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. This hydra is Cheri, a cherry hydromel done in honor of the recent cultural phenomenon called "Viking's Blood Mead." While Viking's Blood has been around for centuries, it was always made with flowers and hops. It was only until around 2005-2009 that Americans started making cherry mead and calling it Viking's Blood. Cheri is a complex, sparkling cherry hydromel with notes similar to a wine cooler. It is sweet and crisp. Different honies would make different flavored versions of Cherry. So, you are encouraged to repeat this series with different varietals of honey. HYDRA CHERI: 12 oz. Frozen Pitted Red Tart Cherries Spring Water in a Gallon Jug 1/2 lb. Gallberry Honey 1/2 gal. Hydra Mel 1 2/3 c. Erythritol 1 1/2 tsp. Malic Acid 1/4 tsp. Tannin Powder Almond or Black Walnut Extract, To Taste (Optional, and now suggested as of 8/19/2022) Carbonation Drops (Use Manufacturer's Instructions) Sanitize all equipment (Ken recommends a 30% bleach solution but you can use boiling water, StarSan, or One Step). Pour out all of the jugged water into a sterile storage vessel or bowl. Using a blender, blend up some of the water with the frozen cherries. Pour the slurry (juice) into the empty gallon water jug. Add heated honey into the water jug. Cap and shake well to incorporate the honey into the liquid. Uncap and add the Hydra Mel starter base (see instructions in the Hydra Mel video link) until it is about 3" or so from the top of the water jug's mouth. Cap and shake well for about 10 minutes to incorporate air into the mixture. Take off the cap, take a gravity reading (if you have a hydrometer...which is suggested that you use a hydrometer), and add an airlock (Ken uses a toy balloon, pricked with 2-4 holes at the tip, and bound onto the jug's mouth with either string or rubber bands). Let your hydromel ferment for about 2 weeks. When no more air bubbles come up, and you have a gravity reading of 1.000 or less, the hydromel is done fermenting. Place the jug in a refrigerator for 5-7 days. About three days before bottling, add in your wine tannin powder since it can act as a clarifying agent. The day before bottling, take the jug out of cold racking and allow it to come to room temperature. To rack, it is recommended you use an auto siphon to put the hydromel into a sterilized bowl or pitcher (being careful not to siphon up the lees sediment layer at the bottom). To this hydromel, you will want to back-sweeten, acid adjust, and flavor adjust to taste (Ken's suggestions are in the ingredients list). 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. Chill before opening and serving. This is the third 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. If you enjoyed this video, please like and share. Don't forget to subscribe to this channel for more updates. Stay tuned for more great content! Subscribe now: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ9Ij3XvPlOgSt7-A_83eig ? RECOMMENDED VIDEOS ? ? Viking Blaand (Milk Whey Mead): (https://youtu.be/KWZMyBAXJE0) ? Cattle Battle Mead (Vanilla Pear Chai Mead): (https://youtu.be/VPVPxv3mx_4) ? Hydromel (Hydra) Series Announcement: (https://youtu.be/4sipTHG-rEI) ? Hydra Mel (https://youtu.be/-5G924jbE8A) ? Hydra Barry (https://youtu.be/epENv65KBjQ) Thanks for watching this video. #diy #homemade #tips #tipsandtricks #mead #honeywine #homebrew #homebrewing #hydromel #hydra #gallberry #honey #cherry ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tfTrtzifiw

In a previous video, Ken accidentally poured #gasoline into #craftsman 6.75 HP #briggsandstratton lawnmower's #oil tank. In this video, we will see if this #lawnmower can be repaired or if it is headed to the scrap heap. In the process, Ken also tries out a @harborfreight #handpump. Naturally, repairs take longer than usual. So, Ken also decided to add clips from a family outing at the @alabamasafaripark5890. In this #montage are #wildebeest (#gnu), #giraffe, #llama, #tortoise, and more. Anyone not wishing to see the montage, you may skip the video starting around 0:10:22.948 to 0:14:58.604. Please note, the Alabama Safari Park has not paid Ken to show this footage. He paid regular admission and filmed the footage of his own volition. Thank you for watching! If you like this video, please "like" and "share" it on your social media platforms. Also, please consider subscribing. It's FREE! #lawnmowerrepair #smallenginerepair #alabamasafari #exotic #animals 0:00-1:00 Intro 1:01-7:14 Explanation of Approach & Initial Oil Drainage 7:15-10:13 Day 2 10:14-14:58 Alabama Safari Park Family Day Trip Montage 14:59-16:13 48 HR Followup 16:14-17:16 Testing 17:17-18:56 Outro ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnWjayndHNE