Mustard Theory (Chow)

So I figured I'd take a stab at home-made mustard. Google suggests there are just a few simple stages to making a mustard, once you forgo the addition of eggs in a double-boiler.

1. The soak. Whole mustard seeds soak in rougley equal parts of cold water or a 1:1 vinegar and wine mixture for at least 3 hours and as long as "overnight".
2. Optionally, the boil. In water, vinegar, or vinegar and wine boil down some dry mustard, salt, any sugars or honey, and whatever other flavors you want -- garlic, tarragon, allspice, peppers, etc. Usually this is strained so that only its liquid moves forward to the next stage.
3. The blend. The soaked mustard and all of its liquid, together with everything else, gets pulsed in the blender into the requisite degree of coarseness.
4. The sit. Into the refrigerator it goes until the next day.

So keeping it simple, and the recipe size small...

My soak, which I refrigerated for two days, because my wife is a slave-driver:

• 2T of Morton & Bassett's brown mustard seed.
• 1T of Colman's double superfine yellow mustard flour.
• 2T of white wine vinegar.
• 2T of 2006 Smoking Loon California merlot.

My boil, which I simmered until it was reduced by half:

• ½t allspice.
• ¼t mixed peppercorns.
  
• ½t ground sumac berries.
  
• ¼t turmeric.
• 1t kosher salt.
  
• 1T brown sugar.
  
• 2T water.

I didn't actually strain my boil, since the only solids it contained were peppercorns, easily ground up with the mustard seed. The results? Won't know until tomorrow, or the next time I bake bread, whichever comes last.