Up until a couple of months ago I had never heard of Pinter and never brewed a beer in my life but here I am, 2 months later writing my Pinter 2 Review. The question is, does the Pinter 2 really allow you to brew your own fresh beer at home? Read on to find out.
What is the Pinter 2?
The Pinter 2 is a home brew system that aims to bring home brewing to those who would have previously been put off by the complexity of brewing your own beer. Pinter boast that their cutting edge technology and fresh beer packs allow you to create your own 10 pints of fresh beer that you can pour straight from your pinter.
What do you get with the Pinter 2?
The Pinter 2 costs around £130 which includes your initial beer pack (you can save £20 off your Pinter with our link). This doesn’t make it the cheapest way to brew your own but for the simplicity and the design I think it’s worth it.
That £130 will get you the Pinter 2 itself (a spaceship like metal keg that comes in a variety of colours), the brewing dock, 2 free glasses and your first beer pack. You can choose from 16 beers which includes a variety of styles and one low-alcohol option and there’s also 3 ciders (perfect for the summer months).
Pinter encourage you to take out a pack subscription which lets you choose one or more packs a month to be delivered. This subscription costs around £15 a month depending on your beer, lets you select your beer(s) in advance and has perks as you carry on your subscription. You can easily unsubscribe at any time.
When purchasing my Pinter 2 I went for the space grey Pinter and ordered the Dark Matter Espresso Stout as my first beer.
The unboxing of the Pinter 2 is an experience that can only be compared to Apple products with a fancy fold-out box giving you a premium experience right from the start.
Pinter 2 Review: Build Quality
The majority of the Pinter 2’s exterior is metal, it feels sturdy and well made and looks great. The buttons, tap and inside are all plastic but these equally feel like they are great quality. Only time will tell how it holds up but I’ll be sure to keep you updated!
The tap handle is a nice solid piece of removable metal and whilst locking the tap in takes a bit of practice this mechanism feels pretty neat.
It’s also the unique tapping design that allows you beer to stay carbonated and fresh for up to 30 days without providing you glasses of froth as the tapping mechanism calms your beer as it passes through. I found my initial glass was a bit frothy but that it did indeed calm down. (You can watch my video review here).
The Brewing Experience
The Pinter 2 is designed to be accompanied with their smartphone and tablet app which provides you with walkthrough videos for each step of the review plus a calendar customised to the beer you’re currently brewing to help you manage the process. The app works well and I’d recommend watching all the videos for the process you’re currently doing prior to carrying out that process.
If you don’t want to use the app the videos are available on the Pinter website but there are no written instructions which would have been useful.
Each beer pack comes with a steriliser, some yeast and a Fresh Press (some also come with a hopper).
Getting started requires adding hot tap water and the steriliser and swishing it around before attaching the brewing dock, removing it again and then releasing some through the tap and pouring the rest away.
Next you add cold water, your fresh press, your yeast and put the lid on before giving it a shake to make sure it’s all mixed. You then attach it to the brewing dock and leave it for the given amount of time. The app gives you options for normal and extended brewing times for each beer and lets you know through notifications when it’s time to condition and drink your beer.
For my first attempt this initial process took me 45 minutes which included watching the videos as I went along, by the time I repeat this for the 3rd of 4th time I reckon it’ll take me 20 minutes.
After the given amount of days it’s time to condition your beer, this step takes about 15 minutes and involves removing the brewing dock from your Pinter 2 which releases some pressure and liquid (so use a sink at this step!). After wiping down your Pinter it goes into your fridge for the next part of the brewing process.
For my Dark Matter beer the conditioning time was only 4 days and so 4 days later I could tap my beer which is as simple as lifting the handle, taking it to the 45 degree position and pouring…you should expect some froth from your first pint!
How does the beer taste?
So, I’ve waited (im)patiently for 10 days and now I want my fresh beer but how does the Dark Matter taste?
The Dark Matter is a nice, easy-to-drink stout with a hint of coffee and chocolate, the flavour is nice but not as strong as I’d like it to be (then again this strong coffee beer from Colchester Brewery is one of my favourites so I’m probably not the best person to ask).
The beer does however taste fresh and whilst not quite the same as beer from your local pub has a freshness you don’t quite get from a can and considering 10 days ago this was sludge and water I’m pretty impressed.
Should you buy a Pinter 2?
The final question to ask in this review is ‘Should you buy a Pinter 2?’ and if you want to dabble into home brewing without really needing to understand all the ins-and-outs then I’d say yes! The Pinter 2 is fun, looks a bit like a spaceship and is really well made. I had a lot of fun brewing my first beer and will certainly be trying out some more over the coming months and will share some of my experience on my YouTube channel.
If you want to pick one up you can save £20 by following my link or you can read my other reviews here.
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