Whirlpool Corporation has finalized the sale of its Vessi Fermentor to 80West Labs, a company created by Prota Ventures, an operator-investor group based in Chicago, and KZValve, a Nebraska-based firm involved in the original engineering of Vessi. Vessi, a home beer fermentation system, was developed by WLabs of Whirlpool Corporation, the company’s rapid innovation branch. “We are excited about the plans 80West Labs has for Vessi – commented Doug Searles, general manager of Wlabs -. As Whirlpool Corporation’s innovation incubator, we explore new product and marketing opportunities to address consumer needs. We are proud of the impact Vessi has made in the homebrewing community and what we have been able to learn about early adopters”. Vessi was launched by WLabs of Whirlpool Corporation via IndieGoGo in May 2016, and quickly sold out and met its funding goal with early backers of the product. The appliance – a single tank that is sealed, pressurized, and temperature-controlled – allows homebrewers to continue to experiment with flavors and ingredients while bringing more consistency and ease to the fermentation process.
