News

Twelfth Update: 🧰 🏭 👷

by Bart van de Kooij on Aug 21, 2025

Twelfth Update: 🧰 🏭 👷

Your patience, belief, and unwavering trust mean everything to us. This journey hasn’t been easy, but we’ve worked relentlessly to deliver a product we’re proud of. It's about time we share a new update.

🚀 Quick Summary

✅ First beers brewed — and they taste amazing
✅ Recipe kits now available (with workarounds for NA sizing)
⚠️ Batch 2 delayed — cooling issue under investigation

 

🎉 First Beers Brewed

The first Exobrew units are now in use — and the results are fantastic. Early customers are reporting beers that are fresh, full of flavor, and surprisingly close to what professional microbrewers produce. Precisely what we’ve been aiming for.

Custom recipe

Brew kit - Icelandic Pale Ale


Brew kit -Weizen

🍺 Recipe Kits Now Available

We’ve partnered with NorthernBrewer to offer more recipe kits. Shortly, we’ll introduce curated, pre-portioned kits in North America — matching the same convenience and consistency as our EU kits.


💻 Membership

Batch 1 customers received the free version of the membership. Batch 2 customers will enjoy 6 months of free Ambassador-level membership as a thank-you for your trust. After using the membership, you have the freedom to choose if you prefer the free plan (Starter) or the paid (Pro / Legend) plan. 

 

🏋️ Support & Office Hours

Exobrew has a fully integrated support system with MiniBrew’s support system, offering:

  • 24h response time

  • Updated support resources

  • Direct help via Facebook community chats

Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping this.

 

🔍 Production

Earlier this year, we committed to delivering Batch 2 of ExoBrew systems to our U.S. customers in Q2. That deadline has passed — and we didn’t meet it.

We owe you a clear explanation. This update outlines what’s causing the delay, what’s already been fixed, and what’s still being resolved. Our goal remains unchanged: delivering a reliable, high-quality brewing experience for every customer.

We want to give you a deeper update on why Batch 2 of ExoBrew units hasn’t shipped — and what we’ve learned since some Batch 1 users reported issues with cooling performance.

The Problem

Several Batch 1 units in the U.S. haven’t reached the expected cooling performance. Instead of delivering a 17–19°C (30–34°F) cooling delta, some units only achieved 15°C (27°F) or less. While that’s still functional for brewing, it reduces consistency — especially when fermenting or serving beer at colder temperatures.

What We Found

We dug into every layer of available data:

  • Assembly line records

  • Post-assembly QA results

  • Customer usage and environmental data

  • User-submitted feedback from the field

Here’s what we’ve learned so far - our factory uses Celsius as a reference point. This data is shared with Batch 1 users.

Environmental Conditions

The average indoor temperature in U.S. homes was higher than expected — usually 74–78°F (23–26°C). The Smart Keg works best in environments around 70–74°F (21–23°C). While the device can reach up to a 19°C delta in controlled settings (e.g., 23°C down to 5°C), we don’t see this level of consistency in real-world home environments. And we completely understand — you’re not going to lower your AC just to cool a keg.

Cooling Paste Application

We initially suspected issues with the cooling paste — the material that connects the internal cooling element to the keg.

  • We asked a group of Batch 1 users to reapply the paste manually.

  • Some saw immediate improvements, but not a full resolution.

  • We discovered that the jig on the assembly line applied the paste inconsistently, sometimes in a thin or uneven layer, weakening thermal contact between the element and keg.

🔍 Ongoing Investigation

Our QA team has escalated the issue with the factory. We are currently testing the following:

  • The optimal cooling paste layer thickness

  • Possible past material changes or upgrades

  • Power output to the PID control system

  • Whether the amp regulation or the past compensation logic is impacting the performance

All of these factors directly affect how well the keg cools and maintains target temperatures under real-world conditions.

What We're Doing Now

All Batch 2 base stations and kegs are already manufactured. But until we resolve this issue with certainty, we’re not shipping any units. We're committed to delivering a product that performs as expected — consistently, and without workarounds.

New Shipping Timeline

We expect a delay of approximately 4 to 8 weeks while we complete the fixes, validate the improvements, and run quality checks. We’re targeting 4–8 weeks and will continue posting updates every 2 weeks to keep you fully informed.

 

💰 Payments, Tariffs & Order Security

To make low-volume U.S. production runs possible, full prepayment for Batch 2 is required. While the majority of customers have completed their payments, approximately 15 orders have not yet paid the remaining 70% balance. This has delayed our ability to proceed with final logistics, as the remaining funds are needed to cover:

  • Shipment from China to the U.S.

  • Import tariffs

  • Last-mile delivery

We want to be upfront: Exobrew operates without outside investment. This is unique, as usually a hardware-enabling product needs a significant investment. We are relying on MiniBrew's Business model and factory to produce USA products, utilizing their team and services. A unique approach that has been working so far. 

In other words, our production is funded directly through customer revenue. The cost of manufacturing all Batch 2 units has already been covered. What remains is financing the final phase of delivery.

Meanwhile, changes to U.S. import tariffs have introduced added uncertainty:

  • Duties for applicable electronics have risen from ~3% to nearly 30%

  • A recent U.S. court decision has temporarily blocked the increase, but enforcement remains unclear

  • We are closely monitoring this to minimize both cost and shipping delays

For reference:

  • Estimated cost of shipping a container: ~$1,500

  • Potential tariff per unit (if enforced): ~$150

  • For a shipment of 50 units, tariffs alone could total ~$7,500

 

🔐 Your Order Is Fully Secure

If you’ve already paid in full, rest assured — your order is fully reserved and your unit is ready. MiniBrew B.V. (based in the Netherlands) has now formally taken over ownership of ExoBrew Inc. in the U.S., which provides long-term stability and accountability — even if some remaining deposits are not recovered.

We understand the situation is frustrating, especially for those who fulfilled their payment obligations. We're doing everything we can to consolidate shipments and complete delivery as quickly and fairly as possible — without compromising on product quality.

While a small number of remaining payments have delayed our ability to ship everything at once, we’re actively managing around this to prevent further hold-ups. As a thank-you for your patience, we’ll be including a small gift or store credit with your shipment.

One more thing: Paid-in-full customers will receive priority shipping once the fix is confirmed and tested — your units are fully reserved and ready

🍻 Thank You

We know delays are frustrating. But your trust has allowed us to bring Exobrew to life — a product that’s already brewing world-class beers at home. We’re committed to solving these final hurdles before shipping the next batch.

Stay tuned. Stay inspired. And most importantly: brew like never before.

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