Hi Layne and All,
    The word vinegar means "sour wine". Aceter bacteria convert alcohol to
acid.
You can make mead without a lot of expensive equipment, a gallon jug and a
one dollar fermentation lock with cork is all that You really need. It will
be much simpler and more predictable to ferment the honey before adding
vinegar "mother".
Good luck,
Garry Libby
Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA
41.56 N    71.17 W
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The better tasting the wine is the better the vinegar will be.