The idea was born in the summer of 2013. Andrew Winter, one of the co-founders of Brewie, used to brew beer as a hobby, and his friends regularly came over for “quality control.” In addition to tapping the kegs, they also helped out with the brewing process. However, just one brewing session meant 6-8 hours of continuous work, and also required specialised equipment and knowledge. It was around this time that they started thinking of a simpler and more modern way of brewing beer, so that more people could enjoy these home-brewed beverages.
Their plans soon became reality, although the first prototype looked very different to today’s Brewie – let’s just say it was not exactly pretty. Then they took their invention to a Danish competition – a couple of screws fell out of the machine along the way, but they could piece it together in time, and Brewie became a real success at the event. Since then, various Hungarian start-up competitions have showed great interest in this new product, as well.
After the initial recognition, they decided to work on the project more seriously; last March they all moved into the apartment in Buda, which promptly became a messy bachelor’s office and a malt-scented workshop.
The rooms are filled with sacks, kegs and beer containers, a malt crusher fixed on an old armchair, a to-do list stuck on a large glass window, several computers and the brewing machine itself. They have refined the plans of Brewie through continuous tests, and the machine was upgraded to a sleek, compact design – not to mention a user-friendly interface and various add-ons.
There is an Irish and an American project similar to Brewie on crowfunding websites, but they miss the point: when using these overseas products, the user has to get involved in the brewing process, whether at the hopping or at the cooling phase. As a plus, Brewie also cleans its own system, and costs less than the other two machines. The guys’ own Indiegogo campaign was (and still is) rather successful: they reached their objective in just a few days, and have fixed customers by now. It seems they have gauged the market well.
A brew – depending on what variety the beer is, is made in about 5-6 hours with Brewie; it is fermented for two weeks, stays in the bottle or barrel for two more weeks, and then - finally! - the fresh beer is ready for drinking!
Local brewers helped the team with refining the recipes, who – surprisingly – are also excited about this new invention, since Brewie is not just for beginners, but for professional brewers as well. Since users can control various parameters of the brewing process and import their own recipes, the machine makes it exceptionally easy to experiment with new brews.
Jeff, one of Brewie’s overseas buyers, is a professional brewer. As he wrote during the ordering process, he is looking forward to experimenting with new recipes at home (Brewie can easily fit into a normal kitchen). But, he wrote, his girlfriend may not share his enthusiasm. The brewing machines can be delivered internationally – there is even an order from a bar in New Zealand.
The team plans on manufacturing Brewie in Hungary, and maybe in other European countries. According to their plans, the finished products should be ready in September 2015. “Oh, they bought another one!” – one of the guys shouts from behind a monitor, and even though they have already sold 160 machines, they cannot stop smiling. They currently work without a paycheck, because they believe in their product, which might easily become world-famous soon.
