Have you ever stared at a bag of grapes in your fridge and thought to yourself, wow why did I buy these grapes when I could have just bought wine? I think I reach this point pretty much every winter, usually during snow storms when all I have in my pantry is mac and cheese and all I really want is a big bottle of alcohol. The Alchema wasn’t designed to help in these situations, but it is supposed to make fermenting wine or cider at home easier.
The machine apparently works by letting users pick a recipe for cider, mead, or wine through a companion iOS app. Then all they have to do is add their ingredients, including yeast and sugar, and the app will let them know when the alcohol is done fermenting. Cider usually takes one to two weeks. The whole process looks easy in the video, but I’m skeptical that the app will actually follow through on its reminders and I won't end up with moldy cider. Still, the idea that I could take fruit out of my fridge and eventually end up with alcohol is pretty cool, especially when it’s done in a clean, connected device. Oh, and the app will prompt you to share that your cider is done through social media. Now everyone can know!
Here’s a 3D rendering because why not:
Now, I recognize that yes, in theory, I could basically do this fermentation process on my own today. But the device and app seem more appealing. Maybe I’m just a lazy millenial who can't help but swoon for nice design.
The Alchema starts at $359 on Kickstarter.