Easy Duck Spice Bag Recipe

This duck spice bag recipe came about after a weekend trip to Leeds for some holiday shopping.

While we were there, we stopped at Trinity Kitchen and decided to try Dole Spice Bags. Spice bags are an Irish favourite that have thankfully made their way over here, basically a glorious mixture of crispy chips, meat or a meat alternative, sauce, vegetables and seasoning all thrown together.

I went for the vegan Irish Spice Bag, sometimes called a Dirty Bag, while Debs had the Crispy Aromatic Duck Bag. Both were absolutely delicious.

The only problem was that we knew it might be a while before we were back in Leeds.

A few days later, on the way home from work, I had the idea of trying to recreate the crispy duck spice bag for Debs. I called into Aldi, picked up what I needed and gave it a go.

Apparently it was pretty close to the real thing, which earned me some proper brownie points.

The method is really simple and works just as well with crispy duck, chicken or plant-based pieces. I used plant-based No Chicken Pieces for mine.

Easy Duck Spice Bag Recipe

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Calories: approximately 800 kcal per portion using plant-based pieces

Ingredients

• 500g skin-on fries
• 240g crispy duck, chicken or plant-based No Chicken Pieces
• 150g hoisin sauce
• ½ cucumber, peeled and finely sliced
• 5–6 spring onions, finely sliced
• Sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• A little oil, for frying

You can use any chips you like, but I find skin-on fries work particularly well because they go really crispy and stand up better once everything is mixed together.

How to Make a Duck Spice Bag

1. Cook the chips according to the packet instructions until they're properly golden and crispy.
2. While the chips are cooking, heat a little oil in a frying pan and gently cook your duck, chicken or plant-based pieces. If you're using raw meat, make sure it's completely cooked through.
3. Once cooked, reduce the heat and add the hoisin sauce. Stir everything together and warm gently until the pieces are completely coated.
4. Add most of the toasted sesame seeds and give everything another quick stir.
5. Take the pan off the heat, then add the cucumber and spring onions. Toss them through the hoisin mixture. Adding them right at the end keeps a bit of freshness and crunch.
6. Add the crispy chips and gently toss everything together. You want the chips lightly coated in hoisin rather than completely soaked in it.
7. Divide between two bowls or plates and finish with the remaining toasted sesame seeds.
8. Serve straight away while the chips are still crispy.

Duck, Chicken or Plant-Based?

Although this started out as an attempt to recreate the Crispy Aromatic Duck Spice Bag we had in Leeds, the recipe is very easy to adapt.

Crispy aromatic duck is the obvious choice, especially if you can find one of the ready-to-cook packs in the supermarket. Chicken works perfectly well too, while plant-based chicken-style pieces make a really good vegetarian or vegan version. Just check that your hoisin sauce is suitable if you're keeping the whole thing vegan.

The important bit is the combination of crispy chips, sticky hoisin, spring onion, cucumber and toasted sesame. It's ridiculously simple, but it works.

A Few Notes

Don't add the cucumber and spring onions too early. They only need tossing through once the pan is off the heat, otherwise the cucumber starts to soften and you lose the contrast with the hot chips and sticky sauce.

Likewise, get the chips as crispy as you can before adding them. Once the hoisin goes on, they'll naturally soften a little, so starting with properly crisp fries makes a big difference.

The calorie figure is only a rough estimate because fries, hoisin sauce and whichever duck, chicken or plant-based pieces you use can vary quite a lot. My plant-based version comes out at roughly 800 kcal per portion. A version made with crispy aromatic duck may be a little higher.

Is it exactly the same as the one from Dole Spice Bags? Probably not. But it was close enough to bring back memories of our lunch in Leeds, it took about 25 minutes from start to finish and, most importantly, Debs loved it, and we had it two days in a row.

Cheat Fajita Pasta Recipe

This cheat fajita pasta recipe came about after I had the Vegan Fajita Pasta at Slug & Lettuce and really enjoyed it.

The Slug & Lettuce version is described as penne pasta in a Sheese® sauce with onion, peas and mixed peppers, finished with spring onion. The one I had seemed a little different though. I don't remember any peas or any peppers, but it did have sun-dried tomatoes in it.

Either way, it gave me the idea to make my own quick fajita pasta at home.

I wasn't bothered about keeping mine vegan, so I went for a simple vegetarian version using cream cheese, Cheddar and a ready-made fajita seasoning mix. No measuring out cumin, paprika, chilli and garlic... hence the word cheat.

It turned out to be a lovely tea, and from start to finish it only takes about 20 minutes.

Cheat Fajita Pasta Recipe

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Calories: 650kcal per portion

Ingredients

• 200g penne pasta
• ½ onion, thinly sliced
• 50–60g sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ½ pepper, thinly sliced – optional
• A small handful of peas – optional
• 3 teaspoons fajita seasoning mix
• 100g full-fat cream cheese
• 50g grated Cheddar - optional
• A splash of milk
• A little pasta cooking water
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• A squeeze of lime
• 1 tablespoon oil, ideally from the sun-dried tomato jar
• Black pepper

How to Make Fajita Pasta

1. Cook the penne according to the packet instructions. Before draining it, save a little of the pasta cooking water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onion for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
3. If you're using pepper, add it to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, then stir in the fajita seasoning. I used 3 teaspoons, which gave the pasta plenty of flavour while keeping it fairly mild.
5. Turn the heat down and add the cream cheese, grated Cheddar and a splash of milk. Stir until everything has melted into a smooth, creamy sauce.
6. Add the cooked penne along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Stir everything together until the sauce coats the pasta properly.
7. If you're adding peas, stir them through now and give them a minute or two to heat through.
8. Finish with a squeeze of lime, plenty of black pepper and the sliced spring onions on top for decoration.
9. Serve straight away.

Chicken or Quorn Fajita Pasta

This works perfectly well as it is, but you can easily turn it into a more substantial meal by adding chicken or Quorn.

If you're using chicken, slice it into small pieces and cook it thoroughly before adding the onion and continuing with the recipe. Quorn pieces can be cooked in much the same way, following the packet instructions.

Either option works really well with the creamy fajita sauce and turns this into an easy chicken fajita pasta or Quorn fajita pasta without changing much else.

A Few Notes

The peas and pepper are both optional. The Slug & Lettuce fajita pasta description mentions both, but the dish I was served didn't have either.

I did use half a pepper in my homemade version and thought it worked well, but the sun-dried tomatoes were the ingredient I definitely wanted to keep. They add a slightly sweet, savoury flavour that works brilliantly with the creamy cheese sauce and fajita seasoning.

If you are feeling adventurous, you could, of course, make your own fajita seasoning using garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and chilli powder, but that rather defeats the point of this recipe.

This is supposed to be a quick and easy fajita pasta inspired by the Slug & Lettuce Vegan Fajita Pasta, and the ready-made seasoning does the job perfectly.

My 2026 Harvest Pale Ale Recipe

So each year after I harvest my First Gold hope, I take a look at what I have and I create a one off beer with the fresh green hops, this year, I decided to brew a Pale Ale.

This recipe uses clean Pilsner malt paired with Carapils and wheat malt for body and head stability, and loads it up with 700g of fresh wet First Gold hops harvested on brew day.

Batch Size 20 Litres

Target OG 1.060

Target FG 1.011

Target ABV 6.4%

Target Parameters

• Est. Bitterness: ~28 IBU
• Est. Colour: ~9 EBC (Pale Straw / Light Gold)
• Mash Efficiency: ~75%
• Boil Time: 60 minutes

The Grain Bill

Grain / Fermentable	Weight	Percentage	Purpose
Pilsner Malt	4.50kg	90%	Crisp, clean, straw-gold malt base
Carapils / Dextrin Malt	0.25kg	5%	Enhances body, mouthfeel, and head retention
Wheat Malt	0.25kg	5%	Head stability and subtle grain smoothness

Hop Schedule (Fresh Wet Hops)

Addition	Variety	Weight	Timing / Notes
Bitterness	Magnum (or Challenger)	15g	Boil 60 min (hits target ~25 IBU base)
Wet Whirlpool	Fresh First Gold	500g	Whirlpool 20 min @ 80°C–85°C
Wet Dry Hop	Fresh First Gold	200g	Add on Day 7 (3 days contact, submerged)

Pellet Substitution Note

If you are brewing this outside harvest season or using dried hop pellets instead of wet hops, replace the wet hop additions with standard T90 pellets at a 5.5:1 ratio:

• Whirlpool: Replace 500g fresh wet hops with ~92g of First Gold pellets (steeped at 80°C–85°C for 20 mins).
• Dry Hop: Replace 200g fresh wet hops with ~38g of First Gold pellets (dry hopped for 3 days).

Yeast & Fermentation Schedule

• Yeast: 1 x 11g sachet Lallemand Nottingham Ale Yeast (direct pitched).
• Primary Fermentation: Ferment at a strict 18°C for 5 to 6 days until active bubbling subsides.
• Diacetyl Rest & Dry Hop: On Day 6–7, raise temperature controller to 20°C. Add the 200g fresh First Gold hops in a weighted, sanitised mesh bag (or 38g pellets). Maintain at 20°C for 3 days.
• Cold Crash: Drop temperature to 3°C for 48 hours to settle out hop material and yeast prior to packaging.

Step-by-Step Mash & Brew Guide

1. The Mash

Strike with approximately 15L of water at 72°C to achieve a target mash temperature of 65°C. Hold at 65°C for 60 minutes for high fermentability, giving Nottingham the headroom to attenuate fully down to ~1.011.

2. Lauter & Sparge

Sparge with water at 76°C until you collect roughly 24L to 25L of pre-boil wort in the kettle.

3. The Boil

Bring to a rolling boil for 60 minutes. Add 15g of Magnum at the 60-minute mark to build a clean 25 IBU bitterness backbone.

4. Wet Hop Whirlpool (80°C)

At the end of the 60-minute boil, turn off the heat and cool the wort down to 80°C–85°C. Stir in 500g of fresh wet First Gold hops (or 92g pellets). Cover and steep for 20 minutes. Keeping the temperature below 85°C prevents burning off the fresh floral and citrus oils.

5. Fermentation & Dry Hopping

Chill the wort to 18°C, oxygenate well, and pitch the Nottingham yeast. Follow the temperature schedule above, adding the weighted 200g fresh dry hop bag on Day 7 for a 3-day contact window before cold crashing.

Whitbread Trophy Bitter: Recreating My 1980s Pint

Whitbread Trophy Bitter is a beer I remember from when I first started drinking in the 1980s. Like a lot of beers from that period, my memory of it isn't made up of detailed tasting notes; I just remember it as a proper pint of bitter, fairly light in strength, mildly sweet, but with a decent bitterness to it.

I originally found a historical Whitbread Trophy recipe from 1965 and thought that would be an interesting beer to recreate. The problem was that Trophy wasn't really one single beer. Whitbread used the Trophy name across different breweries and regions, often adapting existing local bitters, so the Trophy being poured in Yorkshire during the 1980s could be quite different from a London-brewed version being poured in another pub to some kid "darn sarf".

That sent me looking for the Trophy I might actually have been drinking.

Whitbread Trophy, Sheffield

I always believed that the pint I enjoyed was likely brewed in Sheffield, and I've found some information in Les Howarth's The Home Brewer's Recipe Database, which lists a separate Whitbread Sheffield version of Trophy. 

The source material behind that entry includes Roger Protz's Real Ale Drinker's Almanac from around the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, which puts it very close to the period I'm trying to recreate.

The Sheffield entry gives the beer as:

• Original Gravity: 1.036
• Bitterness: 24 IBU
• 70% pale malt
• 5% crystal malt
• 10% torrified wheat
• 15% sugar
• Bittering: 80% hop extract, 20% Target
• Dry hop: Goldings

That immediately looks like a very different beer from the older Trophy recipe I was looking at. There's less reliance on malt for the body, a substantial amount of sugar to help keep it dry and drinkable, torrified wheat for head retention, and a hopping schedule that looks wonderfully commercial and very much of its time.

Most of the bitterness came from hop extract, with Target providing the remaining contribution. Target was still a relatively modern British hop during the 1980s and its firm, assertive bitterness fits rather nicely with my memory of Trophy being a noticeably bitter pint.

The Goldings dry hop is also important. Although most of the bitterness came from extract, the finished beer wasn't necessarily devoid of traditional English hop character; the Goldings should give it a restrained floral and earthy aroma without turning it into anything resembling a modern dry-hopped beer.

My 23 Litre Recipe

This is my homebrew reconstruction based on the historical Sheffield information rather than a claim that I've somehow uncovered Whitbread's exact brewhouse sheet. Where the original information doesn't provide a figure, I've kept things simple and tried to make choices that fit the beer and the period.

Ingredient	Amount
British pale malt	2.4 kg
Medium crystal malt	170 g
Torrified wheat	345 g
White brewing sugar	520 g

Those quantities preserve the original 70/5/10/15 proportions and should put a typical homebrew system somewhere around the required gravity. 

Hops

• Target: enough to provide approximately 5 IBU, probably around 4-5 g depending on the alpha acid shown on the packet
• Isomerised hop extract: approximately 2 ml, or enough to provide around 19 IBU according to the manufacturer's dosage
• Goldings: 10-15 g dry hop
• Total bitterness: approximately 24 IBU

The 19 IBU from extract and 5 IBU from Target keeps the original 80/20 bittering split almost exactly, without making the brewday unnecessarily complicated.

Process

• Batch size: 23 litres
• Target OG: 1.036
• Mash: 66°C for 60 minutes
• Boil: 60 minutes
• Target bitterness: 24 IBU
• Expected FG: around 1.008, depending on yeast and fermentation
• Expected ABV: around 3.7%
• Yeast: SafAle S-04 or another suitable Whitbread-style English ale yeast

The 66°C mash temperature is my choice rather than something specified in the historical entry. It seems a sensible middle ground for such a low-gravity beer, particularly with 15% of the fermentables coming from sugar. I want it dry and drinkable, but not watery.

Likewise, the original source simply says that Goldings were used for dry hopping, without giving an amount. Somewhere between 10 g and 15 g in 23 litres feels restrained enough to fit the beer I'm trying to recreate.

The Pint That Thinks It's A Quart!

One of the old Trophy advertising lines described it as having "the body that satisfies", alongside the rather more memorable claim that it was "the pint that thinks it's a quart".

That becomes quite interesting when you look at the recipe. At just 1.036 original gravity this was never a strong beer, but 10% torrified wheat should help with body and head retention while the crystal malt adds a little sweetness and malt character. At the same time, the 15% sugar should keep the finish fairly lean, leaving the 24 IBUs of bitterness plenty of room to show themselves.

It sounds, on paper at least, exactly like the sort of beer I remember from my locals in the 1980s: modest strength, easy to drink, properly bitter, with enough malt and hop character to stop it disappearing into the background.

And that really is the point of this recipe. I'm not trying to create a modern interpretation of Trophy or make it somehow better by replacing the hop extract with fashionable whole hops. If hop extract, Target and a small Goldings dry hop were part of the Sheffield beer, that's what I want to brew.

I haven't actually brewed this version yet, so I can't sit here and claim that one sip transported me straight back to a Yorkshire pub in the 1980s. I simply haven't had time to get it into the fermenter yet.

But I will. Very soon.

And when I do, I'll come back and update this post with the brewday, fermentation figures and, most importantly, whether it tastes anything like the Whitbread Trophy I remember.

Sources and further reading

The recipe has been pieced together from several sources rather than copied from a single modern clone recipe. The most important is Les Howarth's The Home Brewer's Recipe Database, particularly the separate Whitbread Sheffield Trophy entry and Howarth's explanation that percentages for multiple bittering hops are best interpreted by their contribution to total IBUs.

I've also used Ron Pattinson's research into historic Whitbread beers and brewing practices, along with discussions and reconstructions from other British homebrewers, to give the recipe some context. I'll add links to the relevant original material here as I tidy up my notes.

Discos

I'm generally a maize crisp sorta guy. If you ask me to pick a snack, nine times out of ten I’m reaching for Skips, Wotsits, or something else with that light, puffed corn crunch.

Which is why my complete and utter obsession with Discos makes absolutely no sense. There’s just something about that satisfying crunch and the flavour, which is always just enough.

I also think they’re one of those crisps I’ve never seen a cheap supermarket version of. Maybe even the supermarkets know they can’t mess with perfection.

A bit late but today (21st Sept 2026), I just had the pickled onion flavour ... oh yes, a great addition to the range.

From Over 18 Stone to Here

I’ve been away from my weight-loss journey for a while, but when I recently looked back at the numbers, I realised I’d been overlooking something rather important. Although I haven’t continued losing weight, I haven’t gone all the way back to where I started either. Far from it.

This whole journey for me really began after a New Year trip to London at the end of 2023. On New Year’s Day 2024, I decided I needed to start building some healthier eating habits.

While we were away, I found myself needing an extender for the button on my jeans. Around the same time, I’d also seen a photograph of myself taken at my niece’s wedding, and it showed my weight gain far more clearly than the mirror ever seemed to.

When I got home from London, I stepped onto the scales. I was proper shocked, and honestly quite horrified, to see that I weighed 18st 9.8lb (261.8 lbs or 118.75kg), (I had signed up with a weight loss app while in London on New Years Day and guessed that I weighted about 17st!).  I’m 6ft 2in, so I can carry a fair amount of weight without always realising quite how much is there, but that was far more than I’d expected. I knew I needed to do something about it.

Since then, my weight has gone down, gone back up a little, levelled out and generally wobbled around, as weight tends to do. I can sometimes become a little complacent and stop worrying about it for months at a time, although I actually think taking an occasional break from thinking about weight can be a sensible thing for my mental health.

At my lowest on this journey, I reached just over 15st 4lb (214lb or 97kg) on 22nd Nov 2024. 

As of Friday 28th September 2026, I'm 15st 9.8lb (219.8lbs or 99.7kg) ... yeah I'm heading down to a better weight and a better and healthier me. I've vowed never to see anything like 16st again.

That still means I’m roughly three stone lighter (39.2lbs or 17.8kg) than I was when I came home from London in 2024. I need to remember that, that’s a huge win, because it’s very easy to look at the weight I still want to lose and get disheartened; I shouldn't overlook the weight I’ve already lost.

Right now, I actually feel pretty good about my weight. I need smaller waist sizes than I used to, and some of my clothes are now visibly too big for me. Those are real, noticeable signs of progress that matter far more than the occasional wobble on the scales.

The line on the chart isn’t perfectly straight (and you can see my complacent periods clearly), but the direction from where I started is pretty obvious.

Our cruise leaves on 1st November, and that has given me a very clear next target. I’m determined to get myself much closer to 14st 7lb before we sail. I’m not promising that I’ll definitely hit it, but I do love a BHAG!

I know what works for me. Tracking calories makes me more aware of what I’m eating without pretending that certain foods, or drinks, are forbidden. I read and understand the nutritional labels on food, and I think that’s an important part of this journey for me. It helps me understand how much of something I can eat while still maintaining the calorie deficit I need to lose weight.

Exercise is a trickier one. I have knee pain, so hard aerobic exercise isn’t really an option for me. I’ll need to find movement that works with my knees rather than against them, while accepting that most of my progress will come from what I eat and drink.

That’s the approach for the next few months: calorie tracking (aiming for less that 1,770 a day), better choices, plenty of protein (aiming for at least 100g a day) and daily accountability. Nothing ridiculous, just more consistency and fewer moments when I pretend the calories somehow don’t count.

This note is now out here in the wild too. It might not be read by many people, but I know it exists, and that gives me another little push to follow through.

I started at over 18 and a half stone. I’ve already come a long way, and now I’m ready for the next part.

A Two-Week Reset

Some people reading this may know that I also have a little corner of the internet where I do beer reviews. It’s been a lovely summer so far, with warm evenings, very hot days and plenty of football. I know football doesn’t necessarily mean drinking more alcohol, but I do enjoy a beer while watching a match.

The original plan was with the 2026 FIFA World Cup final taking place on Sunday 19th July, was to abstain from alcohol for two weeks from that date, now that England aren't in the finals I might have a couple of beer tonight (Friday 17th) the last for a few weeks. Hopefully, it’ll help me regain a little health and fitness, while giving my body and brain a bit of a reset.

This will just about coincide with my Mexican lager finishing conditioning in my Pinter, so happy news. 

I suppose this could be me being sober curious again!

Let’s see how I do.

24th July 2026 – I know I’m not an alcoholic, far from it; I just enjoy a drink. Even so, I’ve found going without one surprisingly difficult, despite it only being six days.

I think this 1st full weekend will be the real challenge, especially after a long week, but I’m sure I’ll get through it without having a beer.

27th July 2026 – Well, that surprised me. A weekend without alcohol was much easier than I expected, and I didn’t seem to miss it at all!

1st August 2026 - I only fucking did it! I am slightly pleased and impressed with myself for lasting without any alcohol at all for two week, I knew I'd do it.

Noisy Eaters

Noisy eating brings out, what I think, is a very reasonable response. When someone is sat there chewing with their mouth open, talking through food, and making every mouthful sound like a plumbing emergency, I can feel my patience leaving my body.

I’m talking about people who eat with their mouth open, talk with food in their mouth, take bites that are clearly far too big to chew properly, noises that seem to fill the whole room. Once I’ve noticed it, that’s it. I can’t unhear it, I can’t ignore it, and I certainly can’t enjoy sitting at the same table pretending everything is fine.

To me, it’s not just a harmless habit. It’s rude. Really rude. Eating with other people should come with a few very basic rules, and "keep your mouth closed while chewing" feels like it should be somewhere near the top of the list. It’s not advanced etiquette. It’s not silver service. It’s just the bare minimum of not making everyone else experience your food at the same time as you.

Talking with food in your mouth is just as bad. I don’t need to see what you’re eating while you’re explaining something to me, or see your food sprayed all over the table. Finish the mouthful, then speak. The conversation will survive the three-second delay. In fact, it might even improve if part of your lunch isn’t trying to join in.

I know this probably makes me sound grumpy, but I genuinely find it difficult to share a table with people who eat like that. It completely ignores basic table manners, and more than that, it ignores the other people sat around you. I think that’s the bit that bothers me most. It’s not just noise, it’s a lack of awareness.

And yes, I know people have different habits, different upbringings, and different levels of tolerance for this sort of thing. I’m sure there are things I do that annoy other people too. But eating with your mouth open, smacking your lips, slurping and talking through a half-chewed sandwich shouldn’t be defended as personal expression. It’s not quirky. It’s not relaxed. It’s just rude.

I don’t want formal dining rules. I don’t care which fork someone uses, and I’m not expecting anyone to dab politely at the corner of their mouth with a linen napkin (but seeing people wipe their mouth or the back of there hand isn’t nice to see, and don't get me started on people that lick their knife). I just want people to chew quietly, keep their mouth closed, and not make the rest of us feel like unwilling witnesses to the entire digestive process.

Surely that’s not too much to ask.

How I Learned to Love a Cheap Lidl Beer

When I first tried Steam Brew’s The Spark’s, I really didn’t like it.

The 7.8% ABV Imperial IPA had a harsh alcoholic edge that seemed to overpower everything else. I reviewed it in May 2025, scored it 6 out of 10 (and I think I may have overscored it a tad originally), and I expected that to be the end of it, and move on to the next beer.

But I found a week later I bought it again.

Part of that was the price. At around £1.49 for a 500ml can, it felt worth another try. It also helped that Lidl is our closest supermarket, so Lidl’s The Spark was always easy to pick up.

There were things I liked about it from the start. It had citrus, stone fruit, sweet malt and a gentle herbal bitterness. The problem was that the alcohol stood out too much.

Then, after a few more cans, something changed. The harshness didn’t bother me as much. The citrus seemed brighter, juicier, the sweetness made a little more sense, and the alcohol warmth started to feel like part of the beer rather than something fighting against it.

I don’t think the beer changed. More likely, my palate adjusted and I became more familiar with what it was trying to do.

My score eventually moved from 6 out of 10 to 7.5. It went from a beer I tolerated to one I regularly looked forward to drinking on a weekend.

There’s a wider lesson in all this for me. You shouldn’t force yourself to keep trying something you hate, but when there are a few positives hiding underneath that first reaction, it can be worth going back.

Tastes change. Palates adjust. Sometimes a beer you dislike at first can become one you genuinely enjoy; it's probably the same as things in life generally!

Healthy Dog Treats

We got fed up with only really having unhealthy treats in supermarkets to give Hela, our German Shepherd, so I went hunting for a healthy dog treat recipe that she’d actually enjoy.

And I think I found it.

These are really simple sweet potato dog biscuit recipe. They’re basically just two ingredients, with one optional extra if your pampered pooch fancies a bit more flavour (Hela did).

You’ll need:

• 240g wholemeal flour
• 225g sweet potato, cooked and pureed
• Optional extra: crispy bacon, blended into a powder

I cook the bacon until it’s nice and crispy, then blend it down into a powder before adding it to the mix. You don’t need loads, just enough to give the biscuits that little bacon smell dogs seem to detect from three rooms away. I suppose you could substitute for chicken, or perhaps even cheese or a little peanut butter (although you might have to add a little more flour).

Mix everything together. It’s easier while the sweet potato is still warm, as it helps bring the dough together, don't be afraid to get in with your hands to mix it.

Once mixed, let the dough rest for around 20 to 30 minutes. I’m not entirely sure what the resting actually does, but the biscuits do seem to come out better when the dough has had a bit of time to relax. Maybe biscuits need a breather too.

I then roll them into half golf ball size and squash down a little.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4), then bake the biscuits for 20 to 25 minutes (fan oven).

Once they’re done, switch the oven off and leave the biscuits inside until they’ve cooled completely. You’re basically drying them out, which helps them store better and stops them going mouldy.

And that’s it. Simple, cheap, homemade dog treats that Hela absolutely adores, hope your pooch does too.

As with any homemade dog treat, feed in moderation and avoid adding salt, seasoning, onion, garlic, or anything else unsuitable for dogs.

Pinter FAQ: Everything I’ve Learned Brewing With the Pinter

I’ve been using the Pinter for a while now, and this page pulls together the questions I had before buying one, the things I’ve learned through brewing with it, and the small tips that have made the biggest difference.

This is not meant to be a perfect technical manual. It is based on my own use, my own results, and the little bits of trial and error that happen when you brew beer at home in a plastic pressure vessel that lives in your fridge.

Quick note: if you want to know "how long a Pinter takes to brew", I have also made available my real-world Pinter timings, I keep a separate guide here: recommended Pinter brewing times by beer, based on real batches and experiments rather than just the official timings.

On this page:

• General Pinter questions
• Recommended brewing times and conditioning
• Fridge, storage, and serving
• Carbonation and pouring
• Fresh Press and hop oil
• Subscriptions, Co-Pinters, and buying
• Troubleshooting
• My personal Pinter tips

General Pinter questions

What is the Pinter?

At its simplest, you clean the system and sterilise it using the sterilising kit in the box, add water straight from the tap. Add the Fresh Press extract, add the yeast from the kit, give it a good shake, then leave it to brew.

What is the basic Pinter brewing process?

A Pinter is a relatively small 10 pint brewing system that mimics commercial brewing by fermenting at pressure, this tends to mean that brewing is quicker and more reliable that traditional home brewing.

Can you really get good results?

Absolutely. Two TOP TIPS however ... 'Brewing times' dont be tempted by the shortest brewing times, either follow my Pinter brewing times, or add a couple of days to the Pinter recommended ones. 'Temperatures', especially fermentation times are important, I control mine with a £30 second hand fridge from Facebook Marketplace, a heating pad and one of these temperture control switches, you can then accurately control your whole brewing temperatures for approx. £50-£60.

Is it easy to learn to use a Pinter?

Yes, it is. There is also a free app that takes you through the brewing process step by step. The app is also used to manage your account and any subscriptions that you might have.

Is the Pinter worth it?

For me, yes. I like the Pinter and I’m pleased I got one. The idea of brewing around 10 pints of beer at home by just adding tap water to a Fresh Press is appealing, especially when the process itself is part of the fun.

Ten pints also feels like a sensible amount. It is enough to enjoy properly, but not so much that you are stuck drinking the same beer for weeks.

Is the Pinter any good?

I have had some very good results from the Pinter, especially when I follow the recommended brewing and conditioning times and brew at the right temperature.

Within a week or two, depending on the beer style, you can have a decent beer on tap in your fridge. Some beers need longer than the minimum time, but the best results I’ve had have been genuinely enjoyable.

Is Pinter beer any good?

Yes, the ones I've tried have been anyway, they do some very good (and popular) beer styles, they also work with well-known breweries and drinks brands, including BrewDog, Iron Maiden, Lagunitas, Adnams, Yeastie Boys, Signature Brew, Fourpure, and Brewgooder.

That does not mean every beer will be perfect, and personal taste still matters. But the range is far more interesting than a basic homebrew kit, and some of the beers are much better than I expected.

How many pints do you get from a Pinter?

A Pinter makes around 10 pints, which is roughly 5.7 litres.

Is the Pinter easy to use?

Yes, once you understand the process. The basic idea is simple: clean and sanitise the Pinter, add tap water, add the Fresh Press (what they call their concentrated beer), add yeast, shake well, brew, condition, and serve.

The main things that catch people out are temperature, mixing, carbonation, and patience. The Pinter is easy to use, but it still rewards doing the basics properly.

Is the Pinter proper homebrew?

It depends what you mean by proper homebrew. You are not mashing grains or boiling hops, but you are still fermenting beer at home using yeast.

I see it as a halfway point between traditional homebrew and buying beer from a shop. It gives you the fun of brewing, but without needing a garage full of equipment. I was a proper homebrewer, I did proper all grain brewing as well as extract brewing. It takes time and it's easy to introduce off flavours, this is simpler and it just give me more time to do other stuff now.

Is the Pinter better than normal beer kits?

The Pinter is cleaner, tidier, and more convenient than most traditional beer kits. You do not need bottles, barrels, siphons, or a big fermenting bucket. Pinter is actually more like the pressure brewing of a proper brewery, so results tend to be better.

Traditional beer kits give you more flexibility, and they can be slightly cheaper per pint. The Pinter wins on convenience, neatness, and the fact you can serve straight from the unit.

Recommended brewing times and conditioning

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that Pinter brewing times are best treated as a starting point, not a perfect rule. The official recommended timings will usually get you to drinkable beer, but my best results have often come from giving the beer a little longer to brew, condition, or settle cold in the fridge.

What is the quickest Pinter beer to brew?

Ciders are usually the quickest and can be ready in as little as 8 days. Some pale ales and IPAs, such as Space Hopper, can also have a minimum time of around 8 days.

That said, I usually recommend giving most beers a little longer if you can. The minimum time often gets you to drinkable. A few extra days can get you to much better.

How long does Pinter take to brew?

It depends on the beer. Some lighter styles can be ready in just over a week, while stronger beers, darker beers, and lagers usually benefit from longer brewing and conditioning.

As a rough rule, I would rather give a beer too much time than rush it. Most of my better Pinter results have come from patience (which can be difficult when your keen to try a Pint)

I keep a running list of my own Pinter brewing times and real batch results, because some beers definitely seem to benefit from more patience than the minimum timings suggest.

Should I follow the official Pinter brewing times?

Yes and no, they are a good starting point. I would not go shorter than the official times, especially when you are new to the Pinter.

From my experience, the official times are often the minimum rather than the perfect point. Some beers improve noticeably with extra conditioning.

Can you leave Pinter beer conditioning for longer?

Yes, within reason. Longer conditioning often helps the beer settle, smooth out, and taste cleaner.

I would not ignore the beer for months, but adding a few extra days or even an extra week can help, especially with lagers, stouts, and stronger beers.

Do lagers need longer in the Pinter?

In my experience, yes they do. Lagers usually benefit from longer cold conditioning because they taste better when they have had time to clean up and settle.

You can drink some lagers quite quickly, but the difference between a rushed lager and a properly conditioned one can be quite noticeable.

Do darker beers need longer in the Pinter?

They often do. Darker beers and stronger beers usually benefit from a bit more time, especially during conditioning.

They can taste a little rough or unfinished early on. Give them longer and they often become smoother, rounder, and more enjoyable.

Fridge, storage, and serving

Do I need a fridge for a Pinter?

Ideally, yes (or at least fridge space). The Pinter is about 35cm deep, 23cm wide, and 21cm high, so it takes up a fair bit of fridge space.

You usually need the fridge for cold crashing, conditioning, and serving. Depending on the beer, it may only need to be in the fridge for 3 to 7 days before drinking, but it still needs enough space to sit properly.

How long can beer stay in the Pinter?

Once your beer has finished conditioning, it can stay fresh inside the Pinter for up to 28 days, provided you keep it refrigerated.

The tap mechanism and sealed environment help keep oxygen out, which helps stop the beer going stale. Once you pour the first pint, I would aim to drink the rest within about 7 days to enjoy it at its best and freshest.

Does the Pinter need to stay in the fridge after conditioning?

Yes, once the beer is ready to drink, keep it refrigerated. Cold storage helps the beer stay fresh and keeps the carbonation under control. In winter months a cold kitchen, utility room or bar areas hould be fine most of the time.

Warm beer will foam more, pour worse, and taste less clean.

Can I serve Pinter beer straight away after conditioning?

Yes, but I usually find the first pint can be a little lively or cloudy, depending on the beer.

After the first pour, things often settle down. If the beer is still too foamy or tastes yeasty, it probably needs more time cold. Always pour very slowly at first,

Carbonation and pouring

Does the Pinter carbonate beer properly?

Yes, it can carbonate beer very well. In fact, some beers can be very lively if the carbonation dial is set too high or the beer has not had enough time to settle.

Carbonation depends on the beer style, the dial setting, the brewing temperature, and how long the beer has conditioned. My recommendation if to follow Pinters recommended settings that come with the brew (typically set at 5 in the Pinter 3 for the whole process). 

You can change it when it comes to pouring, when you pour a darker beer (stouts, porters and ales etc), you can turn the dial down to 3 or 4 just before pouring. This lowers the dispensing pressure, giving you a slower, smoother stream that builds a thick, cascading head rather than a glass full of fizzy foam. Move the dial back to 5 after pouring to ensure the beer stays pressurised.  I keep a check on all my Pinter brewing times here.

Why is my Pinter beer too foamy?

Foam usually comes from too much pressure, warm beer, not enough conditioning time, or pouring too quickly.

Make sure the beer is properly chilled and let it condition for long enough. Pour at first gently and keep the glass angled. If it is still too lively, give it more time in the fridge.

If you are pouring a stout, porter, bitter or ale, I always move the carbonation dial down to 3 or 4, then pour my beer (its ends up pouring slightly better), then move it back to 5 after the pour to keep the pressure in the Pinter. 

Why is my Pinter beer flat?

Flat beer can happen if the carbonation setting was too low (1 or 2), the beer was not sealed properly, or fermentation did not complete as expected.

Temperature matters too. If the beer was too cold during fermentation, the yeast may not have done enough work. If it was too warm, the beer can ferment too quickly and still not condition well.

What carbonation dial setting should I use?

I usually treat the carbonation dial as a style guide rather than an exact science. Lagers, pale ales, and ciders often suit a little more carbonation (4-5). Stouts, porters, and darker beers usually suit a little less (3-4).

When you start out, just follow the recommendation in the Pinter app.

Fresh Press and hop oil

What is a Pinter Fresh Press?

The Fresh Press is the concentrated beer mixture you use to brew with the Pinter. You add it to the Pinter with water and yeast, then the beer ferments inside the unit.

Some Fresh Presses also come with hop oil, but not all beers need it.

Why has my Fresh Press not come with hop oil?

Not every Pinter beer needs extra hop oil. Some recipes are designed without it, so it is not automatically a problem if there is no hop oil vial in the pack.

What is the Pinter hop hack?

The Pinter hop hack comes from users worrying about two possible issues with hop oil.

The first is that the thick hop oil may not move properly from the vial into the Pinter. I have personally never had this problem, but in theory, pressure inside the brewing unit could slow it down. If that happens, gently rock the Pinter and the oil should move from the vial.

The second worry is that the hop oil drops straight through the beer and ends up in the brewing base, making it less effective. In my own testing, this has not been an issue. The beer has still taken on the aroma and flavour from the oil.

You can disengage the brewing dock before adding the oil if you want to be extra cautious, but I personally do not think you need to.

Do I need to shake the Pinter hard when mixing?

Yes. Shake well for at least two minutes. Then a few seconds longer just to make sure. The Fresh Press can be thick, so it needs proper mixing. A gentle swirl is not enough.

I have found it best to shake hard and make sure the Fresh Press, water, and yeast are properly combined. Poor mixing can lead to weaker flavour, uneven fermentation, and disappointing beer.

Can I reuse a Pinter Fresh Press?

No. A Fresh Press is designed for one brew only.

Once it has been used, you need a new Fresh Press for the next batch.

Subscriptions, Co-Pinters, and buying

Is Pinter a subscription?

Pinter offers both subscription and non-subscription options.

I personally went for the subscription because it provided two free Pinters at the time. That means I do not have to wait for one beer to finish before starting another. The trade-off is that you commit to placing a set number of beer orders per Pinter (typically between 4-6), but then the Pinter(s) is(are) yours.

Is the Pinter really free?

If you take up one of the subscription offers, you can pick up a Pinter for free.

It is worth reading the terms properly, though. Free usually means you are committing to future Fresh Press orders rather than buying the unit outright.

What is a Co-Pinter?

A Co-Pinter is an additional standalone Pinter body. It lets you brew one beer while drinking from another Pinter.

This is useful because brewing, conditioning, and drinking all take time. Having more than one Pinter makes the whole system feel much smoother.

Can you brew two Pinter beers at once?

Yes, I have two full Pinters, it means that I can have two brewing at the same time. If you get a Co-Pinter, that usually comes without a brewing dock, so you can only start your next brew once your first is conditioning.

This is one of the best reasons to have more than one. You can have one beer conditioning while another is being served.

Is Pinter cheaper than buying beer?

It depends what you compare it with. It is usually cheaper than buying 10 pints in a pub, but not always cheaper than supermarket beer.

For me, the value is not only about price per pint. It is also about the fun of brewing, the choice of beers, and having fresh beer on tap at home.

Troubleshooting

Why does my Pinter beer taste yeasty?

A yeasty taste usually means the beer needs more time to settle, especially cold conditioning time in the fridge.

It can also happen if the Pinter has been moved around too much before serving, or the brewing temperature was too high. Try to keep it still once it is conditioning and serving, and stick to the brewing temperatures recommended in the Pinter App.

Why is my Pinter beer cloudy?

Some beers are meant to be cloudy, especially hazy pale ales and IPAs. But if a beer tastes yeasty or unfinished as well as looking cloudy, it probably needs more time.

Cold conditioning helps the beer clear and settle. A few extra days in the fridge can make a big difference.

Why does my Pinter beer taste weak?

Weak flavour can come from poor mixing, incorrect water levels, brewing too cold, or drinking the beer too early.

Make sure the Fresh Press is fully mixed at the start. Also make sure you fill to the correct level and give the beer enough time to brew and condition.

Why has my Pinter beer not fermented properly?

The most common reason is temperature. Yeast needs the right temperature range to work properly.

If the room is too cold, fermentation can be slow or incomplete. If it is too warm, the beer can ferment too quickly and produce off flavours.

Can I bottle Pinter beer?

You can transfer Pinter beer into bottles, but the system is not really designed for it.

The Pinter works best as a sealed brewing and serving system. Bottling adds extra risk from oxygen, contamination, and carbonation problems.

Can I use normal beer kits in a Pinter?

I would not recommend it. The Pinter is designed around its own Fresh Press system, volumes, pressure, and brewing process.

Other beer kits may not behave properly in the Pinter and could create pressure, flavour, cleaning problems, or break your Pinter!

My personal Pinter tips

What is the best Pinter beer for beginners?

I would start with something forgiving, such as a pale ale, IPA, or cider. These styles tend to be quicker and more reliable than lagers or darker beers.

Once you understand the process, then try lagers, stouts, and stronger beers.

What is the biggest mistake new Pinter users make?

Rushing it. The beer may technically be ready after the minimum time, but that does not always mean it is at its best.

The second biggest mistake is not mixing hard enough at the start. Fresh Press is thick and needs proper shaking. The Pinter App used to say mix for a minute, I think that advice has been updated now, it needs at least two minutes of a good mix.

What temperature should I brew Pinter beer at?

Follow the temperature guidance for the beer you are brewing in the Pinter App. Temperature makes a huge difference to fermentation.

If the room is too cold, the yeast can struggle. If it is too warm, the beer can taste rough. A steady room temperature is usually better than one that swings up and down through the day.

Should I always give Pinter beer longer than the minimum time?

In most cases, yes. I see the minimum time as the earliest point you can drink it, not always the best point.

A few extra days can help the beer taste cleaner, pour better, and feel more finished.

Would I recommend the Pinter?

Yes, but with realistic expectations. It is not magic, and it will not turn you into a master brewer overnight.

But if, like me, you like beer, enjoy a bit of experimenting, and fancy having 10 pints on tap in your fridge, it is a fun bit of kit.

Final note: I’ll keep adding to this FAQ as I brew more beers and learn more from real batches. The Pinter is simple on the surface, but the small details make a big difference.

Air Fryer Chickpea Protein Flatbread

I used to make a easy microwave Dukan Bread, but I found that microwaving it and then grilling it was a faff; so I developed this simple high-protein chickpea flatbread made in the air fryer. It is somewhere between a flatbread, a soft naan, and it works for me.

The main trick is letting the batter rest before cooking, because that helps it hold together properly (before this I found it could crumble a little).

Ingredients

• 100g drained tinned chickpeas
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp oat bran
• 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese
• Pinch of baking powder
• Salt and black pepper
• Garlic powder, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, or herbs (all optional)
• Light oil spray for the baking paper

Method

1. Add the chickpeas, egg, oat bran, yoghurt (or cottage cheese), baking powder, and seasoning to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable. If its too thick, add a little water, or more yoghurt/cottage cheese.
3. Leave the batter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This helps the oat bran and chickpeas hydrate, which makes the flatbread less likely to crumble.
4. Line the flat section of the air fryer with baking paper and spray lightly with oil.
5. Pour the batter onto the paper and spread it into a thin, even layer. Aim for about 0.5cm thick.
6. Air fry at 180°C for 10 to 14 minutes, until the top looks dry and the flatbread feels firm when gently nudged.
7. Do not flip it too early. If the underside is only just cooked, leave it a few more minutes.
8. Once cooked, rest it for 2 to 3 minutes before lifting from the paper.

Notes

If it crumbles, it probably needed more resting time or a few more minutes to set. You can also add another teaspoon of oat bran, or a teaspoon of plain flour, if you want a firmer texture.

If it feels too dry, add an extra spoon of yoghurt or cottage cheese next time. A teaspoon of olive oil in the batter also gives it a softer finish.

Estimated nutrition for the full flatbread is roughly 260 to 320 calories, with around 16 to 20g of protein, depending on the yoghurt or cottage cheese used.

Carling Black Label UK Review

So here I am, currently sat in Spain, in the sun, drinking a proper Spanish lager … and my mind has wandered back to a recent beer review I did in the UK.

I’m not sure you can call the return of Carling Black Label to the UK the most anticipated launch of the year … but it’s definitely stirred things up.

Molson Coors have brought it back alongside their standard Carling, and opinion seems split right down the middle. No middle ground. People either shrug at it… or take a swing.

Let’s be honest. Regular Carling at 4% ABV has never been a world-beater. It’s cheap, consistent, and on the right day, usually stood next to a BBQ, it does a job. Crisp, easy, and gone before you’ve really thought about it.

I’ve never exactly been its biggest fan. I had it down at 4 out of 10 at one point. I even preferred the Aldi version, Carters, which tells its own story.

So when Carling Black Label landed at 4.7% ABV, I was curious more than excited.

And to be fair … it is a step up.

It’s got a bit more about it. Slightly maltier. A touch more hop character. The extra strength gives it a fuller mouthfeel, and it doesn’t disappear quite as quickly as the standard version. It feels like it’s trying to be taken a bit more seriously.

Just to be clear, this isn’t the 5.5% South African version, which has a bit of a following. This UK one sits lower and feels more like a tweaked Carling than a full reinvention.

That probably explains the reaction. If you already don’t like Carling, this won’t win you over. But if you’re happy with a no-nonsense lager and just want a bit more body and flavour, this gets closer.

Here’s my full review if you want to see it properly poured and talked through:

Watch the video review

It’s not going to change the beer world. But it’s better than I expected… and that’s probably enough.

Give it a go. You might be pleasantly surprised.

One last thing. You’ll see people saying this is just Madri in a different coat. I’ve done a side-by-side comparison … and it isn’t.

Whitbreads Trophy Recipe - circa 1965

Whitbread Trophy Bitter is one of those beers. I remember drinking Trophy back in the 1980s, although the recipe below actually goes back rather further than that, to 1965.

It's taken from Ron Pattinson's excellent Shut Up About Barclay Perkins blog, where he reconstructs old British beers from historic brewing records.

There's an interesting wrinkle with Trophy because it wasn't necessarily one single beer. As Whitbread acquired breweries around the country, it often renamed an existing local ordinary bitter as Trophy. At one point there were apparently more than 20 different beers carrying the Trophy name, so the pint I remember from the 1980s may well have been quite different from this 1965 Whitbread W.

The beer I remember from my early drinking days in Yorkshire is likely to have come from the Whitbread East Pennines Trophy, I'll have to track down that Trophy Bitter Recipe! And I think I have!

Still, this feels like a very good place to start the journey.

The interesting part about this recipe is the use of nearly 12% flaked barley was a calculated commercial move. It allowed Whitbread to brew a highly attenuated, cheap-to-produce session beer (dropping all the way down to a thin 1.007 FG), while using the heavy beta-glucans and proteins in the unmalted flaked barley to artificially restore the mouthfeel and "chewiness." It literally built "the body that satisfies" out of thin air, ensuring the beer didn't taste like watery dishwater despite being highly fermented.

1965 Whitbread Trophy Bitter

The recipe is for approximately 23 litres, or 5 Imperial gallons.

Ingredient	Amount	%
Pale malt	7 lb / 3.18 kg	82.35%
Crystal malt 60L	0.5 lb / 227 g	5.88%
Flaked barley	1 lb / 454 g	11.76%

Hops

Hop	Amount	Addition
Fuggles	0.75 oz / 21 g	75 minutes
Goldings	0.75 oz / 21 g	40 minutes
Goldings	0.75 oz / 21 g	20 minutes
Goldings	0.25 oz / 7 g	Dry hop

Numbers

• OG: 1.0365
• FG: 1.007
• ABV: 3.9%
• IBU: 29
• SRM: 6
• Apparent attenuation: 80.82%

Method

• Mash at 148°F / 64°C
• Sparge at 165°F / 74°C
• Boil for 75 minutes
• Pitch at 64°F / 18°C
• Yeast: Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

What catches my eye is the 11.76% flaked barley. Trophy's advertising made quite a thing of the beer having body, with the old jingle talking about having "the body that satisfies" alongside the much better remembered line, "the pint that thinks it's a quart".

For a beer with an original gravity of only 1.0365 and an ABV of 3.9%, that's quite a claim, but suddenly the amount of flaked barley in the recipe becomes interesting. Nearly 12% of the grist should give the beer some extra body and mouthfeel, as well as helping with head retention, without needing a higher finishing gravity or more alcohol.

The hopping looks spot on for what I'd expect from an old-school British bitter too. Fuggles for the main bitterness, Goldings later in the boil and just 7 g of Goldings as a dry hop. At 29 IBU against such a modest gravity it shouldn't be bland, but neither does it look as though the hops are supposed to dominate.

Whether this tastes anything like the Trophy I remember drinking in the 1980s remains to be seen, but that's part of the fun. It's a genuine historical Trophy recipe, it's only 3.9%, and there's nothing particularly complicated about it. Definitely one for the brew list.

Recipe adapted from Let's Brew - 1965 Whitbread W (Trophy) by Ron Pattinson.

Chasing the Flavour in Coffee

So, for anyone who doesn’t know, I review beers, and I’m fairly good at picking out individual flavours in the beers that I review.

That’s why I got a bit excited when my wife bought me a Ninja Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine bean-to-cup coffee machine last Christmas. I liked the idea of doing the same thing with coffee.
You read these descriptions and they sound incredible. “Mild chocolate with a juicy blackcurrant sweetness and a hint of lime.” or “Rich dark chocolate, sweet honey, and bright tangerine.”

I genuinely wanted to taste that, but I quickly found that I can’t ... everything well, just tastes like coffee!

I’ve tried the usual advice. No milk, no sweeteners, no sugar. I’ve read that the drip method (the Luxe function on this specific machine), is one of the best ways to bring out those more delicate flavours, so that’s how I’ll do all of these.

I’m going to treat this like I would a beer review, but slower, and a bit more methodical. I’m going to test strength, grind size, temperature, and even the water I’m using.

When I can get it, I tend to stick to Vemondo Barista Oat ‘Milk’ from Lidl, but if I will use a comparable barista oat milk.

For those that want to know the water details ... where we live the water is classed as Hard, and apparently I have since discovered that this particular profile can suppress some of the brighter and more delicate flavours, so I need to be wary of that.

Calcium: 73.8 mg/l
Magnesium: 24.9 mg/l
Conductivity: 524 µS/cm
pH: 7.5 

For those coffees with a more delicate flavour profile, I'll be using the Tescos own brand still water (unless otherwise stated) as that apparently has a nice soft water profile.

I’ll keep this post updated as I go. If I crack it, great. If I don’t, at least I’ll know it’s not for lack of trying.

Lidl Deluxe Kenyan Roast & Ground

12 September 2026
Fruity with fresh lemon and blackcurrant notes
Strength: 3 (Medium)
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Soft bottled water

A nice enough coffee, very smooth, picking up a little fruity sweetness but I did expect that fresh lemon note to come through and I didn't neither with or without milk.
Score: 5.5/10

Lidl Deluxe Guatemalan Roast & Ground

6 September 2026
Full bodied spice with hints of blackberry
Strength: 4 (Medium Dark)
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Soft bottled water

This created a very smooth, easy-drinking coffee, and I did pick up very subtle notes of chocolate and fruit.
Score: 6.5/10

Lidl Deluxe Sumatra Java Whole Coffee Beans

2 September 2026
Praline & Marzipan Notes
Strength: 5 (Dark)
Grind: 22 (Coarse)
Water: Soft bottled water

These beans made a very nice coffee, it was very rich with a little chocolatey profile, and little a earthy and smoky undertone.
Score: 7.5/10

Morrisons The best Brazilian Coffee Beans

4 August 2026
Praline & Marzipan Notes
Strength: 4 (Medium Dark)
Grind: 20 (Coarse)
Water: Soft bottled water

This wasn't too bad at all, in a black coffee it has a very decent roasty intensity to it. When milk was added, I did get a subtle hint of chocolate and marzipan.
Score: 6.5/10

Lidl Deluxe Colombian Rica

20 July 2026
Rich and full-bodied Flavour with Fruity Notes
Strength: 4 (Medium Dark)
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Soft bottled water

Another coffee I was personally disappointed with from a fruity perspective. I know traditional Columbian coffee is one of the best in the world for a rich but balanced flavour, and as a pure coffee I got that deep, rich but not overpowering coffee flavour. Not no fruitiness to be found, no citrus acidity. So as a pure coffee and pure coffee flavour, very nice; I just wanted that hint or note of fruitiness.
Score: 6/10

Tesco The Best Ethiopian Ground Coffee

13 July 2026
Flavours expected: Apricot and Floral Notes
Strength: 3 (Medium)
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Soft bottled water

Really surprised and a tad disappointed with this one. Absolutely no fruit or floral notes whatsoever, just tasted like the roasty coffee version with hard water!
Score: 5/10

Tesco The Best Ethiopian Ground Coffee

13 July 2026
Flavours expected: Apricot and Floral Notes
Strength: 3 (Medium)
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Hard tap water

As a plain black coffee I liked this, no harsh bitterness, and I did pick up a small trace of fruitiness in the flavour, no masses, but a subtle hint of it being there. A decent enough everyday coffee IMHO.
Score: 7/10

Tesco Finest Colombian Supremo

2 July 2026
Flavours expected: Notes of caramel and Blood Orange
Strength: 3 (Medium)
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Lidl Carrick Glen still water

Served black, this wasn't bad at all, certaingly got the caramel coming through and there was a hint of citrus in there too which could be blood orange. Decent results with this one. I know the hard tap water will dull that citrus flavour and give it a more roasty feel, so I'm not going to bother, I got what I wanted out of this one.
Score: 7/10

Lidl Deluxe Colombian Rica

11 June 2026
Flavours expected: Warm and Full Bodied with Fruity Notes
Strength: Medium-Drk Roast
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Lidl Carrick Glen still water

Served black. I used a soft bottled water today. On the nose, a mild tobacco note and a that little earthiness.
The soft water seemed to dull the flavour a little, a little nuttiness, a little tobacco, but no chocolate or fruit; when adding a dash of milk to it, a very mild chocolate flavour come out of it, and the bitterness was a little more restrained.
Score: 4/10

Lidl Deluxe Colombian Rica

10 June 2026
Flavours expected: Warm and Full Bodied with Fruity Notes
Strength: Medium-Drk Roast
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Hard tap water

Another pre-ground coffee served black. Used our hard tap water today. On the nose, very strong tobacco notes and a little earthiness.
Honestly, the flavour was just a rich coffee with perhaps a hint of chocolate in there, quite a dry bittereness the further down the cup I got, but no fruit at all; when adding a touch of milk to it, a very mild chocolate flavour come out of it, and that bitterness became a little milder. Looking forward to see what a soft water does to this coffee later.
Score: 4/10

Morrisons The Best Kenyan

1 June 2026
Flavours expected: Blackcurrant and Citrus Notes
Strength: Medium
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Hard tap water

Slightly different today, I went back to our usual hard Yorkshire tap water rather than the softer bottled water and those fruit flavours definately weren't as pronounced in this coffee that was served black! Perhaps softer water is needed for ther fruitier coffees!
Still smooth and roasty, just without that red berry flavour, I think the chocolate might have been dialled own a tad too.
Score: 6.5/10

Morrisons The Best Kenyan

31 May 2026
Flavours expected: Blackcurrant and Citrus Notes
Strength: Medium
Grind: Pre-Ground (Fine)
Water: Lidl Carrick Glen still water

Couldn't get a whole bean version of this, so I bought the ground version instead. I just put the right amount in the Luxe filter basket, around half full.

As you can see I used a cheap supermarker bottled water. These cheaper waters often come from soft-water sources in places like Cumbria or Scotland, so more delicate flavours should be able to come through.

I do have to remember that, unlike the hop-forward IPAs I enjoy, I'm only looking for a resemblance of flavour rather than outright flavour.

I have to say that this test worked to some extent. This was a very smooth coffee when served black, and I definitely picked up a mild fruitiness (perhaps more red berries). There was no harsh roastiness, and I also got a very mild milk chocolate note and a very mild bitterness.
Score: 7.5/10

Union Gajah Mountain

16 May 2026
Flavours expected: Chocolate Truffle and Molasses
Strength: Medium
Grind: 20 (Coarse)
Water: Evian still water

Started proper experimenting now. Made it a coarse grind to slow down the extraction and try to get more delicate flavours (possibly the coffee for this actually!). Also I incorrectly tried Evian water rather than tap water. The result was a rich roasty coffee with a hint of nut when served black, it's OK but nothing special. With milk it became smooth with a lot of bitterness, but a bit of sweetness came through.
Score: 5.5/10

Union Gajah Mountain

14 May 2026
Flavours expected: Chocolate Truffle and Molasses
Strength: Medium
Grind: 14 (Medium)
Water: Hard Tap water

Again, this makes a very nice, strong coffee, but I’m honestly not picking up any chocolate truffle or molasses flavours. Good quality coffee with a slight nutty note when served black. With milk, this turns into a really smooth, creamy coffee with a nice chocolate flavour.
Score: 7/10

Union Yayu Forest

2 April 2026
Flavours expected: Citrus and Bourbon Biscuits
Strength: Medium
Grind: 14 (Medium)
Water: Hard Tap water

This felt really rich, but I failed to get any citrus, bourbon, or biscuit out of it. It had a strong roast flavour with a little earthiness. Milk dulled the richness slightly and brought out a nice dark chocolate flavour that I really didn’t pick up when I had it black.
Score: 7/10

Rave Colombia El Carmen #50

20 March 2026
Flavours expected: Chocolate Truffle and Molasses
Strength: Medium
Grind: 15 (Medium)
Water: Hard Tap water

A nice chocolate flavour when I had this black. A very understated coffee, and very easy drinking. With milk, it added a nice semi-sweet chocolate note.
Score: 8/10

Bellarom Coffee Beans

3 March 2026
Flavours expected: Heavily roasted coffee and dark chocolate
Strength: Medium
Grind: 15 (Medium)
Water: Hard Tap water

Probably some of the cheapest coffee beans on the market. They made a nice black coffee with ash-like notes that I liked, and I did get some really nice chocolate flavour after adding milk.
Score: 5/10

Rave Signature Blend #1

5 February 2026
Flavours expected: Caramel, Almond & Chocolate
Strength: Medium

Water: Hard Tap water

A very decent coffee, but to me it just tasted like good coffee. Not too strong or bitter. The milk did bring out a good chocolate flavour.
Score: 7/10

Pinter Brewing Times by Beer | Batch Log & Results

This is my real-world recommended Pinter brewing times log, based on actual batches rather than just the official timings. I use it to track how long each beer spent fermenting, cold crashing, and conditioning, along with the temperature, carbonation setting, and whether the final beer was worth repeating.

How long does a Pinter take to brew? It depends on the beer, but fermentation is only part of the process. You also need to allow time for cold crashing and conditioning before the beer is ready to drink. The entries below show my actual Pinter brewing times for each beer, so they should give you a practical starting point.

The official recommended Pinter timings are useful, but I’ve found that some beers benefit from a few extra days, especially lagers, darker beers, stronger beers, or anything that tastes a bit yeasty early on.

I also have a broader Pinter FAQ covering Fresh Press, carbonation, fridge space, storage, pouring, and some of the common problems I’ve run into.

How I record my Pinter brewing times: my schedules follow the standard Fermentation / Cold Crash / Conditioning format. For example, After Midnight 7 / 2 / 14 means 7 days fermenting, 2 days cold crashing in the fridge while still in dock, then 14 days conditioning in the fridge out of dock.

Note: a gold border marks Andy’s Pick for that beer, the version I thought worked best.

• Fermentation: the Pinter remains at the suggested brewing temperature.
• Cold Crash: the Pinter is moved to the fridge while still in dock, if needed.
• Conditioning: the Pinter is moved to the fridge out of dock.

I have a reliable fridge for fermentation and conditioning, and unless otherwise stated, I condition at 3-4°C.

Date: 2 August 2026

Great Lakes Burning River Remixed

American Pale Ale

Rating7/10

F/CC/C: 10 / 2 / 10

Fermentation at 19°C. Yes I've added a 2 day cold crash to this again to get a bit more clarity and to try to remove any "yeast bite" from the final brew, with only a short crash it might still get a little haze which is perfectly fine with this style.

Not a bad attempt, nice haze with this one. Lovely citrussy bite (lemon and grapefruit). Mild sweet malt. Mild bitterness.

Date: 1 August 2026

Lagunitas Sumpin' Easy Remixed

American Pale Ale

Rating7/10

F/CC/C: 10 / 2 / 12

Fermentation at 19°C. I've added a 2 day cold crash to this again to get a bit more clarity and to try to remove any "yeast bite" from the final brew, with only a short crash it might still get a little haze which is perfectly fine with this style.

Not a bad pint, nice and hazy, very crisp and refreshing. Not a bad citrus flavour, definately getting orange, and mild pineapple, with floral and pine notes. Milder than I was expecting. Medium dry finish.

I left it for two more days (taking it to 12 days) and it turned out crystal clear.

Date: 28 June 2026

En Casa (or En Casa Lime)

Mexican Lager

Rating6/10

F/CC/C: 14 / 3 / 16

Lagers are often tricky as any off flavours become really obvious as this has done for me previously. Upping the fermentation and conditioning this time, I've also brought the fermentation temp down to 18.5°C. In the last 2 days of fermentation I'll increase to 20.5°C to try to clean up the yeast and leave it very clean.

Had a sneaky taste after cold crashing, crisp and refreshing, a little hazy and yeasty before the conditioning, this should be good.
It turned out to be an easy-drinking Mexican-style lager with a soft malty backbone, a light touch of citrus and a slightly yeasty edge. It finishes fairly dry and crisp, though the flavours remain rather restrained and is very short. Pleasant enough, but not especially memorable.

Date: 3 June 2026

Ancestors

Best Bitter

Rating7.5/10

F/CC/C: 10 / 2 / 12

OK, so I'm not in a hurry to brew this one, so I'm doing the fermentation for 10 days, then 2 days cold crashing to remove the yeasty note and see if that disappears. Fermentation at 19°C. Carbonation dial set to 5.

The result, there was a something just a little disappointing about this, nice gentle nutty malt and a gentle bitterness, the carbonation is a little prickly and I would like a little hop flavour (fruity, earthy or floral will do me), but I think this is as good as this Ancestors British Bitter gets.

Date: 24 May 2026

Prostmeister

Oktoberfest Beer

Rating9/10

F/CC/C: 14 / 2 / 14

Honestly not sure whether I should have scored this full marks!!

I've brewed a successful Oktoberfest beer from all grain before, and I love the style. It's a beer that needs some TLC, hence the slow fermentation and conditioning. I'm also brewing at a slightly lower temperature, held steady at 18°C, and I've set the carbonation dial to 4 because I want to try to get a really smooth beer. I'm aiming for a malty beer, a little caramel, but too sweet, with maybe just a hint of bitterness at the end. 

OMG, this is an amazing beer, mild caramel, a little nutty, floral and no real bitterness. Clean and very crisp. Why the f**k is this now not available, I want to order this again. I could drink a whole Pinter of this and not tire of it. You do get the ABV with this, but its a great beer.

Date: 25 April 2026

Ancestors

British Bitter

Rating 6/10

F/CC/C: 7 / 0 / 7

OK, going away, so I could only give it 7 days brewing rather than the recommended 8. It poured lovely, with a little biscuit note and a gentle hop bitterness. Crystal clear, but there was a little yeasty note. The temperature might have been too high at a tad over 23°C, so I'll try slightly cooler next time, perhaps 19-20°C, with a little longer fermentation. TIP: Move the carbonation dial down to 3-4 prior to pouring to get a smoother beer, then pop it back to up 5 after pouring to keep the carbonation in.

Date: 15 April 2026

Snap

Pilsner

Rating 6.5/10

F/CC/C: 11 / 3 / 10

The temperature achieved was a little too high at 22°C. I'll pull it down to 18°C for the next one and give it a slightly longer fermentation. It poured with a slight haze and was very carbonated. Tasty, with a good bitterness. This fermented at a carbonation setting of 5.

Date: 29 March 2026

Space Hopper

Double IPA

Rating 8/10

F/CC/C: 9 / 2 / 7

23°C for the whole of the fermentation. I didn't do the hop hack on this one and I think it was still as hoppy as the last brew, so I don't think it makes any difference.

Date: 28 March 2026

Space Hopper

Double IPA

Rating 7.5/10

F/CC/C: 9 / 0 / 7

23°C for the whole of the fermentation. Another decent brew of this one, although it was more carbonated than previous ones. I experimented here by not cold crashing, and I think the beer does need it. I did the hop hack, taking the brewing dock off the Pinter before adding the oil to make sure all of the oil was in the beer.

Date: 28 February 2026

Space Hopper

Double IPA

Rating 8/10

F/CC/C: 9 / 2 / 7

23°C for the whole of the fermentation. Much better. I did the hop oil hack on this one, taking the brewing dock off the Pinter before adding the oil to make sure all of the oil was in the beer, and it was very hoppy. I also cold crashed it for a couple of days.

Date: 21 February 2026

Space Hopper

Double IPA

Rating 7/10

F/CC/C: 7 / 0 / 7

23°C for the whole of the fermentation. Not bad, but a bit yeasty. It wasn't suggested, but I will cold crash next time, even if it's not mandatory. I'm hoping it will clear out some of those yeasty notes.

Date: 14 February 2026

Trooper Remixed

British Beer

Rating 8/10

F/CC/C: 7 / 0 / 5

Minimum effort on this. Temperature of 21-22°C all through fermentation, and a really decent pint, clear and very mich like the bottled stuff. Perhaps next time, I'll extend the fermentation and conditioning by a day or two, and add a couple of days cold crashing. 7/2/8 will definitely add a bit more maturity to this one. TIP: Move the carbonation dial down to 3-4 prior to pouring to get a smoother beer, then pop it back to up 5 after pouring to keep the carbonation in.

Date: 23 January 2026

After Midnight

Belgian Dark

Rating 8/10

F/CC/C: 14 / 0 / 5

Vast improvement. Better temperature, kept at 22°C, and I think the few extra days worked well. If anything, next time I will bring the temperature down a touch, perhaps 21°C, and extend the fermentation by another 2 days. TIP: Move the carbonation dial down to 3-4 prior to pouring to get a smoother beer, then pop it back to up 5 after pouring to keep the carbonation in.

Date: 23 January 2026

After Midnight

Belgian Dark

Rating 7/10

F/CC/C: 10 / 0 / 7

21-23°C for the fermentation. Started in a slightly cooler environment for 2 days, and perhaps came out a bit yeasty. TIP: Move the carbonation dial down to 3-4 prior to pouring to get a smoother beer, then pop it back to up 5 after pouring to keep the carbonation in.

Date: 8 January 2026

Hazy Jane

Hazy IPA

Rating 7.5/10

F/CC/C: 8 / 0 / 7

22°C for the fermentation. No hop oil hack. Lovely hazy, fruity, decent tropical flavours. Very much like the shop-bought stuff. Next time I just want to lock in a bit more haze so I'll do 8/2/7. I'll also drop that fermentation temperature down to 19°C just to ensure that it's as clean as possible.

Date: 6 January 2026

Punk IPA

IPA

Rating 8.5/10

F/CC/C: 10 / 1 / 5

Held a nice 22°C for this one, and it worked out well. No hop oil hack. Nice gentle citrus with a little hit of pine. Very similar to the canned Punk IPA. I think I probably nailed it on this one, but when I brew it again, I will hold the temperature at a slightly cooler 18-19°C and extend the fermentation time to 14 days, add a little more cold crashing, and perhaps extend the conditioning by a day (14/2/7) as I think a bit more of that crisp flavour will pop through. But very pleased with this.

Date: 28 December 2025

Hazy Jane

Hazy IPA

Rating 6/10

F/CC/C: 6 / 0 / 5

22°C for the fermentation. No hop oil hack. OK not bad, but not great either. Looks good, decent haze, flavors are a little off so I think I just need to push the dates a little more and I'll try 8/0/7 next time.

Date: 1 December 2025

Guinness 'Dublin Porter' (Brewers Edition)

Porter / Dark Ale

Rating 9/10

F/CC/C: 9 / 3 / 14

19.5°C for the fermentation. This turned out really well. The roastiness smoothed out really well, got a lovely smooth chocolate with a little kick of coffee notes, definately got this one right I think, adding longer dates will improve it slightly perhaps, but I like these timings and the results. TIP: Move the carbonation dial down to 3-4 prior to pouring to get a smoother beer, then pop it back to up 5 after pouring to keep the carbonation in.

Date: 1 November 2025

Public House IPA

Classic American Pale Ale

Rating 8.5/10

F/CC/C: 7 / 3 / 7

Haha. This is just like me, competetely ignore the Pinter recommendations. I've brewed these types of beers from scratch and I know they need time to get the most out of them. So I'm going for 7/3/7 and holding the fermentation steady at 19°C. I have to say this was a very decent brew, lovely clean and crisp IPA with excellent clarity, sharp, piney hop character takes center stage. Also keeping that temperature down will mean that it avoids it becoming overly sweet and fruity, that clash with the crisp, resinous bitterness of the hops.

Date: 18 October 2025

Public House IPA

Classic American Pale Ale

Rating 7/10

F/CC/C: 5 / 0 / 10

OK, not too bad for a first attempt. I've used the Pinter recommnded times for this one. It does have a little floral and gentle bitterness, I'd like that bitterness to be a little crisper. I'll up the values for the next one and add a cold conditioning part to lock in that bitterness.

Date: 3 October 2025

Golden Grove

Belgian-style wheat beer

Rating 7/10

F/CC/C: 5 / 0 / 7

Brewed at 21°C. First ever attempt as a light Belgian ale, and this turned out not bad, its very hazy (perhaps too hazy!). I think its a little overly sharp (I do prefer to taste the base beer), and it does taste a little yeasty for my liking. Next time I will slow the fermenetation down (10/2/14) and a tad cooler (19°C.), I think it will be cleaner and crisper with a gentle citrus flavour and a bit of that famous Belgian spice coming through.

Date: 1 October 2025

Guinness 'Dublin Porter' (Brewers Edition)

Porter / Dark Ale

Rating 7/10

F/CC/C: 7 / 0 / 4

OK, it makes a beer in 11 days, which is very good by my homebrewing standards and the pint isn't too bad, just lacks something, a bit of body and no getting as much sweetness as I was expecting. Definately going to add a little more firmenation time for the next brew and condition it longer, I brewed this at 21°C, I might aim for a little lower next as I wonder if the yeast got a little stressed at that temperature and didn't ferment as well as it should have done.

Date: 12 September 2025

Lagunitas Sumpin' Easy (Remixed)

American Pale Ale

Rating 7.5/10

F/CC/C: 9 / 0 / 7

Brewed at 20.5°C. Actually not a bad pint from the Pinter Recommendations, could be a bit cleared, a tad more flavoursome and smoother. NExt time I'm goig for 10/2/10, that should give me a cleaner, slightly smoother, maybe a little less “fresh and lively” pale ale. I'll try it after 10 days conditioning, bt I am prepared to move this to 14 days if I think the citrus and pine should be a little softer, I'll just drop the temp a tad too to 19°C.