Whirlpool's beer system gets a taste of crowdfunding

Dustin Walsh - Whirlpool Corp. launched a beer fermenting system late last month, but the multibillion-dollar appliance giant went a route familiar to entrepreneurs to brew it up. The maker of brands such as Maytag, KitchenAid and others began offering its Vessi Beer Fermenter and Dispenser to homebrewing enthusiasts through crowdfunding website Indiegogo Inc. The move is a first for the Benton Township-based company, which is now part of a growing faction of multinational Fortune 500 corporations pitching