Non-alchoholic meade recipe?

[rosewater]

Does anyone have one? A lacto-fermented raw honey drink? Is this possible? DH and I don't drink alcohol, but I would really like a non-alcoholic meade. Any ideas?

[Maiasaura]

i have no idea but i'm subbing for when you find out (notice i said "when", not "if"! ).

at PSG in 2001, there was a guy there who sold non-alk mead (for the same $15/bottle as the regular kind!). it was SOOOOO good! but he hasn't been back since. i have scouted around since, for people who make this stuff, and no luck. all i get is recipes for making my own, and usually it sounds, basically, like juice :

the guy's biz was called meadful things, and i think his website is still up, but he doesn't have that for sale on there

i hope we find something!

pamela

[Maiasaura]

here's his website; i found it!

http://www.meadfulthings.com/contact.htm

pamela

[Taedareth]

Ummmmm could you put some honey in a jar with water and whey and see what happens?

[rosewater]

Yes, I could try just playing with it.....thanks for the reminder!

And I emailed him at meadful things, just waiting for a response!

[saratc]

I've experimented a lot with lacto-fermented drinks and what I've noticed about making lacto-fermented drinks is that when the liquid is high in sugar concentration, whether it's sucrose or fructose, or another type of sugar, the drink turns out alcoholic. If you want a non/minimally alcoholic raw honey drink, I would start with a honey water mix that give you a lightly sweetened drink. For a basic water kefir, the proportion is about 4 to 5 tbsp of sucanat/rapadura/sugar to 1 quart of water, so I would go no more than that to start. Mix about 4 tbsp honey with 1 quart water, add a tbsp or two of whey, and let sit for a couple of days before tasting. You want to hit that perfect spot where most of the sweetness is gone but before it gets too sour. If you let it ferment too long, the acids change and you will get vinegar or alcohol.