Quick Summary
The iGulu S1 is an all-in-one, smartphone-controllable brewing system. It can make nearly 4L of beer, cider or kombucha at once and you can use pre-made kits or your own ingredients.
Earlier this year we covered the launch of the iGulu F1, a compact home brewery that's capable of making a wide range of fermented drinks ranging from craft IPAs to kombucha. And now there's a newer version, and it's a fraction of the price.
Where the iGulu F1 cost £555 / $699, the new iGulu S1 is more affordable: its final street price will be $549, which is roughly £433. And if you're an early bird on Kickstarter you can get it for closer to half price: the $249 Super Early Bird deals appear to be gone but you can still take advantage of the $299 Early Bird deal. The Kickstarter is already fully funded with 41 days still to go.
In return, you get a brewing system that the makers say is "as easy as making a morning coffee".
iGulu S1: key features
Like its predecessor, the iGulu S1 is an all-in-one smart brewing device that's designed to work with recipe kits, which include not just beer and cider but kombucha and even mead. It's a three-stage process: put the ingredients into the fermentation keg, scan the RFID tag on the kit packaging or choose a pre-set recipe, and let the machine do its stuff. There's also a Master Mode that enables you to use your own ingredients and recipes.
The S1 can brew at temperatures between 37.4 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit to accommodate different kinds of recipes and yeast stains, and if you use the associated CO2 cylinder connection kit your beer stays fresh for up to 30 days. The keg can make up to 3.8L at a time.
While the claim that the S1 is as easy as making coffee is no doubt true, don't expect beer or other brews to arrive instantly: while brewing time depends on what kind of drink you're making, the full fermentation process typically takes 7 days.
