For Paolo, a Good Beer Is Never Just About the Beer Itself

100 iGulu User Stories continues with Paolo from Italy, an IT systems engineer who found in iGulu a simple, compact, and controlled way to brew, explore, and share beer at home.

A good beer can belong at the dinner table with family. It can be part of an evening with friends. It can disappear quickly during a gathering, or it can be enjoyed slowly over several days as the flavor changes inside the keg.

Paolo is over 50 and lives in Italy with his wife and son. He works in IT systems, especially Linux. Outside of work, he enjoys art, cats and dogs, and tasting good food with friends.

For him, brewing fits naturally into that kind of life. It is not only about making something to drink. It is about having something to share, something to observe, and something to enjoy with the people around him.

A Brewing Experience Started Years Ago

Before iGulu, Paolo was not completely new to brewing. Many years ago, he and a friend tried brewing with ready-made kits they had received as a gift. The experience was fun, but it only happened a couple of times.

Except for the experience with my friend's kit, I haven't tried by myself.

He also shared that a motorbike accident had injured his left arm, which limited some manual activities. So when it came to brewing, the idea of a simpler process mattered. Traditional home brewing can involve many separate steps, tools, cleaning routines, and details to manage. Paolo was looking for something easier to use, easier to clean, and easier to fit into his home.

Discovering iGulu

Paolo had followed the iGulu Kickstarter campaign, although he did not pledge at the time. Later, after seeing a good offer and reading positive reviews, he decided to give it a try.

What stood out to him was not only the idea of making beer at home. It was the way iGulu made the process feel more approachable. The size was right. The machine was easy to use. Cleaning felt manageable. There was no odor coming out during fermentation. The design looked good at home. And as someone who works in technology, Paolo also appreciated the technical side of the machine.

It was the easiest way for me to make my beer.

That simple reason became the beginning of his iGulu journey.

Because Paolo understands complexity, he values simplicity.

As an IT systems engineer, Paolo naturally looked at iGulu with a technical eye. His first impression was very positive. He described the hardware as robust and the interface as easy to use. He also especially liked the RFID function, a technology he had worked with in the past.

I loved the RFID as I worked with them in the past.

At the same time, Paolo's feedback is not only praise. He also hopes to see future improvements in the phone app, especially around connection stability. He would also like Master Mode to show graphs not only for custom recipes, but for iGulu Kits as well.

That kind of feedback says a lot about how he uses the machine. Paolo is not only pressing a button and waiting for beer. He is paying attention to the process, the interface, the data, and the experience behind the brew.

What impressed Paolo most was how iGulu brings several important parts of brewing into one appliance. Fermentation, temperature control, chilling, and dispensing are all handled in one machine. For Paolo, this makes iGulu a great appliance, not only for learning, but also for going further.

He sees iGulu Kits as an easy way to brew at home. But he also sees the machine as something more flexible. For users who want to explore custom recipes or small all-grain tests with separate boiling tools, he believes iGulu can work as a small isobaric fermenter for controlled small-batch experiments.

iGulu makes brewing easier, but it does not remove the sense of exploration. It gives Paolo a way to enjoy ready-to-brew kits while still leaving space for curiosity, testing, and learning.

Finding a Favorite Brew

So far, Paolo has brewed several iGulu kits, including German Pilsner, Amber Lager, Citra West Coast Double IPA, and Irish Stout. Among them, his favorite has been the IPA.

He first tried a test version and enjoyed it. But when he tasted the final version, he felt it had become even better.

The final version was more hopped and much better.

A real good balance of bitter and citric with a good alcoholic support.

Paolo's Citra West Coast Double IPA, his favorite brew so far.

Beer That Does Not Last Long

Paolo usually shares his iGulu brews with family and friends. In fact, many of his batches do not last very long.

Most of my brews finished too quickly drinking them in one night with  friends.

That is part of what makes the experience meaningful. The beer is not just stored away. It becomes part of a table, a conversation, and a night with friends.

One of Paolo's memorable brewing moments was preparing a Pale Ale for a Christmas party. A home-brewed beer made for a shared occasion, poured and enjoyed with the people around him.

Pale Ale brewed for a Christmas party — shared, poured, and enjoyed with friends.

But Paolo also enjoys a slower rhythm. With his last West Coast Double IPA, he was able to drink a little every day and taste how the beer improved over two weeks in the keg. Instead of finishing it all in one night, he followed the flavor as it developed.

That is another side of iGulu for him. It can support the fun of sharing, but it can also support the quiet pleasure of tasting, noticing, and learning.

Looking Forward to More Styles

Paolo is also curious about where iGulu is going next. He knows that new kits such as mead and wine-style drinks are being added, and he is interested in trying them. He also thinks it would be interesting to see fruity beers or honey-flavored beers in the future.

For someone who enjoys both good food and good drinks, more variety means more chances to bring new flavors into daily life and social moments.

A Small Machine With a Big Role at Home

If Paolo were introducing iGulu to local readers, his message would be simple:

It is really fun and easy to use and it takes only a small space. You will be tempted to buy another one so you can dispense while brewing!

For Paolo, iGulu is not only a machine that makes brewing easier. It is a compact appliance that fits into his home, a technical system that interests him, and a way to make beer that can be shared with family and friends.

It helps him brew without making the process feel too complicated. It gives him control without taking away curiosity. And it turns beer into something that can be part of everyday life — from a Christmas party Pale Ale to a West Coast Double IPA enjoyed slowly over two weeks.

It is a way to keep exploring. A way to keep sharing. And a simple way to make good beer at home.

Paolo's Christmas Pale Ale, brewed for friends, poured and enjoyed together.