The Sub review: how does Beerwulf’s compact beer tap perform?
LET'S be real, beer from a can or a bottle just isn't as good as a pint from the pub. It is time that we introduced: The Sub.
You can get a draught pint without having to leave your home when this trusty contraption's around.
We reviewed The Sub to see if it's worth spending a little more for a pub-quality pint on your sofa.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Pros
- Pours great pints
- Loads of different beers to choose from
- Looks good
Cons
- More expensive than buying beer from shops
- Noisy when pouring
- Small size limits its usage
The Sub, £125 at Beerwulf -
The Sub review: quick summary
When we tested The Sub we loved being able to quickly and easily pour draught pints at home. It's a nice reward on a Friday after a long week at work and feels a bit more special than picking up a six-pack from the shop on the way home.
And, at £125, it's not obscenely expensive, especially if a couple of you are clubbing together to buy it as a gift.
As an added bonus, The Sub looks pretty stylish on the side at home and won't spoil your kitchen aesthetic.
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On the downside, it’s more expensive than buying cans from the off-license, it’s a little noisy when it pours and it’s really designed for individual use rather than large groups.
If money was no object, we'd prefer to have a PerfectDraft (read our PerfectDraft Beer Dispenser review and PerfectDraft Pro review here), but since prices for those start at around £249, The Sub is a good budget option.
We think The Sub is a great gift for a beer lover, especially since there are loads of different beers to try, along with the old favourites.
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- The Sub review
The Sub review: full review
- The Sub, £125 at Beerwulf -
We were pretty excited when we got our hands on The Sub from Beerwulf, which promises pub-quality pints from the comfort of your own home.
The Sub is a slick bit of kit that doesn’t look out of place on your kitchen side, and with its 30cm footprint, it doesn’t take up too much space.
It’s pretty easy to get going: just insert a two-litre keg (from a range of about 40 on the website), fiddle around with some piping and The Sub will begin chilling your beer.
If you’ve kept your mini-kegs in the fridge first, they’ll be ready to drink in an hour or two. If they’re at room temperature it’ll be a while longer as The Sub chills your kegs to perfect drinking temperature. Once the light goes green, you're good to go.
We've seen a few people around the web complaining that The Sub produces too much foam, which is something we battled with initially. But if you follow the instructions (clear the nozzle when you first start pouring and then open the tap fully when you're pulling pints) it's a pretty easy solve.
However, there are a couple of downsides to The Sub. For starters, it’s certainly more expensive than buying your beer at the supermarket as it’ll set you back over £100 if you buy it with kegs.
It also takes quite a long time to chill and pressurise your mini-kegs once you’ve placed them inside, which means you’re probably waiting a couple of hours between pints when you do a keg change. This basically rules out The Sub as a useful gadget for entertaining if you’re planning on drinking more than two litres.
Finally, it’s a little noisy when you pull pints and it hums for about 20 seconds after you’ve finished pouring.
The Sub review: the verdict
For its price, we really like The Sub. It does what it's supposed to and it gives you an excuse to sample beers you wouldn't normally try.
While there are better beer dispensers out there you can buy for your home, there's none that can beat The Sub on price and we'd gladly break ours out for special occasions going forwards.
- The Sub, £125 at Beerwulf -
Where can I buy Beerwulf Sub kegs?
Beerwulf Sub kegs can be bought directly from the Beerwulf website.
There are over 35 kegs to choose from that range from classic beers such as Heineken and Birra Moretti to limited edition IPAs like Wild Beer Co and Brixton Low Voltage. All kegs are 2L and prices range from £8.99 to £18.99.
- Beerwulf Sub kegs, from £8.99 -
Where to buy Beerwulf The Sub?
Beerwulf is available to buy on the company's website for £125. Beerwulf are also selling The Sub Compact Party Starter Pack for £175 and that includes the beer tap and eight kegs.
- The Sub, £125 at Beerwulf -
- The Sub Compact Party Starter Pack, £175 at Beerwulf -
Do you have to plug in Beerwulf Sub?
The beer tap must be plugged in at least an hour before the desired serve time. It is ready to use when the light turns green. The instructions are easy to follow and there's also a handy video to explain the set up process.
What are some alternatives to Beerwulf's Sub machine?
If you want to try something else out, then there are many alternatives that do the same job as Beerwulf.
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Here are some other designs from well-known brands on the market:
- Philips HD3720/25 Beer Pump Dispenser, £375 from Argos -
- Perfect Draft Beer Dispense, £347 from Currys -
- Beer-Tower XXL Drinks & Beverage Dispenser, £39.98 from Amazon -
- ClearAmbient 5 L Beer Dispenser, £146.99 from Wayfair -