I had a PM requesting help with a pyment using Alexander's concentrate and rather than reply directly I thought it would better shared with the entire board. Please feel free to tweak it any way you wish. I pitched the yeast for this pyment seven months ago and I currently have it bulk aging in a 7-gallon Hungarian oak barrel.
2 cans of Alexander's Chablis
14 lbs local alfalfa honey
Water to 7 gallon
OG 1.106
Hydrate 2 packages Lalvin K1V-1116 yeast with 2 1/2 cups of 104F water in 1t of Go-Ferm
Add 1/2t DAP to the must prior to pitching yeast. Add 1t Fermaid-K at the end of the lag phase (10 hours of so). Add 1t Fermaid-K at the 1/3 sugar break (a couple days). Add 1t Fermaid-K at 2/3 sugar break.
Oxygenate thoroughly twice a day until the 1/3 sugar break. Stir gently once a day until fermentation is complete.
I transfered to the barrel after 8 days, when the gravity was 1.004. Now would be the time to add any spices, if that's what you want, or simply let it settle in for a lengthy period of bulk aging. I'll list what I added but be aware that I haven't tasted this at all so I don't know how it will turn out.
4 slivers ginger
1/2 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
8 cardamom beans
2 teaspoons grains of paradise
2 teaspoons blade mace
about 20 or so Juniper berries
zest from 1 lemon
zest from 1 lime
2 grams Saaz hops
I had it in a barrel for a couple of months and I've racked it back to a carboy for further aging. Here are two oaked Chardonnay pyments. The one on the left is the spiced and oaked pyment from this recipe and the one on the right is the same without the spices. The oak darkened these meads significantly. I won't bottle either for several more months.
These photos were taken this morning.
Last edited by summersolstice; 01-30-2010 at 02:38 PM.
Update: I racked the oldest (already nearly two years old) on 3 pounds of honey and three vanilla beans and 3 oz peppercorns and put it back into the barrel for another few months.
Wow - looks fantastic! How does it taste? I know it's early, but I'm sure you tried a bit of it? I'll have to post on my 4 batches soon, once I have something interesting happening.
Alexander's concentrate Pyment
Linear Mode
