Chamomile Wine (1)

• 1/2 cup dried chamomile flowers
• 2 lbs sugar
• 7 1/2 pts water
• 3 tsp acid blend
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• Montrachet wine yeast

Mix sugar in water and bring to boil, stirring frequently to dissolve. Put chamomile flowers in jelly bag and tie closed. Put bag in primary. When sugar is dissolved and water comes to boil, pour over bag of chamomile flowers. Drip drain bag several times to allow flavor of flowers to seep into water. Taste. If flavor is not strong enough, add more flowers. Cover primary with cloth and let cool to room temperature. Add all remaining ingredients except yeast and stir to dissolve. Add crushed Campden tablet and stir. Every few hours drip drain bag(s) to continue extracting flavor. After 24 hours, add activated yeast. Recover and stir daily for 5 days. Remove bag(s) of chamomile and discard. When specific gravity reaches 1.020 or lower, rack to secondary and fit airlock. Ferment 30 days, rack, top up and refit airlock. Rack every additional 60 days for 6 months. Stabilize and sweeten to taste. After 10 days, rack into bottles. Allow to age in dark place 6 months before tasting. Will improve to about two years. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]