Some people spend all week brewing professionally, then come home and brew again by choice. Paul is one of them. He works in a brewery in the UK, owns two iGulu machines, and has first-hand experience with both traditional brewing and brewing with iGulu at home.
What makes his perspective valuable is simple: he knows traditional brewing from the inside, and still chooses iGulu at home. That is not a casual preference. It is an informed one.
"Sometimes when you are at home you want convenience and easy to do beers and not to be doing all the things you do at work. The machines and kits are very easy to use and sometimes that's what you want when relaxing at home. I actually prefer to use the kits."
That says something important about homebrewing today. Choosing convenience does not mean lowering your standards. Sometimes it simply means choosing the version of brewing that fits real life better.
What Traditional Homebrewing Really Looks Like
Traditional homebrewing can be deeply satisfying. For many brewers, the hands-on process is part of the appeal. But it also asks for more time, more space, more equipment, and more attention at every stage.
A typical brew day often includes:
- Mashing grains or preparing malt extract
- Boiling wort in a separate kettle, often for 60 to 90 minutes
- Cooling the wort before transferring it to a fermenter
- Managing fermentation temperature with external equipment or manual monitoring
- Moving liquid between vessels during different stages
- Cleaning and sanitising each piece of equipment separately
- Keeping track of conditions over days or weeks
For some brewers, that level of involvement is exactly the point. But it also means brewing can become something you need to schedule and prepare for, rather than something that fits naturally into everyday life.
What Changes with iGulu
iGulu is not trying to imitate the traditional process step for step. It simplifies it by bringing multiple stages into one machine. Fermentation, temperature control, cooling, and serving all happen in the same vessel.
That means no boiling kettle, no separate fermentation chamber, and no moving beer from one container to another just to keep the process going.
"It looks a lot nicer and cleaner using the machine at home. No transfer of liquid as one vessel does everything. Takes up less space than having numerous vessels for boiling, fermenting etc."
Coming from someone who works professionally with the full traditional process every day, that observation carries real weight. A single-vessel setup reduces mess, saves space, cuts down cleanup, and removes one of the most common friction points in traditional homebrewing.
A Side-by-Side View
| Traditional Setup | With iGulu |
|---|---|
| VesselsMultiple vessels for brewing, fermenting, and serving | One vessel handles the process from start to finish |
| TemperatureManaged manually or with separate equipment | Controlled automatically throughout fermentation |
| Liquid TransferUsually required between stages | No transfer needed |
| SpaceKettle, fermenter, tubing, and extra gear take up room | Takes up minimal counter space |
| CleanupMultiple tools and vessels to clean and sanitise | A simpler, single-vessel cleanup process |
| TimeSeveral hours of active brew-day involvement | Set up in minutes, then let the machine take over |
| Carbonation & PressureRequires separate equipment (spunding valve, pressure-rated vessel) or manual force carbonation after fermentation | Pressure is managed automatically — beer carbonates naturally within the same closed vessel |
Two Machines, Two Brews, Less Waiting
Paul does not only use iGulu because it is easier. He also uses it in a way that makes everyday brewing more practical: keeping more than one batch in rotation at the same time.
"Hockey night on the television and enjoying a few beers 🍺 pale ale on the go and Irish stout fermenting 👍🏼 it will be ready when the other has been drank."
That is one of the clearest advantages of a simpler home setup. One batch can be ready to drink while another is already fermenting. Instead of treating brewing like a major project, you can make it part of a steady, enjoyable routine.
More Than Brewing: A Chilled Serving System Too
Paul also uses his iGulu F1 in another practical way. Sometimes he brings home 5-litre mini kegs from the brewery where he works and uses the supplied adapter to chill and serve them at the right temperature — no separate fridge setup needed.
"I do also sometimes bring my own beer from work in 5 litre mini kegs which I can put into the machine using the supplied adapter with the F1. The machine keeps it chilled at the correct temperature 👍🏼🍺"
That flexibility matters. iGulu is not only a brewing machine. It also works as a chilled serving system, which gives it a practical role beyond a standard homebrewing setup.
What About Beer Quality?
This is the question experienced brewers usually ask first, and rightly so.
Traditional all-grain brewing gives you maximum control over every variable — the grain bill, hop schedule, yeast selection, and fermentation profile. If that level of precision and hands-on experimentation is what you enjoy most, iGulu is not trying to replace it.
What iGulu offers instead is a more streamlined path to consistency. The kits are professionally developed, and the machine maintains fermentation conditions in a way that many home setups simply cannot match without significant extra equipment.
"I do think the kits are really good though. I currently have the Irish stout which is my favourite so far."
Coming from someone who tastes and judges beer at a professional level every day, that is not a casual compliment.
Who iGulu Makes Sense For
In the end, this is not a story about one method defeating another. Traditional brewing and iGulu serve different versions of the same interest in good beer.
Traditional brewing is for people who want to stay deeply involved in every step. iGulu is for people who still care about quality, but want the process to be cleaner, simpler, and easier to fit around real life.
Paul knows both worlds well. He brews professionally, understands the traditional process in depth, and still reaches for iGulu at home. That is not a compromise. That is a considered choice made by someone who has earned the right to make it.
"It's really good when you have guests round and looks quite impressive 😁"
Explore iGulu brewing machines and ingredient kits at igulu.com. If you have your own brewing story to share, we would love to hear it at lynn.yang@igulu.com.
