Is my wild ferment safe?

Question

I made elderberry syrup, and it too fermented. It has been refrigerated for five months, but may have spent the first few days at room temp. It is delicious, still sweet, no off flavors, super carbonated and not noticeably alcoholic.There was a bit of a mother or something on the surface. Are there any health concerns for drinking it? I'm sick now so it's hard to tell, but I drank about a half cup (no vomiting or anything).

Here's how I made it: Fresh elderberries, ginger and cinnamon simmered in water for 30 minutes, strained, and added to equal part honey. I don't know if it was raw honey.

Answer 1

Without doing some analysis I can not say 100% it is safe to drink, but I generally go with my senses. If it looks OK, smells OK and a little of it tastes OK then generally it is OK.

The mother on top may be acetobacter, but if it doesn't taste too sour, then they have probably not had time/oxygen/temperature to get going and turn everything to vinegar.

If it has got moldy though I would discard it.

I know that may not be the most helpful answer on the face of it, but our taste buds and nasal receptors are pretty good at picking our even very small levels of toxic/bitter chemicals. And, the best you can get without plating some of it up or viewing a drop under a microscope.