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 Cy, a #cyser #hydromel. A cyser is a mead made by fermenting apples, or apple juice, with #honey. Hydra Cy is an inviting beverage with profound apple flavor, a bit of bite from the skin, and a smooth finish. 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. He also suggests you try using warm cooking spices (i.e., cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) either separately or in conjunction with an #acerglyn (a mead made from maple syrup). HYDRA CY (Revised 10/6/2022): 1/2 gal. Hydra Mel 2 qt. Honey Crisp Apple Juice 1/2 lb. Gallberry Honey 1 1/2 c. Erythritol 1/4 tsp. Malic Acid Carbonation Drops (Use Manufacturer's Instructions) Apple Tincture (skins of 2 Fuji Apples, 1 Honey Crisp Apple, 1 Gala Apple, and 1 Granny Smith Apple soaked for 2-3 weeks in 1 cup White Rum) 1/2 tbsp. Sugar 1/8 tsp. Red Star Premier Blanc 2 tsp. Pectase (aka Pectic Enzyme) Sanitize all equipment (Ken recommends a 30% bleach solution but you can use boiling water, StarSan, or One Step). Make the tincture of apple skins. Place Hydra Mel mother in your fermenter, add in the honey, cap, and shake to incorporate into solution. Uncap and add your juice and water to fill line, cap, and shake. 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) before placing in a refrigerator for a week to cold rack (cold crash) and clarify. (NOTE: If needed, you can add pectase, which is commonly called pectic enzyme, to the brew/tincture, and let it sit for a week at room temperature with an airlock.) After the cold racking is complete, you will want to 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 nineth 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 Cheri: https://youtu.be/6tfTrtzifiw) ? 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=cnFiEkS5rPM

America has a deep and rich moonshining heritage. However, thanks to the government and the churches, alcohol has received a bad reputation. How we have handled the alcohol situation has impacted generations. In this episode, Ken discusses these issues and more as Prohibition fundamentally changed America and the distillation industry as well as our own personal rights. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xodn6flCx20