The Tiny Box That Just Keeps Making Wine
That detestable feeling of running out of wine happens to me more often than I'd like to admit. Fortunately, one professor from Iowa State University is solving that problem by inventing a machine that automatically ferments wine, creating an endless supply for your consumption.
There are some downsides, so don't get too excited. The wine machine makes a small amount of vino-about a milliliter every hour-so you'll have to wait a long time for it to make an entire bottle. The wine machine also uses a simplified fermentation process, so the wine it creates doesn't taste as good as normal wine.
Obviously, then, the purpose of this machine isn't to help winos consume more merlot. The "micro winery" is designed to help wine manufacturers test different fermentation processes. Fermentation is tricky, with factors like temperature, humidity, and the type of yeast all determining how the wine develops. The micro winery gives wine producers a small laboratory where they can test all of these factors to see which ones produce the best wines.
The developer, Daniel Attinger, says his invention could show winemakers the effects of climate change on their crop, helping them adapt to a warming planet and still produce good wines. He also says that the micro winery has medicinal applications, as many pharmaceutical companies use fermentation in the development of medicines.
If you're still upset that you can't get a machine to give you unlimited wine, you should know that there are other ways to get free alcohol at home.
Source: Iowa State University via Engadget
