[log in to unmask]
> Why do you need lactose? Soybeans ferment to tempeh and miso, grains
ferment
to alcohol and sourdough breads, meats ferment to cured products, vegetables
ferment to sour crout, pickles, olives and such.

Lactobacillus accounts for most fermentation (not all--kefir involves many
organisms).  I've researched traditional vegetable pickling because I was
doing it for a while.  You don't put vinegar in traditionally fermented
pickles because they are preserved by lactic acid.  You have to add a certain
amount of salt to start so they don't go bad before the lactic acid can build
up.  If I'm remembering correctly, lactic acid is produced by lactobacillus.
This is the same bacteria that turns milk into yogurt.  When milk ferments,
the lactobaccillus is feeding on the lactose.  If you let it ferment for 24
hours, there will be virtually no lactose left.  But I guess it can feed on
other types of sugars because there is no lactose in cucumbers!  Sorry for
the error.  I have no idea what type of sugars are in coconut milk.