Throwing away food is a terrible feeling. But thanks to ALCHEMA, you can now turn your leftover fruit into delicious, alcoholic cider-style drinks.
The smart device lets you choose from a variety of different recipes from your smartphone app to make mead, cider, and even wine. Simply add the ingredients, wait for fermentation to take place, refrigerate, and enjoy.
The app lets you monitor the progress of your cider via temperature or pressure and also lets you adjust the alcohol content or sweetness to your liking. ALCHEMA connects via Wi-Fi, so you can check on your cider when you’re out and about. And if something goes wrong (e.g. temperature spoilage), the app will alert you so you can make the appropriate changes.
While the device will take up a fair amount of space on your kitchen counter, it also has a 2.4-liter capacity, which is equivalent to about 3 bottles of wine. With a hefty price tag of $499 — and the added cost of yeast packets — the ALCHEMA won’t save you money on booze. However, it’s a fun way to turn something that might otherwise go to waste into booze.
The process is almost impossible to mess up thanks to a scale built into the device that can help you measure the ingredients.
ALCHEMA first launched on Kickstarter in the summer of 2016, where it raised over $359,000 against a goal of $80,000. However, the company is seeking additional funding. The unit is expected to be released in the fall of 2017, just in time for apple season.
The process is not completed overnight, as cider takes up to two weeks and a batch of wine up to 16 weeks to complete.
