BrewArt (Coopers)

What's in the box: A BrewPrint pack contains the ingredients for one 10 litre batch of a specific beer style plus a brewing program that uploads to the BeerDroid.

BrewArt, from the Australian brewer Coopers, is a home brewing system with refillable ingredient packs rather than a classic subscription box. The core is the BeerDroid, an automated countertop brewer that makes 10 litres per batch. It has preset ale and lager profiles, a viewing window with a light, and patented end of fermentation detection that tells you when the beer is ready to keg. If you are not ready, it moves the brew into storage mode. A WiFi app lets you monitor and control the brew remotely and sends notifications at key stages. The ongoing purchase is BrewPrints, ingredient packs inspired by well known beer styles such as pilsners and IPAs. Each pack's brewing program uploads to the machine through the app. For custom recipes you can combine Elements, Enhancers, hops, dry hops and yeasts, or add your own ingredients. The companion BrewFlo dispenser chills kegs, shows how much beer is left and pours without a CO2 cylinder. The US site lists the BeerDroid at $599 and the BrewFlo at $699, both with free shipping, so you pay a lot upfront before buying any ingredients. The site does not describe a recurring delivery plan, so expect to reorder packs yourself. It suits people who want consistent beer with little hands-on work. Hobbyists who enjoy traditional all grain brewing may find it limiting.