powder after so many years of using syrup from a beer kit. The reverse is true for hops, which come as a liquid essence, while I use hop pellets. After you mix your ingredients with water in a removable plastic keg, return the keg to the main machine, connect the gas and dispensing tube, and shut the lid.
Each brew kit comes with an RFID tag which you hold against the iGulu logo on the brewer. A small screen on the front then recognises the beer style you’ve just added and sets up a brewing process specific to that beer. I started with a pilsner, which required a cooler, slower brew, meaning a three-week brew. As I waited, I could hear the regular discharge of gas as the sugars turned to alcohol.
Enjoying the fruits of my labour
The big day arrived, and it just happened to coincide with some dinner guests, one of whom only ever drinks VB, nothing else. Good news: he went back for a second glass. It tasted light and creamy, with a lot of foam (I need to work on my pouring skills).
I enjoy a pilsner, and this batch was one most would enjoy, but beer types and personal tastes do vary, so there will always be some experimentation to find what you like best. Once the beer is ready, you can keep pouring for the next 30 days, but with only the capacity of 15 beers, I doubt I will ever get to that point, especially when you have thirsty friends. For comparison, my traditional brew kit brews 23 litres at a time but must be decanted into bottles.
I next plan to brew a pale ale, which takes only 10 days to brew. At the time of writing, 12 different flavours of beer and cider were available. iGulu kits are around $30 each, and the brewer itself sells for $1,099. My traditional brewing is very economical compared to a case of store-bought beer, but the iGulu comes in at a very similar price per store-bought.
More than just homebrew beer
iGulu also sells a Master Mode upgrade for $149 that, when activated, lets you use the brewer for your own recipes, including kombucha. This way, you can brew to your own tastes and save money on ingredients.
Another use for the iGulu is as a dispenser. You could dispense a soft drink from the keg through to your own separately brewed homebrew, or even take the keg to your local bar and ask them to fill it with five litres of your favourite beer from their tap. At home, the unit chills the beer and delivers the draft-beer experience. If you want to take the iGulu beer on a picnic, you can purchase a set of homebrew pressure bottles that, once filled, will preserve the flavour.
The world of homebrewing can get pretty complicated and expensive for some. For me, I have kept it simple for almost 40 years. The iGulu F1 may seem like an expensive novelty, but for those who want a true draft beer experience at home with a simple process, it is a bit of fun. You may, however, get a bit thirsty waiting for your next batch to be ready.
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