PicoBrew PicoStill Operating instructions

PICOSTILL TROUBLESHOOTING
Welcome
What seems to be the trouble?
My PicoStill will not connect to WiFi -> Go To ‘My PicoStill will not connect to WiFi’
I'm not getting any distillate -> Go To ‘I'm not getting any distillate’
My Vacuum Pump isn't working -> Go To ‘My Vacuum Pump isn't working’
My PSI is greater than 4 -> Go To ‘Checking for Vacuum Leaks’
My Pico or Z is displaying 'Remove Plug' -> Go To ‘My Pico or Z is displaying 'Remove Plug'’
My T2 is Greater Than 95°F (T2 Error) -> Go To ‘My Pico or Z is displaying 'Remove Plug'’
My Pico or Z is displaying an error -> Go To ‘My Pico or Z is displaying an error’
I am receiving a Communication Error -> Go To ‘Communication Error’
I need help deciphering my PicoStill's LED's -> Go To ‘Which LED's are illuminated?’
I am operating my PicoStill with a Zymatic -> Go To ‘I am operating my PicoStill with a Zymatic’
I am selling or purchasing a used PicoStill -> Go To ‘I purchased or am selling a used PicoBrew
product’
I am experiencing a different issue -> Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’
My PicoStill will not connect to WiFi
Are the green and yellow LED's illuminated?
My green and yellow LED's are illuminated -> Go To ‘Connect your PicoStill to WiFi’
Different LED's are illuminated -> Go To ‘Which LED's are illuminated?’

Connect your PicoStill to WiFi
1. Power on your Pico or Z, and connect it to your WiFi network (see Pico manual for details).
Your Pico/Z will update itself with the latest firmware. Important: make sure that you are using
your equipment in an area with a strong WiFi signal.
2. Power on your PicoStill and wait for the green and yellow LEDs to illuminate and stay on.
3. From the main menu on the Pico or Z, select ‘Utilities’ and then PicoStill.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to set up manual distillation.
Did this correct your issue?
Yes! -> Problem solved!
The Green LED is now flashing on my PicoStill -> Go To ‘PicoStill Ready’
The Yellow LED is now flashing on my PicoStill -> Go To ‘Updating Firmware’
Different LED's are now flashing on my PicoStill -> Go To ‘Which LED's are illuminated?’
I need further assistance -> Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’
I am using my PicoStill with a Zymatic -> Go To ‘I am operating my PicoStill with a Zymatic’
Which LED's are illuminated?
All three LED's blinking -> Go To ‘All three LED's blinking - PicoStill Booting’
Red Solid -> Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’
Red Blinking -> Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’
Red and Yellow Blinking Together -> Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’
Red and Yellow Alternating -> Go To ‘WiFi SSID not found’
1 Red and 2 Yellow Blinks -> Go To ‘Invalid WiFi Credentials’
1 Red and 3 Yellow Blinks -> Go To ‘WiFi Connection Timeout’
1 Red and 4 Yellow Blinks -> Go To ‘WiFi - No Internet’

Yellow Blinking -> Go To ‘Updating Firmware’
Yellow and Green Solid -> Go To ‘Waiting for WiFi information’
Green Solid -> Go To ‘Waiting for Pico’
Green Blinking -> Go To ‘PicoStill Ready’
I am operating my PicoStill with a Zymatic
USING PICOSTILL WITH ZYMATIC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJzYRzCHDnk#action=share
You will need:
• Zymatic
• Keg Adapters
• Transfer Tube
• 5-gallon Corny Keg
• PicoStill
• A WiFi enabled device
Connecting PicoStill to your Zymatic
Learn how to physically connect your PicoStill to your Zymatic by watching our instructional
video above.
Connecting PicoStill to your Wi-Fi network
To use PicoStill with Zymatic you will need to start and stop PicoStill and monitor temperature
and pressure data from PicoStill’s web interface. To view PicoStill’s interface, follow the
instructions below:
1. Turn on your PicoStill. All the LED lights will blink. When they stop, you should see either
solid green OR solid green and yellow. If you see a solid green light, you can skip to step 6.
2. On a WiFi enabled device, open your Wi-Fi networks list and connect to PicoStill’s Wi-Fi
access point.
Access point name = PicoStill_XXXXXXXXXXXX Password = 12345678

3. Open a web browser and navigate to the following address: 192.168.4.1
4. Enter the network name and password for your home WiFi network. When you are done,
click the ‘Submit’ button.
5. Your PicoStill will validate the credentials you provided. Within a couple of minutes, the
PicoStill’s LED will either show a solid green light or will blink red then yellow. If it is blinking red
then yellow, your credentials were incorrect. Press the power button and return to step 1. If it
is solid green, continue.
6. The PicoStill’s WiFi is now turned on. Repeat steps 2 and 3 above to connect with PicoStill
and open the PicoStill’s web interface.
7. On the PicoStill interface, you will see your WiFi network name, an IP Address, and a Connect
button. Copy the IP Address given on the web page, then click the “Connect” button.
8. Your PicoStill is now connecting to your home WiFi network. On your device, reconnect to
your home WiFi network.
9. Open a browser and paste or type the IP Address you copied in step 7 into the address bar
and hit Enter. You will see the PicoStill Data Page, which contains instructions for setting up
PicoStill, program control, utilities, and information about your PicoStill.
After physically connecting PicoStill to your Zymatic, you will use PicoStill’s Data Page to start
and stop programs, control your PicoStill’s fan, and monitor data from your distilling session.
For detailed instructions on using PicoStill, refer to the online PicoStill user manual.
You are now ready to start distilling with PicoStill!
PicoStill Ready
Your PicoStill is ready, begin the PicoStill process on your Pico or Z.
Updating Firmware
Your PicoStill is updating its firmware. Allow this to complete before trying to operate your
PicoStill.

Reconnecting your PicoStill to your WiFi network may be required after it has completed this
update.
If your PicoStill has been stuck in this state for more than 15 minutes, unplug your PicoStill and
plug it back in. If this does not correct the issue, perform a Factory Reset.
If this did not resolve your issue, Go To ‘PicoStill Factory Reset’.
PicoStill Factory Reset
1. Unplug your PicoStill.
2. Press and hold down the Power button.
3. With power button held down, plug PicoStill back in. All LED lights should flash once
before turning off for about 4 seconds, then the green and yellow lights should turn on
and stay on.
4. Release the power button.
After completing the steps above, your PicoStill should be ready to pair with your Pico or Z.
All three LED's blinking - PicoStill Booting
Your PicoStill is booting. If it is stuck in this mode, disconnect the power and try reconnecting.
WiFi SSID not found
Your WiFi SSID could not be found.
Check to confirm that your Pico or Z are connecting to your WiFi network. Your PicoStill
received the information that it needs to connect to your WiFi network from your Pico C or Pico
Z.
Perform a factory reset on your PicoStill, and try connecting again (Go To ‘PicoStill Factory
Reset’).
If you are still unable to connect to your WiFi network, follow the instructions to connect your
PicoStill to your WiFi network manually (Go To ‘Manually Connecting your PicoStill to your
WiFi Network’).

Manually Connecting your PicoStill to your WiFi Network
Your PicoStill is getting the information that it needs to connect to your WiFi network from your
Pico or Z. If this process is failing, you can use the following steps to manually connect your
PicoStill to your WiFi network.
1. Turn on your PicoStill. All the LED lights will blink. When they stop, you should see either
solid green OR solid green and yellow. If you see a solid green light, you can skip to step 6.
2. On a WiFi enabled device, open your Wi-Fi networks list and connect to PicoStill’s Wi-Fi
access point.
Access point name = PicoStill_XXXXXXXXXXXX
Password = 12345678
3. Open a web browser and navigate to the following address: 192.168.4.1
4. Enter the network name and password for your home WiFi network. When you are done,
click the ‘Submit’ button.
5. Your PicoStill will validate the credentials you provided. Within a couple of minutes, the
PicoStill’s LED will either show a solid green light or will blink red then yellow. If it is blinking red
then yellow, your credentials were incorrect. Press the power button and return to step 1. If it
is solid green, continue.
6. The PicoStill’s WiFi is now turned on. Repeat steps 2 and 3 above to connect with PicoStill
and open the PicoStill’s web interface.
7. On the PicoStill interface, you will see your WiFi network name, an IP Address, and a Connect
button. Copy the IP Address given on the web page, then click the “Connect” button.
8. Your PicoStill is now connecting to your home WiFi network.
If this does not correct your issue, Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’.
Invalid WiFi Credentials
Make sure that your Pico or Z are connecting to the correct network.

Perform a factory reset on your PicoStill, and try connecting again (Go To ‘PicoStill Factory
Reset’).
If you are still unable to connect to your WiFi network, follow the instructions to connect your
PicoStill to your WiFi network manually (Go To ‘Manually Connecting your PicoStill to your WiFi
Network’).
WiFi Connection Timeout
• Make sure that your Pico or Z are connecting to the correct network.
• Make sure that you have an active internet connection.
• Try rebooting your WiFi router.
• Perform a factory reset on your PicoStill, and try connecting again (Go To ‘PicoStill
Factory Reset’).
• If you are still unable to connect to your WiFi network, follow the instructions to
connect your PicoStill to your WiFi network manually (Go To ‘Manually Connecting your
PicoStill to your WiFi Network’).
WiFi - No Internet
Your PicoStill is connecting to WiFi, but is unable to access the internet through your network.
• Make sure that your Pico or Z are connecting to the correct network.
• Make sure that you have an active internet connection.
• Try rebooting your WiFi router.
• Perform a factory reset on your PicoStill, and try connecting again (Go To ‘PicoStill
Factory Reset’).
• If you are still unable to connect to your WiFi network, follow the instructions to
connect your PicoStill to your WiFi network manually (Go To ‘Manually Connecting your
PicoStill to your WiFi Network’).
Waiting for WiFi information
Your PicoStill needs to connect to your WiFi network. Go To ‘Connect your PicoStill to WiFi’.
Waiting for Pico

Your PicoStill is waiting for you to start a distilling session on your Pico or Z. Navigate to
the Utilites menu and select PicoStill.
PicoStill Ready
Your PicoStill is ready, begin the PicoStill process on your Pico or Z.
I'm not getting any distillate
If the vacuum is above 4 PSI, follow the instructions to check your PicoStill for any possible
leaks.
• Your T3 temperature is the temperature of the liquid in the PicoStill, this should settle
about 8-10°F below the Z or Pico's temperature once everything has had time to come
up to operating temp.
• Your T1 is the vapor temperature at the top of the column, your T2 is the distillate
temperature as it exits the condensor coil. These will start at around ambient
temperature.
• As your still heats up, T1 should gradually increase as you begin to see distillate vapor
being produced.
• T2 should also rise slightly as distillate is produced as well, however you don't want it to
rise too much. If your T2 goes above 95°F, your PicoStill's vacuum pump will shut off as a
safety feature. Your vacuum pump will not turn back on until T2 drops below 90°F.
Ideally you want your T2 to be around 85°F.
• If your vacuum is below 4 PSI, and your T3 is within 8-10°F of your Pico or Z's
temperature, but you still are not seeing distillate, slowly increase your Pico or Z temp a
degree or two every 10 to 15 minutes until T1 begins to rise.
• You should be seeing a drop of distillate being deposited into the collection jar every 1-2
seconds. If T2 begins to go above 90°F, reduce your temperature a degree or two. If T1
begins to decrease, increase your temperature a degree or two. it will take a few
minutes before you see the PicoStill react to these changes.
Did this correct your issue?
Yes! -> Problem solved!
My issue is not listed -> Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’

My vacuum is above 4 PSI -> Go To ‘Checking for Vacuum Leaks’
My T2 keeps going above 95°F -> Go To ‘My Pico or Z is displaying 'Remove Plug'
Checking for Vacuum Leaks
This information can be found in the Troubleshooting section of your PicoStill User Manual.
Check PicoStill's pressure seal During normal operation, the vacuum pump on your PicoStill
should hold internal pressure at 4 PSI or below. It may take 5-7 minutes for PicoStill to drop
internal pressure to this level. If internal pressure does not drop below this level after this
period, then there may be a pressure leak somewhere in the system. To avoid pressure leaks,
ensure that your PicoStill is completely assembled and that all components are seated
correctly.
Pressure leak testing procedure:

You can test for pressure leaks by following the procedure below. If at any point during this
procedure, no pressure drop is detected, then a pressure leak is likely.
1. One at a time, pinch the hoses at points 1-3 in Figure 1 verifying that PicoStill's internal
pressure drops at each point. Release each hose before moving on to the next point in
the system.
2. Check points 4-6 in Figure 1 to make sure all components are seated correctly. In
particular, ensure that the Heads Trap Vial (point 5) is inserted all the way into the
Heads Trap.
3. Remove the Copper Vapor Arch and plug point 7 in Figure 1 to verify that pressure
drops. Replace the Copper Vapor Arch once pressure drop is detected.
4. Ensure that the column is properly assembled and seated at point 8 in Figure 1. If you
are using copper mesh inside the column, make sure that no mesh strands are
interfering with the seal at the top or bottom of the column.
5. Ensure that the Vacuum Plug is fully inserted at point 9 in Figure 2.
6. Lift the PicoStill slightly out of the keg, plug point 10 in Figure 2, and check for a pressure
drop.
The vacuum pump operates very close to point 1 in Figure 1. If you are moving along the testing
points described above and PicoStill pulls a good vacuum at one point, but does not pull a good
vacuum at the next point, then the vacuum leak is between the two points.
If you were unable to find or repair the leak, Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’.
My Pico or Z is displaying 'Remove Plug'
To minimize the risk of highly flammable vapors escaping from the exhaust port, the PicoStill
will automatically shut down if the temperature near the bottom of the condenser (T2) exceeds
95°F (35°C).
If T2 begins to rise above 84°F while T1 remains above 98°F (36.7°C), decrease your Pico or Z
temp 1-2 degrees.
The PicoStill vacuum pump will stop operating if T2 temperature rises above 95°F (35°C) and
will restart when T2 temperature drops below 90°F (32°C).
Optimal results occur at a rate of about 1-2 drops of condensate per second (about 80-100
ml/hour). If your rate exceeds this, decrease Pico temperature 1-2 degrees.
If you are having trouble keeping T2, consider the following solutions:

• Continue to reduce the Pico or Z temp a few degrees until you are able to maintain a
balance between seeing distillate and keeping T2 below 95°F.
• This can happen if you are operating your PicoStill in a very warm environment.
Consider moving your PicoStill to a cooler, temperature controlled environment.
• A wet paper towel can be folded and partially hung over the condensor coils. As the
moisture evaporates it will help cool the coils better.
• An additional fan can be placed to the side of the still so that it is helping create better
air flow around the still.
• If you are distilling a high ABV% medium (such as distillate collected from stripping
runs), you will want to either dilute the medium, or reduce your temperature so that
you are distilling at a slower rate. The volume of distillate which will be produced from
higher ABV% runs can overwhelm the condensor's ability to cool efficiently.
If you were unable to find or repair the leak, Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’.
My Pico or Z is displaying an error
Many errors can occur during operation that are not related to the PicoStill itself. If you are
receiving a device specific error, you will want to troubleshoot specifically for that product.
What kind of error are you receiving?
'Remove Plug' -> Go To ‘My Pico or Z is displaying 'Remove Plug'’
Communication Error -> Go To ‘Communication Error’
A Pico C Error -> Open the Pico C Help Document.
A Pico S/Pro Error -> Open the Pico S/Pro Help Document.
A Z Error -> Open the Z Help Document.
A Zymatic Error -> Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’
Communication Error
Something is preventing your PicoStill from communicating properly with your Pico or Z. This
can happen occasionally while operating your PicoStill.
• Make sure that you have an active internet connection.

• Try rebooting both your Pico/Z and the PicoStill
• Reboot your router
If this is something that is becoming a more frequent issue:
• Make sure that you have a strong WiFi signal where you are operating your PicoStill
• Sometimes this can happen if there is a lot of EMF interference in the area. Try moving
your PicoStill and Pico/Z away from any major electrical appliances or other possible
sources.
• Sometimes the issue can just be the room or area itself. Try moving and operating your
PicoStill in a different area and see if this decreases the frequency of these errors.
If you were unable to find or repair the leak, Go To ‘PicoBrew Support’.
I purchased or am selling a used PicoBrew product
Please send an email to [email protected] with the product’s serial number from
the email account currently associated with the device. We will attempt to deregister the
device so it can be used again by a new user. Please allow 7-10 business days and understand
that no replies or support will be provided at this email address.
PicoBrew Support
Unfortunately PicoBrew is unable to provide additional support at this time. Your problem
exceeds the scope of this basic troubleshooting guide which has been provided as a courtesy.
PicoBrew users have several active communities on Facebook and other sites that may be
able to answer your questions. Please do not continue to operate a machine that was not
repairable under this guide.