Just a few comments based on the video on your kickstarter page.
The environmental claim to replace aluminum cans isn't up to snuff as the cardboard/plastic bag/hop container packaging for the ingredients produces just as much or more waste that may not even be recyclable (plastics).
Your revenue streams - the unit itself - the ingredient kits - will be in competition with the likes of Coopers and Mr. Beer who are generally partnered with Amazon. Your ingredients kits will need to be available in the States and be "fresh". Do you have a hopped LME provider in the States or is it all made and packaged in the UK and shipped to the States?
The carbonation seems over the top on the first pours in the video though you claim the valve you've developed evens it out?
How much space does this take in a fridge?
Where are the ingredient packs available and at what cost?
How do you clean the unit?
Coopers and Mr. Beer extracts are mediocre at best - even when fresh, when compared to all grain, how is your extract guaranteed fresh?
12 ingredient packs come with some of the backer levels but how long will that extract remain fresh if you're making one ingredient pack a month and then drinking one ingredient pack a month? Or do you need two or more units to keep up with demand (one or more to ferment, one to drink from)?
To an experienced brewer the marketing is not very believable. "Fresh beer in a matter of days"... how many days and what kind of yeast are you distributing with the ingredient packs? Most beer takes a couple weeks to ferment and a couple weeks to "settle down" how are you speeding up that process?
This might appeal to someone who otherwise would purchase a Mr. Beer or Coopers kit and believes they're getting more by spending more.
Having said that I'd like to see a review of one being used in real time by an independent party.
Sorry for the slow reply
@huckdavidson . Below are answers to your questions.
Environmental: Of course Pinters come with their own environmental cost - it's the same as buying anything really, however business decisions are always made bearing in mind eco-friendly options. More smaller packaging is more wasteful than fewer for larger quantities as we do here - you could make a similar argument for other homebrew setups.
In terms of a LME provider, for the initial Kickstarter we'll be shipping from the UK but once we've fully launched in the US we will have a US supplier.
RE carbonation: you can tap as you'd like. Traditional e.g. pub taps are more of an on and off/open or closed, however with this you can control the flow as you'd like. So long as you condition properly, you can pour a perfect pint for you at the start no problem, with more or less head as preferred.
Below are the dimensions.
Ingredient packs are bought from our website. The US price hasn't been confirmed yet but we expect around $25 per Pinter Pack depending on the style.
You clean the unit by using typical home detergent and then using the purifier which comes in a Pinter Pack.
I haven't used Mr Beer or Cooper's etc but I understand the concern. There's not much to it besides us paying more for fresher ingredients going into our Pinter packs than competitors. A great part of the freshness of brewing with a Pinter is that there will always be a DO of zero, whereas as it common with other units you would need to bottle/transfer to a separate keg or similar.
With regard to the 12 Pinter Pack backing, the frequency is unconfirmed but we won't send 12 out all at once, but will send a number out every few months instead. Different pledges offer one or two Pinters depending on how often you'd like to brew.
RE "in a matter of days" - it depends on the style of course. Hard ciders can be done very quickly, often in a week, ales with typical ale yeast are more likely to be around 2 weeks if you go through our developing times, lagers 3. With all of these you're welcome to condition for longer of course. The yeast we send is always ADY.
Thanks for your comments and questions
Getting further independent reviews from US brewers is definitely a good idea.