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JonathanRyan

JonathanRyan

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I was wondering if somebody with experience of beer brewing - especially the new fangled pressure brewing could help me with a kombucha brewing issue.

Without going into the intricacies, there's a stage in kombucha where you need to allow the brew to ferment in a pressure tight vessel without air. Previously I've been using Kilner jars - these are very safe because (and not everybody knows this....) they are only pressure tight one way. They will let gas out but will not let air in. So, work great for anaerobic fermentation but you get a flatter brew.

I want a fizzy brew so I've been looking at pressure fermenting but, well it looks pretty dangerous.....I'm looking to ferment 2 - 3 litres of liquid (so much less than a standard 5 gallon keg) and it will build up pressure. So I'd like some kind of safety release valve because otherwise I've basically built a bomb with no way of knowing when it will explode.

People have recommended a beer growler but there's so much choice I'm lost. Any ideas?
 
tijuana taxi said:
I think so, just leave the beer a bit longer at the conditioning stage for best results
Tried two so far, APA and Wheat Beer, still got a Lager waiting to be tried.
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Wait, so I pour the packet of stuff in, add water and 7 days later I have perfect fresh beer? Is it really that easy?

Tempted to brew beer instead of just booch :)
 
JonathanRyan said:
Wait, so I pour the packet of stuff in, add water and 7 days later I have perfect fresh beer? Is it really that easy?

Tempted to brew beer instead of just booch :)
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Not quite that easy, but not far from it and think more in the region of 2-3 weeks for the best result.
Its actually a bottle of liquid hopped malt you pour in and add water plus yeast
If you follow the instructions you will get a very drinkable pint, even comes with the cleaning agent.
The tips and tricks section does say about extending some of the times to refine the quality.
 
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tijuana taxi said:
Such as, i'm interested as a Pinter owner, Hardware or Beer?

Thanks
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Both. Quite a lot of people reporting swollen fresh presses which can be down to contamination, hardware wise a lot are having problems with the release valve on the caps breaking, cracks on the lugs on the dock itself and then the cap twisting even tighter when putting dock on in the first place which makes removing it near impossible. There was even one report of someones carbonation valve coming off in the middle of a brew. Then there's the even more usual disc on the tap coming off, the black screws for the feet coming off and even one guy found. a screw in his pint which was likely from the tap mechanism itself.

They are a fledgling company for sure and I really hope they succeed but there are some fairly basic things they need to address in my view. Everyone is quite pro the pinters with the excuse of their customer service being really good, which it is and that's fine, but I would rather have a product that doesn't need the use of customer service in the first place.

One personal example of that was a second hand renault scenic I bought from a dealer some years ago which came with a brilliant warranty, even if the engine blew up for some reason they said they'd cover it. However, in the first year that car ended up back and forth to them for warranty work a total of 13 times, more than once a month! The time I wasted due to this didn't make up in any way for the "brilliant warranty" The only renault Ill ever have again would be a renault 4.
 
Donnie said:
Both. Quite a lot of people reporting swollen fresh presses which can be down to contamination, hardware wise a lot are having problems with the release valve on the caps breaking, cracks on the lugs on the dock itself and then the cap twisting even tighter when putting dock on in the first place which makes removing it near impossible. There was even one report of someones carbonation valve coming off in the middle of a brew. Then there's the even more usual disc on the tap coming off, the black screws for the feet coming off and even one guy found. a screw in his pint which was likely from the tap mechanism itself.

They are a fledgling company for sure and I really hope they succeed but there are some fairly basic things they need to address in my view. Everyone is quite pro the pinters with the excuse of their customer service being really good, which it is and that's fine, but I would rather have a product that doesn't need the use of customer service in the first place.

One personal example of that was a second hand renault scenic I bought from a dealer some years ago which came with a brilliant warranty, even if the engine blew up for some reason they said they'd cover it. However, in the first year that car ended up back and forth to them for warranty work a total of 13 times, more than once a month! The time I wasted due to this didn't make up in any way for the "brilliant warranty" The only renault Ill ever have again would be a renault 4.
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Really interesting. Mine should be here in a week or so :)

Very tempted by their new sour.
 
Donnie said:
Both. Quite a lot of people reporting swollen fresh presses which can be down to contamination, hardware wise a lot are having problems with the release valve on the caps breaking, cracks on the lugs on the dock itself and then the cap twisting even tighter when putting dock on in the first place which makes removing it near impossible. There was even one report of someones carbonation valve coming off in the middle of a brew. Then there's the even more usual disc on the tap coming off, the black screws for the feet coming off and even one guy found. a screw in his pint which was likely from the tap mechanism itself.

They are a fledgling company for sure and I really hope they succeed but there are some fairly basic things they need to address in my view. Everyone is quite pro the pinters with the excuse of their customer service being really good, which it is and that's fine, but I would rather have a product that doesn't need the use of customer service in the first place.

One personal example of that was a second hand renault scenic I bought from a dealer some years ago which came with a brilliant warranty, even if the engine blew up for some reason they said they'd cover it. However, in the first year that car ended up back and forth to them for warranty work a total of 13 times, more than once a month! The time I wasted due to this didn't make up in any way for the "brilliant warranty" The only renault Ill ever have again would be a renault 4.
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Thanks, I hadn't heard of any problems, but I don't frequent any social media such as Facebook or Twitter.
Not personally come across any issues, only slight niggle is it could be easier to raise the white handle to unscrew the cap.
Will check the areas you mentioned, fresh presses seem fine too, got one stored in the fridge now for next time.
 
So I was absolutely convinced something would go wrong.....the pinter has just sat there for 5 days doing nothing. No smell, no noise, no temperature change - just like it was empty.

Today I took off the dock and prepared myself to look into ways of rescuing the brew. Instead there was a satisfying pop and some bubbly yeasty liquid. I've put it in the fridge to condition, saved most of the liquid for making bread and put the rest a glass. Surprisingly delicious and seems to contain alcohol...... Really looking forward to Friday :)
 
JonathanRyan said:
So I was absolutely convinced something would go wrong.....the pinter has just sat there for 5 days doing nothing. No smell, no noise, no temperature change - just like it was empty.

Today I took off the dock and prepared myself to look into ways of rescuing the brew. Instead there was a satisfying pop and some bubbly yeasty liquid. I've put it in the fridge to condition, saved most of the liquid for making bread and put the rest a glass. Surprisingly delicious and seems to contain alcohol...... Really looking forward to Friday :)
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Sounds just as it should, I was surprised first time just how much yeasty stuff there was. Never thought about keeping it for dough, will give it a go next time.
Give it a decent chance to condition, all the better for it.
Just bought my next beer pack, gone for the Stout this time with the recommend a friend tenner.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Sounds just as it should, I was surprised first time just how much yeasty stuff there was. Never thought about keeping it for dough, will give it a go next time.
Give it a decent chance to condition, all the better for it.
Just bought my next beer pack, gone for the Stout this time with the recommend a friend tenner.
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Yes. Dark matter is on the list to make soon :)
 
JonathanRyan said:
So I was absolutely convinced something would go wrong.....the pinter has just sat there for 5 days doing nothing. No smell, no noise, no temperature change - just like it was empty.

Today I took off the dock and prepared myself to look into ways of rescuing the brew. Instead there was a satisfying pop and some bubbly yeasty liquid. I've put it in the fridge to condition, saved most of the liquid for making bread and put the rest a glass. Surprisingly delicious and seems to contain alcohol...... Really looking forward to Friday :)
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Good stuff, I'm on brew 8 now I think, and on the last one made a bread though could have done it a bit longer.
None of mine have ever hissed or anything so don't expect that.
Remember to tap it the day before you intend to start drinking it.
tijuana taxi said:
Sounds just as it should, I was surprised first time just how much yeasty stuff there was. Never thought about keeping it for dough, will give it a go next time.
Give it a decent chance to condition, all the better for it.
Just bought my next beer pack, gone for the Stout this time with the recommend a friend tenner.
Click to expand...
Yep, on the website theres extended times, its worth doing this and theres a new app to help you keep track too.
JonathanRyan said:
Yes. Dark matter is on the list to make soon :)
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Thats what Im conditioning currently on a longer brew / condition than the last time I did the Dark Matter. Should be ready to tap today / tomorrow.
tijuana taxi said:
First glass out will be very lively, not found a way to avoid this yet.
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You have to VERY slowly release the pressure on the carbonation dial at the back, and by slowly, I mean over 5 minutes!!! once you've done that set it back to carbonation then pour, will be much more manageable.
 
Donnie said:
Good stuff, I'm on brew 8 now I think, and on the last one made a bread though could have done it a bit longer.
None of mine have ever hissed or anything so don't expect that.
Remember to tap it the day before you intend to start drinking it.

Yep, on the website theres extended times, its worth doing this and theres a new app to help you keep track too.


Thats what Im conditioning currently on a longer brew / condition than the last time I did the Dark Matter. Should be ready to tap today / tomorrow.


You have to VERY slowly release the pressure on the carbonation dial at the back, and by slowly, I mean over 5 minutes!!! once you've done that set it back to carbonation then pour, will be much more manageable.
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Thanks for the tips, will definitely give the five minutes carbonation release a go.
I do release it slowly, but nothing like that duration.
 
I have been reading this thread with great interest. I love wine and beer, so should really have a go at making my own brew. The extra incentive, is that we have a small, easily accessible cellar, which is pleasantly cool. I would like to know if it is cost effective, what are the startup costs and is it as easy as something like breadmaking?
 
andya700 said:
I have been reading this thread with great interest. I love wine and beer, so should really have a go at making my own brew. The extra incentive, is that we have a small, easily accessible cellar, which is pleasantly cool. I would like to know if it is cost effective, what are the startup costs and is it as easy as something like breadmaking?
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Startup costs: a pinter and 2 beer packs will cost you £85 + postage (you can save £10 if you mention the name of anybody you know who has one at the checkout which makes that £79.99 delivered). That's it. That's all you need (apart from water, a fridge and time) to make 2 X 10 pints of beer / cider. Each further 10 pints will cost you between £10 and £15 depending on the brew. So you're paying £1 - £1.50 / pint once you have the kit. People use cheaper kits (e.g. from Wilco) but that invalidates your warranty.

If you find you like it you can spend more (bottling, kegging, another pinter, dedicated fridge etc). If you hate it, they are getting 80 - 110% of purchase cost in eBay right now :) (There's been a supply issue lately but I think that might have been resolved)

I'm making bread today :) Making beer in a pinter is a *lot* easier. You can watch the videos on the site but it's essentially sterilise stuff (with supplied powder), add bottle of ingredients, add bottle of yeast and water, shake, wait a few days (there's an app to remind you), unscrew a bit, put in fridge, wait a bit longer, tap, wait a day, pour and drink. Yeah, like bread it's mostly waiting.
 
The real homebrew aficionados will turn their nose up at the Pinter, but if you want an easy to brew drinkable pint its hard to beat.

We have done the full Beer brewing at home from grains and still have a couple of the 19L Cornelius Kegs in the shed.
Also got the cO2 we used as a blanket to stop oxygen replacing the liquid and the Beer going off too quick.
To be honest if you don't want large quantities you won't go far wrong with this nifty little device.

Its from East London so how could it be anything other than excellent :)
 
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tijuana taxi said:
In a good or bad way?
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Possibly the best beer I've ever drunk.

My wife reckons it's better than DFL which is her favourite drink from our local micro brewery.

Should clear a bit today. I think I need another pinter.....
 
JonathanRyan said:
Possibly the best beer I've ever drunk.

My wife reckons it's better than DFL which is her favourite drink from our local micro brewery.

Should clear a bit today. I think I need another pinter.....
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That's good, surprisingly decent beer, certainly surprised me.
Needs drinking reasonably quickly before it loses carbonation, but don't usually find that a problem
 
Hmmm - wonder if they’ll consider making a larger, say, 20 pint version.......
Now that would be tempting........
 
Krisstiffer said:
Hmmm - wonder if they’ll consider making a larger, say, 20 pint version.......
Now that would be tempting........
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I've seen some discussion on this and the guesses are they won't. The 10 pint version fits in most fridges - a 20 pint version wouldn't. They would also need to repackage the fresh presses in a larger size for the minority that want 20 pints and that may mean they wouldn't fit through a letterbox and/or cost more to deliver. Add in the extra stock they would need to hold of different bits and I can see why a smallish startup-ish company wouldn't do this.

Once you factor the beer in the package, you're paying about £50 for the pinter. If you want 20 pints, buy 2 and start them at an appropriate interval.
 
Must admit I was thinking about the times when you have a few mates round or a long weekend where 10 pints won’t last the distance (maybe I’m just a lush.....)
Given that doubling the capacity only needs an increase of around 25% in overall size that would take up less space in a fridge than having 2 in there at the same time.....
Maybe that’s the cue for a beer fridge purchase!! :D
 
Just used the fiver gift card they sent for sticking with them from the outset.
Got West Nuevo Lager this time, looks reasonably interesting, we shall see or more importantly taste.
 
Krisstiffer said:
Must admit I was thinking about the times when you have a few mates round or a long weekend where 10 pints won’t last the distance (maybe I’m just a lush.....)
Given that doubling the capacity only needs an increase of around 25% in overall size that would take up less space in a fridge than having 2 in there at the same time.....
Maybe that’s the cue for a beer fridge purchase!! :D
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Yes and no.... Lots of fridges only just fit it front to back so to get extra capacity you'd need to increase the circumference which means thinking about where shelves are.

I'm not saying they won't make a 20 pint but I think it's unlikely. The market they seem to be targeting are the "mix 3 things in 15 mins on a Friday, drink with your mates the following weekend" market. And for that it works very well. Srsly, just buy 2 - there's bound to be a lager drinker that turns up :)

tijuana taxi said:
Just used the fiver gift card they sent for sticking with them from the outset.
Got West Nuevo Lager this time, looks reasonably interesting, we shall see or more importantly taste.
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They even gave me one :). Cloudy Nine for a fiver has to be a good deal.
 
Just tapped this last night ready to drink tonight. Bit lively on the first pour but should settle down by tonight. It's one of those trendy new sour beers - initial testing says it's not as amazing as the Space Hopper but still a really nice beer. Would probably cost a month's wages in Hoxton.

Making pizza dough with the leftovers....

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