... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSxDbJLWsYs

... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKMaSzTiwLo

... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n91ipVBXVGs

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 Bragg, a #braggot #hydromel. A braggot is a mead, predating ales and beers, made by fermenting #malt with #honey. However, as Ken notes, if you add hops into the brew, you've effectively made a honey #beer. Ken suggests you watch @DrHansBrewery to learn more about the basics of brewing beer...which can then be applied to making braggots. Hydra Bragg is a refreshing drink with a slight bitterness, some sweetness, and some creamy notes. If you are sensitive to bitter flavors, you may want to dial-down the amount of herbs listed. If you like citrus notes, you may want to amp-up the citrus peel. Different honies would make different flavored versions of this beverage. So, you are encouraged to repeat this series with different varietals of honey. HYDRA BRAGG: 2 qt. Boiling Water 8 oz. Bovarian Wheat DME 1 lb. Gallberry Honey Hydra Mel, to Fill Line 1 tbsp. @McCormickVideos Peppercorn Medley Grinder 1/2 oz. Hyssop (Ken now suggests 1/8 to 1/4 oz.) 1 oz. Mugwort (Ken now suggests 1/4 to 1/2 oz.) 1 1/2 c. Allulose (Or sweeten to taste) 1 tbsp. Orange Peel (Ken now suggests 2 tbsp.) 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 a quart of the boiling water into a bowl and add the honey and DME. Use an immersion blender to incorporate. Pour herbs, pepper, and citrus peel in pot of boiling water and boil for about 15 minutes...adding water as needed to replace what was lost for evaporation. Pour the honey and DME solution into fermenter, pour the herb solution through a fine mesh strainer into the 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). Place in a refrigerator for a week to cold rack (cold crash) and clarify. (NOTE: Ken used two clarifying agents, gelatin and Sparkoloid, with limited success.) After a week, take the brew out to come to room temperature. Siphon the room temp mead into a bowl or pitcher for final addition of 2 cups cold water, priming sugar, addition of yeast, and back sweetening with allulose. 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 last 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) ? 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) Thanks for watching this video. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZp4eJpNK8Y