If you have been part of the mead-drinking universe for quite some time now, you may have already boasted that you could make better mead than the last batch you had. Now that you’re sobering up, you’re probably not as hyped-up to out-brew your drinking buddies and are looking for an easy way out.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices
Well, you’re on the right track because the best mead making kits can help you whip up a delicious batch in the comfort of your home. Be it syrupy Acerglyns or spicy Hippocras or fruity Omphacomels, these miraculous kits can help you a great deal by making mead according to your requirements and palates. What’s more, most of these kits also grant their users versatility in that they can alter whatever they want.
The 5 Best Mead Making Kits
To make things easier for you, we have handpicked some of the best mead making kits in the industry and have reviewed them so you can match them with your preferences. If this is your first time around, you can also refer to our buyer’s guide to make a more informed purchase decision.
1. Shepherd Made Mead Making Kit (Mead-Kit)
The Shepherd Made Mead Making Kit (Mead-Kit) is the perfect introductory kit for people who are curious about making mead at home but don’t really have a budget for a complete home brewing setup.
The only additional thing you could need with this beginner kit is Ken Schramm’s ‘The Compleat Meadmaker’ and you’re ready for your own home experiments. What’s more, this whole kit will cost you less than the average cost of a dinner outing.
Pros
- Plastic 2 gallon fermenters included with driller lids
- A glass gallon jug included as the secondary fermenter
- Also includesa 3-piece airlock
- Extra nylon bag and drawstring included
- A 5 feet and a mini ⅜ siphon hose included
- Affordable
Cons
- May not be the best kit for experienced mead makers
2. Master Vintner Fresh Harvest One Gallon Small Batch Fruit Wine Making Kit
The Master Vintner Fresh Harvest One Gallon Small Batch Fruit Wine Making Kit should be your second consideration when you have enough experience brewing your own beverages. Since you’re looking for an opportunity to mark-up your brewing experience, this kit includes additional equipment such as corkers and a hydrometer.
If you must dive deeper into your favorite craft, then weigh this particular kit against other advanced levels kits in this post and others in the market.
Pros
- Master Vintner offers great customer support via a toll-free number
- A complete mead making guide included
- Additional sanitizers and cleaners included to keep your workstation spotless
- Very reliable and the results and very easy to predict
- A triple scale hydrometer is included
- Affordable
Cons
- Definitely too complex for beginners
3. Master Vintner Wine Making Equipment Starter Kit
In third place, Master Vintner with yet another great offering for mead enthusiasts. However, the Master Vintner Wine Making Equipment Starter Kit, as the name suggests, is for beginners but, technically speaking, has enough equipment to promote you to expert level in no time.
For instance, when we were reviewing this product, we came across the Big Mouth Bubbler. This particular piece of equipment allows users to clean their primary fermenters within a matter of seconds.
Pros
- A great place to start for beginner mead makers
- Has enough equipment to accompany newbies as they become experts
- The additional Big Mouth Bubbler can hold 6.5 gallons during fermentation
- The Big Mouth Bubbler is super easy to clean
- Includes expert equipment such as triple scale hydrometers
- Affordable
Cons
- A little more complex as opposed to the typical beginner mead making kits on the market
4. Mighty Mead Kit – The Everything You Need Honey Mead Kit
In 4th place, the Mighty Mead Kit – The Everything You Need Honey Mead Kit has made small adjustments to the entire mead making process as it consists of cappers for mead bottles as opposed to corkers for larger wine bottles. The major advantage of this kit is that the smaller bottles can be easily opened and judged on the basis of how well your mead has aged over time.
Pros
- The kit consists of a ‘How to Make Mead’ instruction manual
- Consists of expert equipment such as triple scale hydrometers and Fermentech Auto Siphons
- Easy to judge mead with respect to how much it has aged
- If your prefer smaller beverage bottles than this kit is the way to go
- Consists of both liquid crystal and lab thermometers
- Can whip up 6.5 gallons of mead in one go
Cons
- A little pricier than the other best mead making kits on this list
5. Brewer’s Best Deluxe 1002 Beer Home Equipment Kit
Finally, the Brewer’s Best Deluxe 1002 Beer Home Equipment Kit can be doubled up as a mead and beer making kit. In either case, you can easily follow the instruction manual provided for the fermentation process. Additionally, the instruction manual also consists of recipe guides such as how to create cherry mead.
Pros
- A great kit for people who prefer to whip up both beer and mead
- Consists of drilled rubber stopper and a 6.5 gallon spigot, bottling bucket and primary fermenter
- A very durable shut-off clamp and twin lever capper
- Perfect for both beginner and experienced mead makers
- The included bottle brush makes it easy for users to clean the primary fermenter
- Affordable
Cons
- Might be a little confusing for people who have never brewed beer at home
What to Look for When Picking the Best Mead Making Kits
Your Expectations
Your first consideration before buying the best mead making kit in the market is to determine what kind of final product you are planning on producing. For instance, even if you don’t wish to produce fruity mead, you should think about the texture, palate, roundedness, richness and style you’re aiming for.
One easy way of doing so is by giving some thought to the type of mead you usually enjoy. However, do consider that the best way of getting your preference right is to start small and simple. You shouldn’t go overboard on your first try and waste your money on products that are too complicated for beginners.
Type of Mead Making Kit
Before choosing the one product, try to research more on the different types of mead making kits available on the market. The most widely used mead making kits typically consist of pure grape juice, unfiltered and concentrated grape juice and partially concentrated grape juice.
Without getting into all the technical details, the latter type will require you to add water so you can make approximately 5 or 6 gallons of mead. This, in turn, can be used to fill up anywhere between 19 to 23 liter bottles.
That being said, each of the kits listed in our review, apart from the juice, will include tannins, acids, yeasts and some other extra nutrients. The mead containers, corks and other equipment are usually provided but you should always check to make sure.
Your Taste Requirements
All of the best mead making kits listed above differ in style, taste and amount of time required to make the beverage. For this reason, you should ask yourself what kind of mead you are looking forward to. Are you looking for the full-bodied and rich textures or do you fancy the dark reds?
Whatever pleases your palate, do make sure that whatever you pick always takes your taste buds into consideration. After all, the gallons of mead you’ll be producing should bode well with your own preferences.
Our Final Thoughts
While this post is supposed to make your job easier, we know that even if you’re equipped with mead making kits, the process could go horribly wrong. For this reason, the best mead making kits are designed to act as a fail safe for beginners and you wouldn’t have to rack your brain to come up with a fine selection as per your preferences.
