Mead, kotikalja

 Yesterday I started making one of those Scandinavian drinks that my neighbors like to laugh about.  Mix five quarts of boiling water, 1 1/3 cups of rye malt, and a little over 3/4 cups of sugar together in a large, nonreactive container.  After this has cooled to tepid, add 1/4 teaspoon of dry yeast.  Cover loosely and let sit in a warm place for about 24 hours.

Next, strain out the malt, and pour the liquid into containers with tight-fitting lids.  After one more day in the refrigerator it will be lightly carbonated and ready to drink.

Last year, we learned the hard way that leftover mead should not be kept in the basement refrigerator for weeks, when we retrieved it, it was a little over-carbonated, and bubbled out all over the walls and ceiling!