Using citrus-lacto-fermented honey in a mead base?

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Jwodie

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 21, 2026
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I have been lacto fermenting honey with lemon and lime slices for a few batches now and love it (beyond the cough/cold remedy benefits) so I wanted to use it to make mead. I did a little test and a 1 to 1 ratio of the fermented honey and water hits in the recommended hydrometer level to start a mead when mixing traditional honey and water.
I don't want a full sour mead, so I had considered using part lacto-honey and part orange blossom (adding in a third citrus so to speak).

1. Has anyone actually done this using (even part of the honey being lacto fermented not necessary all) lacto fermented honey..

2. Do I HAVE to heat up the lacto fermented honey enough to kill of the bacteria... (I plan to use Lalvin EC-1118 yeast which is supposed to be seriously robust) Or will the yeast if fed properly (and probably given a bit extra yeast) be able to do its thing.

3. Is my logic sound if I am using lacto fermented honey to still (with added raw honey or without) just aim for the recommended hydrometer starting point ?
If so I have less math to do if I mix half of a gallon of 1-1 lacto-honey and water and half a gallon of traditional water and raw honey (3 to 1 or 4 to 1).

I think that's all the major bullet points I aim to clarify.