For most of us, the home-brewing of beer is something that we leave to other people, because it just looks too complicated. Seattle-based company iGulu is out to change that, with its iGulu S1 automated beer-brewing machine.
As is the case with other types of "Make it at home easily!"-type food and beverage gadgets, the S1 works with system-specific premixed ingredients kits. The base ingredients in all the kits are malt extract, hops extract, and yeast.
Users just empty the powdered contents into the S1's tank – along with 1 gallon (3.8 l) of filtered water – put the tank in the S1, then hold an RFID tag from the kit's packet up to a reader on the machine. That tag relays all the data the S1 needs to know regarding information such as fermentation pressure, temperature, and time.
A simple press of a button then initiates the brewing process. According to iGulu, it should take about one to two weeks for the beer to be ready, depending on factors such as beer type.
Once the gallon of beer is ready, it's chilled to the ideal serving temperature, which ranges from 37.4 ℉ to 53.6 ℉ (3 ºC to 12 ºC). The user then dispenses it into glasses (or optional reusable pressurized bottles) via an integrated air pump.
If the basic setup is being used, the beer ought to be consumed in a relatively short period of time, while it's still fresh. The use of an optional adapter and a third-party CO2 cylinder, however, allows the beer to stay fresh for up to 30 days.
Utilizing an iOS/Android app on a wirelessly connected smartphone, users can monitor the brewing process or even create their own recipes complete with manually programmed brewing parameters. They can also opt to brew up other fermented beverages such as mead, kombucha, cider, and white wine.
The S1's removable, washable fermentation tank is made of a BPA-free, impact-resistant polymer known as Tritan. As an added bonus, the machine will also accept 1-gallon tanks of third-party ready-to-drink beer, which it will simply chill and dispense.
Should you be interested, the iGulu S1 is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of US$299 will get you one – the planned retail price is $549.
You can see the machine in use, in the video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, iGulu
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