Riesling Pyment

Classification: mead, pyment

Source: Jackie Brown (BROWN@MSUKBS.BITNET) Issue #184, 6/24/89

This is more winey than your straight mead, but very pleasant. Medium dry and spritzig---very nice as a table wine. Those of you set up to crush your own grapes might try a grape honey mix. A drink of noble history!

Ingredients:

4-1/2 pounds, wildflower honey
5-1/2 pounds, partial blueberry honey
2 tablespoons, acid blend
1 tablespoon, pectic enzyme
4 pounds, Alexander's Johanissberg Riesling extract
1 pack, Red Star champagne yeast

Procedure:

Boil honey, acid, enzyme and Riesling extract for 1 hour (I have since learned that honey is best not boiled; subsequent batches have been made by holding the mixture for 2 hours). Cool and pitch yeast. Rack to secondary after 8 days. Bottle after 4 months.

Specifics:

Primary Ferment: 8 days
Secondary Ferment: 48 days