We know many of you are eager to receive your Exobrew or an extra Smart Keg — and some of you have already started brewing your first beers. The past weeks have been both exciting and challenging for us as we’ve worked to ensure that every Exobrew unit shipped performs exactly as intended: reliable, consistent, and capable of brewing world-class beer at home.
We want to share where we stand, what we’ve learned, and why the latest round of testing was so important before moving forward with the next production batch.
🎉 First Beers Brewed
We’re thrilled to see more brewers in the Exobrew community getting hands-on and sharing their results.
“I’m on my sixth brew cycle. The previous five brews were very good — better than the BeerMKR by far, and very close to the traditional 5-gallon method. There’s a learning curve, especially if you’re creating your own recipes, but there’s a massive amount of information available for every phase of brewing. In my opinion, the team behind Exobrew has accomplished an almost impossible task by bringing Minibrew to the U.S.”
Hearing experiences like this reminds us what this project is all about — empowering people to brew exceptional beer at home with precision and creativity. Your feedback continues to motivate us to make Exobrew even better.
Setup at home
🔍 Why We Paused: The Cooling System Investigation
In Update #12 (August), we shared that our QA team was investigating the cooling paste layer inside the Smart Keg.
This may sound like a small detail, but it’s actually a critical component of how efficiently your keg cools. The cooling paste transfers heat between the Peltier elements — if it’s applied unevenly or too thick, it can create a “thermal short circuit”, where the cold and hot sides interfere with each other. The result? Inconsistent cooling and longer times to reach target temperatures.
We decided to pause production until we could verify exactly how much paste, what type of grease, and which application method produced the most stable results. We understand that waiting is frustrating — but pushing forward without this verification would have risked sending out kegs that didn’t perform consistently.
🧪 What We Tested
Before diving into the test results, here’s an important note on why we focused on a 17°C (Delta-T) difference instead of the previously mentioned 19°C. We work with Celsius as our factory runs all test in Celsius.
We focused on achieving a minimum 17°C temperature difference because that was the original performance specification in our GEN 1 and GEN 2 models — serving as our reference baseline. The priority was to match and stabilize that proven performance first, before fine-tuning toward the higher target.
The current thermal grease we use is more viscous, which makes it difficult to achieve a fully even spread once it’s pressed during assembly. We explored several proposals to improve this and took more time to get it right. We want to share the results of the new design that actually works.
To address the issue, we created a new fixture for applying grease to the cold plate and heat sink. This fixture masks the four edges, preventing the thermal paste from spilling out and contaminating the surrounding side surfaces, which could otherwise affect heat transfer efficiency. (See photos and details below.)
1️⃣ Test 1 — Current grease, old fixture (GEN 3)
-
Grease: Tgrease 300x (Thermal Conductivity: 3 W/mK)
-
Result: Delta-T after 24h failed to reach –17°C.
-
Cause: Excessive grease leading to thermal short circuit.
❌ Failed.
2️⃣ Test 2 — Current grease, new fixture
-
Same grease, but new fixture with improved precision for paste application.
-
Result: All 3 kegs reached and exceeded –17°C consistently.
✅ Passed — issue confirmed as paste evenness.
3️⃣ Test 3 — New grease, new fixture
-
Grease: X-23-8165 (Thermal Conductivity: 8.2 W/mK)
-
Result: Two kegs underperformed, one met spec.
⚠️ Inconclusive.
From these tests, we confirmed the problem wasn’t the design of the Smart Keg — it was how the thermal grease was being applied during assembly. Fixing this ensures every unit performs at the same level, rather than some performing differently due to tiny variances on the production line.
We focused on getting a minimal of 17C degrees difference as that was the spec in the GEN 1 and GEN 2, which we used a reference material. In test 2 you can see the cooling performance exceeds 18 degrees.
🏭 Production & Repair Timeline
Now that we’ve identified the root cause, the factory team is reviewing resource availability to finalize a timeline for Batch 2 production and repairs to the affected kegs.
We expect to receive a confirmed schedule before the end of October 2025.
In parallel, our engineers are preparing a retrofit procedure to update any units that may already be affected — so no one is left behind. These fixes will ensure your keg performs with the precision and reliability you expect from Exobrew.
💰 Payments, Tariffs & Our Commitment
As shared earlier, full prepayment for Batch 2 is required to make these small-scale U.S. production runs possible.
While most of you have completed payments (thank you 🙏), around 14 orders still have a 70% balance pending. Those remaining payments are essential to cover factory release, shipping insurance, and customs clearance — the final steps before shipment.
We also want to share something important:
Exobrew has reached this point without outside investment.
That means every dollar spent goes directly into making and improving the product — not investor returns. It’s rare for a hardware product like this to be cash flow positive in its first years, but that’s what gives us the independence to prioritize quality and community first.
❤️ Thank You
We understand this process has taken longer than expected. Waiting for something you’ve paid for — especially something you’re excited about — can be difficult.
But every test, every fix, and every delay has one purpose: to make sure your Exobrew works perfectly, for years to come.
Because once it’s in your hands, we want it to just work — no tinkering, no uncertainty, no compromises.
Thank you for your patience, trust, and belief in what we’re building together.
We’re nearly there. Stay tuned for our end-of-month production update — and in the meantime, keep the faith and keep brewing (or dreaming of your first batch).
Stay inspired. Stay patient. And most importantly — brew like never before.
