The Pico Beer Brewing Appliance

Pico Home Brew | KitchAnn Style

Last fall I wrote about Whirlpool’s Vessi Beer making machine. If you found having to make your own beer recipe too taxing then this personal brew machine from PicoBrew could be right for you.

Almost 7 years ago Bill Mitchell left Microsoft to co-found PicoBrew, Inc. with brother Jim Mitchell, and engineer Avi Geiger with the goal of  popularizing hyperlocal craft beer production with the world’s first fully automatic all-grain beer-brewing appliance – the Zymatic.

Fast forward a few years to PicoBrew’s third product, Pico, launched on Kickstarter to offer brewing beer at home so easy that anyone— Continue reading “The Pico Beer Brewing Appliance”

Understanding Mortars and Grouts

Once upon a time tile floors were installed and grouted with a single mortar mix. This type of installation required a very highly skilled installer who could work quickly and accurately. The curing time was rather lengthy and involved misting the surface one, two or three times a day for about a week or longer.

Today’s materials are more flexible and do not need long periods of damp curing nor expert tradesmen. The newer adhesive products may cost more but the labor time is significantly reduced. Here’s a run-down of what you can choose from. Continue reading “Understanding Mortars and Grouts”