A Cyment Mead

Members Recipe 2008 National Supplied by Les Hooper

This mead is derived from Cyser, a mead made with honey and apple juice and Pyment, a mead made with honey and grape juice.

Recipe to make 1 gallon

• 3 lb.Parsnips
• ½ lb. Raisins (use the best)
• ½ pt.White Grape Concentrate
• 2 Oranges
• 2 Lemons
• 1 Vitamin B1 tablet
• 1 teaspoon Yeast Nutrient
• 1 teaspoon Pectolase
• 1 teaspoon Bentonite
• 1 teaspoon Tartaric Acid
• ¼ teaspoon Tannin Powder
• Sugar to SG 1.085
• Wine Yeast

Mix the honey with I litre of the grape juice and I litre of the apple juice by heating the juices in a saucepan, stirring in the honey until thoroughly mixed. Add the remaining grape and apple juices and when cooled to approximately 70F place in a demijohn. The remaining ingredients should then be added prior to adding the yeast. Prepare the yeast starter and add to the demijohn. Ferment out to 1.005/1.010 to provide a medium sweet mead with some honey sugars unfermented to provide the sweetness. The alcohol level will be no more than 11%, which is quite acceptable.

When considered satisfactory, stabilise the wine and add a campden tablet to prevent any further fermentation. The finished wine may take a time to clear. Although tradition would suggest that the mead should be kept for about a year to mature before drinking, this recipe will provide a pleasant drink after a couple of months but may need clearing with a filter.