Keto diet and mead

[NeverDie]

I just started the Keto diet, and, unfortunately, sugar, honey, and ethanol are all on the forbidden list. Obviously, this has implications for mead.

On the one hand, this will make aging my mead a lot easier. On the other, I guess I won't be able to enjoy it until I'm back to my target weight. I suppose that's a carrot on the end of a very long stick.

I'm just at the very beginning of the Keto diet, so I haven't completely figured it out. With respect to mead, if anyone here has been able to square this circle, I'd love to hear exactly how.

[Edit: Sorry. I posted this in the wrong forum. ]

 

[RPh_Guy]

Ferment bone dry. No carbs.
Ethanol is not forbidden from what I've heard.

 

[Blacksmith1]

It's a version of the paleo diet. Since we have been using fermented stuff since that era my vote goes with RPh Guy.

 

[verboten]

I drink on keto, but I definitely don’t lose as I should.
My diet is “keto +” (with the plus being beer)
Over the last 8 months I’ve dropped 3” off my belt and can wear some XL shirts instead of XXL. It works for me, but probably won’t work for most.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Beer normally has lots of carbs, unlike a dry wine.

You can use glucoamylase in the fermenter to dry out the beer considerably (reducing the amount of carbs). And if you drop the OG to maintain the alcohol content, this also significantly reduces calories.

Cheers

 

[SKBugs]

I suspect (know) that what you eat whilst drinking also plays a big part in the weightloss battle. Beer and nuts go so well together. A lot of nuts.
I have found there's more calories in the extra food than there is in the actual drinks.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Beer normally has lots of carbs, unlike a dry wine.

You can use glucoamylase in the fermenter to dry out the beer considerably (reducing the amount of carbs). And if you drop the OG to maintain the alcohol content, this also significantly reduces calories.

Cheers

Sounds like "light" beer. Is that what they do?

 

[NeverDie]

I haven't yet tried it yet, but it appears that erythritol would be the best choice for backsweetening mead in relation to Keto. That's because compared to other sugar alcohols it allegedly has by far the least impact on both the glycemic and the insulin index (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/net-carbs#section3)

 

[bob1852]

I wouldn't worry about it...

Like most people who do keto, you'll quit after a couple of weeks.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

I'd settle into the diet and being in actual ketosis for a bit before I go changing my mead protocol. It is not fun and I don't know many people that have been in actual ketosis for more than 30-45 days, most just settle into the principles of keto at that point which would allow wiggle room for some beer or mead in moderation.

 

[NeverDie]

I wouldn't worry about it...

Like most people who do keto, you'll quit after a couple of weeks.

LOL. I'm not going to bet against myself, so I hope you're wrong.

 

[MaxStout]

Just do like everyone else. Cheat on your diet but lie to your friends.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

I'm not betting against you at all I hope it gives you the results you are looking for, just find someone who has been in ketosis for an extended period of time and ask them how it is etc.. Sure the weight can fall right off some people, but most people who are used to the standard western diet find it somewhat miserable. Of course I have no idea about your history if you have done elimination type diets before etc.

I just wouldn't go changing all my mead to some "keto" sweetener, find out along your keto journey that you can be healthy and not in ketosis, and now you have gallons of mead with some weird sweetener in it.

 

[NeverDie]

I'd settle into the diet and being in actual ketosis for a bit before I go changing my mead protocol. It is not fun and I don't know many people that have been in actual ketosis for more than 30-45 days, most just settle into the principles of keto at that point which would allow wiggle room for some beer or mead in moderation.

Yeah, apparently it takes a while to even enter into ketosis. I'm still peeing clear, not purple, if you know what I mean, and I've already been at it for a few days now.

I suppose keto sticks might tell objectively, after the fact, whether drinking even dry mead has an effect on ketosis.

 

[NeverDie]

I'm not betting against you at all I hope it gives you the results you are looking for, just find someone who has been in ketosis for an extended period of time and ask them how it is etc.. Sure the weight can fall right off some people, but most people who are used to the standard western diet find it somewhat miserable. Of course I have no idea about your history if you have done elimination type diets before etc.

I just wouldn't go changing all my mead to some "keto" sweetener, find out along your keto journey that you can be healthy and not in ketosis, and now you have gallons of mead with some weird sweetener in it.

Maybe I've been doing it wrong, but I've been doing all my mead aging prior to backsweetening. I figure backsweetening is the last step before bottling/drinking.

By the way, what's the "proper" way to backsweeten? Before, or after aging? Is there any consensus on that?

Since I've been doing it after, I can just pour some dry traditional mead into a beaker and backsweeten it with erythritol (which I'll probably try today) without tainting the entire batch.

 

[bob1852]

I backsweetening after fermentation is done, the mead has initially cleared, and I add my k-meta and sorbate.

It takes some time for everything to meld together, and then I have time to ponder further adjustments (oak, acid, fining agents, etc.).

 

[NeverDie]

OK, looking into it more deeply, I'm going to assume that Eric Berg is right



when he says that ethanol is burned preferentially to fat, but that it doesn't spike insulin. I take that to mean that small tastes of dry mead will amount to only negligible setbacks. This is more or less consistent with what rph_guy said above.

 

[NeverDie]

Reporting back: I tried backsweetening a dry traditional mead with erythritol, and I guess not surprisingly, it's just nowhere near as good tasting as backsweetening with honey.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Sounds like "light" beer. Is that what they do?

Yeah, I think so.

 

[Bovronius]

I just started the Keto diet, and, unfortunately, sugar, honey, and ethanol are all on the forbidden list. Obviously, this has implications for mead.

On the one hand, this will make aging my mead a lot easier. On the other, I guess I won't be able to enjoy it until I'm back to my target weight. I suppose that's a carrot on the end of a very long stick.

I'm just at the very beginning of the Keto diet, so I haven't completely figured it out. With respect to mead, if anyone here has been able to square this circle, I'd love to hear exactly how.

[Edit: Sorry. I posted this in the wrong forum. ]

Drinking on Keto will slow it down, because the time your liver would be spent burning fat it will burn alcohol instead, but alcohol carbs can't be stored or converted to fat, and your body is still going to burn fat it needs to live. As others have stated, let the sugars get eaten up and you'll be fine as long as you're not like binge drinking where your liver is constantly burning alcohol.

If you rip too many things out of your life while trying to reach your weight goals it makes it pretty difficult to stick to the diet, so relax, brew and have a few!

Source: Lost 70lbs on keto and still drank my fair share during the process.

 

[NeverDie]

Drinking on Keto will slow it down, because the time your liver would be spent burning fat it will burn alcohol instead, but alcohol carbs can't be stored or converted to fat, and your body is still going to burn fat it needs to live. As others have stated, let the sugars get eaten up and you'll be fine as long as you're not like binge drinking where your liver is constantly burning alcohol.

If you rip too many things out of your life while trying to reach your weight goals it makes it pretty difficult to stick to the diet, so relax, brew and have a few!

Source: Lost 70lbs on keto and still drank my fair share during the process.

Thanks! And congrats on the 70lbs you lost. I'd like to do the same. How long did it take you?

I ordered a ketone blood tester (should arrive tomorrow), so I'll be able to accurately measure the degree to which I'm in ketosis or not. I figure measuring it before and after a shot glass of mead will tell the tale.

According to the keto sticks, I've already made it into ketosis. Yipee! It's quite a fascinating state of mind: sugar/honey/mead cravings completely disappear.

 

[Bovronius]

Thanks! And congrats on the 70lbs you lost. I'd like to do the same. How long did it take you?

I ordered a ketone blood tester (should arrive tomorrow), so I'll be able to accurately measure the degree to which I'm in ketosis or not. I figure measuring it before and after a shot glass of mead will tell the tale.

According to the keto sticks, I've already made it into ketosis. Yipee! It's quite a fascinating state of mind: sugar/honey/mead cravings completely disappear.

Took maybe 5 months. I didn't bother with keto strips or any of that, I just was anal about what I ate, and once I got going, fasting was super easy too.. As long as you have body fat for your body to burn, you're just never truly hungry.

Keto strips can be super misleading from what I've read as well, so don't take them as gospel. Depending on your hydration levels you can be in ketosis and the strips will be like "Nah man, no ketones here!", also a byproduct of us processing alcohol is acetone, one of the ketones that the strips detect. Funny enough acetone is what police breathalyzers detect, so you can be in deep enough ketosis to fail a breathalyzer test!

 

[Mike@M]

I’ve done keto off and on for a couple of years. Used keto to lose the weight I wanted to lose and went to the Mediterranean for maintenance. I’ll go back on keto for a few months if I creep up to much.
I drank beer on keto, usually on Saturday I’d drink as much as I wanted. I wouldn’t eat anything I wasn’t supposed to though. I’d usually drop a pound or two by Monday morning.

 

[NeverDie]

Presently, my blood ketone level is 2.5mmol/L, which is bang-on optimal. I find that I like being in Ketosis, and I'm hoping that once I reach my target weight I can somehow find a way to remain in Ketosis while maintaining. Not sure as to whether that's possible or not?

 

[loveofrose]

Spend a few weeks establishing ketosis with 16 hour fasting and bulletproof coffee, then schedule a refuel day (Saturday for example) where you enjoy a beverage or ten. White kidney beans extract when you do eat carbs/drink mead and daily weight lifting. That has been my success. YMMV.

 

[Bovronius]

Presently, my blood ketone level is 2.5mmol/L, which is bang-on optimal. I find that I like being in Ketosis, and I'm hoping that once I reach my target weight I can somehow find a way to remain in Ketosis while maintaining. Not sure as to whether that's possible or not?

Keto as a life style works just fine. Have a friend who wasn't even doing it to lose weight and he's stuck with it for ~5 years now. Granted he doesn't drink or seemingly do anything remotely hedonistic anymore.

Once you hit your target weight you just up your calorie count, get some more fats and proteins in there so your body isn't eating up your own anymore.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I'm on the pizza and beer diet. It works great.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Sounds like "light" beer. Is that what they do?

it's the same process chemically, but a good 'dried out' craft beer is not at all similar to a macro lager in terms of taste
I've got several low-carb Goses and an award-winning Double IPA, both under 1.000 gravity. Experimenting with stout next to see what I can do with it, as well as working on a good 'craft' light pilsner.

Also see: https://old.reddit.com/r/Keto_Brewing/

 

[NeverDie]

I'm on the pizza and beer diet. It works great.

Two words: Fathead Pizza.

 

[motherofgallons]

it's the same process chemically, but a good 'dried out' craft beer is not at all similar to a macro lager in terms of taste
I've got several low-carb Goses and an award-winning Double IPA, both under 1.000 gravity. Experimenting with stout next to see what I can do with it, as well as working on a good 'craft' light pilsner.

Also see: https://old.reddit.com/r/Keto_Brewing/

I have been keto/LCHF for about 2 years and it works great for me, but it is a permanent lifestyle change that I have made. I'm very interested in these recipes of yours! Have you posted them? I love beer but have cut it completely in lieu of dry wines (I love being 10kg lighter even more than beer). It's pretty much impossible to find low carb beer here so if I want to try it I'll have to brew my own.

 

[andrewmaixner]

I have been keto/LCHF for about 2 years and it works great for me, but it is a permanent lifestyle change that I have made. I'm very interested in these recipes of yours! Have you posted them? I love beer but have cut it completely in lieu of dry wines (I love being 10kg lighter even more than beer). It's pretty much impossible to find low carb beer here so if I want to try it I'll have to brew my own.

Yes. Follow that link to reddit and I've posted several things. Here's my post history: https://old.reddit.com/user/andrewmaixner/comments/
Also note the link to a spreadsheet calculator I made to estimate carbs with reasonable accuracy.

I'm exactly 3 months in, and down about 22 lbs fat, up 2.5 lbs muscle - eating 7% carb and 35% protein.

 

[HighD]

Beer normally has lots of carbs, unlike a dry wine.

You can use glucoamylase in the fermenter to dry out the beer considerably (reducing the amount of carbs). And if you drop the OG to maintain the alcohol content, this also significantly reduces calories.

Cheers

I am a newbie and need more info. I currently make dry wine. I am going to start making beer. I am good with dry and higher alcohol. Hate hops. Like fruit flavor and not crazy about grains but might be OK with chocolate malt, not sure. What can I make? or where can I find a recipe? I have always hated pee water no taste beers and I don't like bitter. Thanks in advance.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I am a newbie and need more info. I currently make dry wine. I am going to start making beer. I am good with dry and higher alcohol. Hate hops. Like fruit flavor and not crazy about grains but might be OK with chocolate malt, not sure. What can I make? or where can I find a recipe? I have always hated pee water no taste beers and I don't like bitter. Thanks in advance.

Maybe you want to focus on yeast flavors? English and Belgian styles (including sours) might be up your alley. IMO brewing is a lot different and a lot more complex than making wine. There's definitely going to be a learning curve.

 

[bracconiere]

I am going to start making beer. I am good with dry and higher alcohol. Hate hops. Like fruit flavor and not crazy about grains but might be OK with chocolate malt, not sure. What can I make?

you can make bracc's special dark! i oxidize my beer so much, no worries of a bit of hop flavor, except to keep it from being sour. i add gluco and it's dry as a bone. all you'll get is a subtle carmely note...if you're interested i'll describe the proccess!


edit: imagine brown sugar, but alcohol instead of sugar?

 

[HighD]

Love the idea! Please, go on!

 

[HighD]

Maybe you want to focus on yeast flavors? English and Belgian styles (including sours) might be up your alley. IMO brewing is a lot different and a lot more complex than making wine. There's definitely going to be a learning curve.

I am beginning to realize the learning curve. I do have a mentor even though I hate his hoppy beer. It has a glorious tan head and is darker than espresso. The bitterness seems to be an aftertaste. I like it until that kicks in. I am glad you mentioned sours. These all look good to me.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-fruit-beers-4061376