NPR

Rise Of The Beerbots: Is Tech Taking The Craft Out Of Homebrewing?

Automated systems have turned the messy, ancient art of brewing into a tidy hobby requiring fairly minimal skill, and of course, a smartphone or tablet. Critics ask: Where's the craft in that?
The Pico C is an automated beer-brewing device, or "beerbot," that can be monitored remotely from a smartphone or tablet.

In 2009, food writer Emma Christensen began brewing beer at home. She quickly grew to love each stage of the hours-long process, much of which is spent tending to a crock of boiling wort, or unfermented beer, and adding hops every few minutes. Over the course of making more than a hundred batches, she has become skilled at the art of turning barley, water, hops and yeast into beer.

So Christensen, like many homebrewers, is both amused and mystified by one of the latest innovations of the tech age: automated countertop brewing systems, sometimes referred to as beerbots. Like the homebrewer's version of the bread

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Baltimore's Key Bridge Was Built In The '70s, But Has A Deep And Patriotic History
The bridge was built mere yards from where Francis Scott Key watched the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814, inspiring him to write the song that would become the U.S. national anthem.
NPR1 min read
6 Presumed Dead In Baltimore Bridge Collapse; Former RNC Chair Dropped From NBC
Recovery efforts are underway for six people presumed dead in the Baltimore bridge collapse. NBC has dropped a former RNC chair as a contributor after backlash from the public and its network stars.
NPR12 min read
Composer Anna Clyne, A Radical Melodist With A Painter's Eye
One of the most performed living composers unpacks the power of melody in her music, her unconventional path to success and how visual art guides her process.

Related Books & Audiobooks