Lactose in mead?

[Magnushate]

I have been looking around and havent seen anything like it so i figured i would ask here and see what the community says. I have been experimenting with different flavors. One of the next few i want to try was a strawberries and cream mead.

Having said that has anyone attempted to use lactose in a mead? How much did the creamy flavor and mouth feel come through? Any thoughts on how to accomplish this?

 

[JJack887]

I imagine it'd work, but I'm not sure how clear that mead would be.

 

[Chris_The_Rogue]

I think there was a thread on that. I belive they refered to it as a milk mead? Might have also been a sour/funky mead.

 

[Niklaas1212]

Found a meaderies close to my area, about an hour and a half away that makes an orange and lactose mead so pretty much a Creamsicle flavor. I haven't tried it yet cause I haven't been back there since it was released only a couple weeks ago. So it's definitely doable

 

[Niklaas1212]

Here is the pic my friend sent. It's the top one

View attachment 1453388961745.jpg

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I have sweetened a mead with lactose a couple table spoons in a gallon was all I used -- just do it to taste. Nice mouthfeel and legs in the glass.

 

[Mustang_Bobby]

It should work but can't really tell you what it will taste like. It will also be hard to ever get a lot of clarity but you probably knew that going in.

 

[theDREWery]

Lactose sugar shouldn't give you any clarity problems, plenty of milk stouts out there and none of them are hazy. Keep in mind most _____ and cream flavors are _____ and vanilla. Lactose would give that creamy texture tho, maltodextrin probably would too.

 

[Magnushate]

Thank you all for the outpouring of advice and pointers. From what you all have said i believe i am going to try to make a strawberry melomel and build on it to make a 'strawberries and cream' mead.

Debating between 12.5 - 15 lbs of honey. 10 lbs of slurried and sanitized strawberries in secondary. Extract from 20-30 vanilla beans, lactose to flavor post fermentation. I believe i will start fermentation on this next time i have some free cash. I have a citrus cyser currently bubbling awy and between the two I should have some decent if young meads this summer.

Edit: because i am a huge fan of it. I will also likely simmer the mead for 45-60 minutes to get a light carmelize it.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Lactose sugar shouldn't give you any clarity problems, plenty of milk stouts out there and none of them are hazy. Keep in mind most _____ and cream flavors are _____ and vanilla. Lactose would give that creamy texture tho, maltodextrin probably would too.

I haven't seen through a milk stout, or any stout for that matter ever in my life. So i can't tell if they're hazy or not. But you're right in the fact that there won't be any haze issues, (I've use maltodextrin in a sour mead).

And yeah like you say, Lactose is going to add some body and mouth-feel but no real perceivable flavor, and certainly not one labeled as "cream".

 

[theDREWery]

I haven't seen through a milk stout, or any stout for that matter ever in my life. So i can't tell if they're hazy or not.

Only way I've been able to check is when you have the glass tilted and first start to pour along the side of the glass, usually a deep ruby color. I usually pour one over a standing mini-maglight for each batch, just to check for any problems. Pretty much identical to how I decant cellared tannic red wines to avoid the sediment.