Domestic Electronic giant LG have unveiled a Beer Capsule machine at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. A move that will no doubt have the beer purists throwing their arms up in despair.
The machine is a behemoth, more in keeping with a full espresso machine rather than the capsule delivery systems that have endangered the art of real coffee making. The system is not as simple as the coffee systems that grey haired Hollywood stars have been promoting.
You have a large tube of malt and three of the more familiar sized capsules that provide yeast, hop oil and flavour. Already some purists will be expressing their inevitable anger that this is not real beer but scented brewing, but, the disappointment does not end there.
This does not provide you with instant beer but takes two weeks to furnish you with about 10 pints (5 litres) of beer. Once you have finished enjoying your ersatz home brew, you will need to repeat the process and wait another two weeks. You may need to get to the pub while you wait.
LG have not announced when the machine will be available to buy, how much it will cost or whether the beer is any good. They have announced a variety of styles, American IPA, American Pale Ale, English Stout, Belgian-style Witbier and Czech Pilsner.
LG are not the first to introduce the capsule system to the home brewing market, Brewart from Australia have two different types of systems that carry out a gadget brew for the beer fan with disposable income. American competitors Beer Machine have been around for over ten years with mixed reviews as to the quality of the beer and the machine. There are several brewing machines on the market that also assist the home brewer but with natural ingredients and not capsules or prepackaged contents.
Bulldogz got out and about and spoke to some friends of ours who are real beer fans, or involved in commercial or home brewing.
"From my point of view" started Kike, as he supped a pint. "This would remove all the fun and art, and I imagine the quality, from making the beer."
Alex, a barman of longstanding mused "That is a very long wait for a beer. It could be interesting if the beer is really good, which I seriously doubt. Or, if you can see the process happening, which I again, seriously doubt."
Sam, an avid drinker was equally unimpressed. "Dear Japanese friends!" He enthused grandly. "Keep doing smart phones, LED TV's and satellites, but please do not touch our holy beer!"
Our final response came from Beto, a drinks business insider. He remembered tweeting about capsule beer machines a couple of years ago but muttered darkly that he would "need more information." He also opined that "some styles of beer are impossible to ferment in two weeks"
We at Bulldogz recommend getting your hands dirty and brewing the old fashioned way. You will make mistakes and you will love the results all the same, of your very own beer recipe. For those in Zaragoza we can point you in the direction of Gastropolis on Calle San Miguel as a helpful, friendly and useful place to source ingredients. The brewing process needs minimal specialist equipment and simple kits and detailed instructions can be found online. If you are not the patient type, you can always rely on your local hostelry who will be only too pleased to provide you with liquid refreshment to your taste.
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