Meads are critical cultural relics dating well back before the time of Christ. In fact, no other alcoholic beverage is older, or more culturally ubiquitous, than mead. Being that Ken is a culturalist (a social scientist who studies cultures), it is only natural that he be interested in #mead and mead-making.

One of the simplest, and fastest, forms of mead is the hydromel (a low alcohol by volume beverage). It is Ken's belief that hydromels are ideally suited for novice homebrewers to learn the fundamentals of mead-making. So, he decided to make a hydromel "how-to" homebrewing series.

Using the mythological hydra as his inspiration, Ken hopes you will brew at home along with him. Each gallberry honey hydromel is a different "hydra." As it is made and drank, another "hydra" emerges with its own unique personality. With this hydra, we are going a little off the beaten path. This mead is Hydra Derry, a #lactomel #hydromel. A lactomel is a mead made by fermenting whey with #honey.

This is an old concept that is gaining traction once more thanks to YouTube. Content creators like @HappyHomestead @GavinWebber @philwfacts5649 and others have helped to make lactomels popular once more.

Hydra Derry is an inviting beverage with a complexity of different flavors with each sip. It might taste of grape and apple and spice one sip and yet on another you might get notes of parmesan. Over time, this mead is bound to change even more into something unpredictable and yet fantastic. Different honies would make different flavored versions of this beverage. So, you are encouraged to repeat this series with different varietals of honey. Ken suggests trying tupelo, orange blossom, and sourwood honey varietals, instead of gallberry honey, in this recipe for a new flavor experience. Due to its ever-changing nature, Ken also suggests making four times this amount and using it as a study in how acid blends work using tartaric acid (cream of tartar), malic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid.

HYDRA Derry:

1 qt. Boiling Water
3.5 oz. Whey Powder
1 lb. Gallberry Honey
Hydra Mel, to Fill Line
2 tbsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/2 c. Silver (White) Rum
3 c. Erythritol
1 tbsp. Vanilla Extract
2 c. Cold Water
Carbonation Drops (Use Manufacturer's Instructions)
1/2 tbsp. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Red Star Premier Blanc

Sanitize all equipment (Ken recommends a 30% bleach solution but you can use boiling water, StarSan, or One Step). Pour rum and nutmeg in a jar, lid, shake, and let sit in a cool and dark location until brew is completely finished (shaking the jar once a day for the first two weeks). Pour hot water and whey powder in a large, heat safe bowl and mix until the whey is mostly dissolved. Add in the honey into the whey solution. Pour the solution into fermenter, cap, and place into a refrigerator until the temperature is roughly body temperature. Uncap and pour the Hydra Mel mother in your fermenter to the gallon fill line mark. Cap and shake to incorporate into solution. Uncap, take a hydrometer reading, and place an airlock on the fermenter. The brew should take about 21 days in a dark place that stays roughly at, or just below, room temperature. Take hydrometer readings to insure the brew is finished fermenting (1.000, or below, final gravity reading). Pour in your nutmeg extract and stir well before placing in a refrigerator for a week to cold rack (cold crash) and clarify. (NOTE: Ken used two clarifying agents, Dualfine and Sparkoloid, with limited success.) After the cold racking is complete, you will want to taste and maybe adjust with tannin powder to your taste. Leave fermenter out at room temperature for a week so the tannins can incorporate and also induce flocculation. After a week, siphon the room temp mead into a bowl or pitcher for final acid adjusting, addition of priming sugar, addition of yeast, and back sweetening. Using a bottling cane (a.k.a., bottling wand) attached to the auto-siphon, bottle the mead into pressure-safe beer bottles. Add carbonation drops per the manufacturer's specifications. Cap and let sit for approximately two weeks, if not longer. Chill before opening and serving.

This is the 12th hydromel in a 13-part series of gallberry honey hydromels using various gruits/adjuncts. Ken recommends you brew at home along with him. He also asks that you please share your experiences in the comment section below each video.

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? RECOMMENDED VIDEOS ?

? Viking Blaand (Milk Whey Mead):
(https://youtu.be/KWZMyBAXJE0)

? Hydra Cy:
(https://youtu.be/cnFiEkS5rPM)

? Hydra DJ Fresh Beatz:
(https://youtu.be/aD7ET0Lf6Fk)

? Hydra Mel
(https://youtu.be/-5G924jbE8A)

? Hydra Ace
(https://youtu.be/2nQ_lqkGVfY)



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