Making mead sounds almost suspiciously simple: combine honey, water, and yeast, then give fermentation enough time to do its job. In practice, having the right equipment makes your first batch far less frustrating. A good mead making kit gives you a clean fermenter, airlock, yeast, nutrients, and the transfer equipment needed to move your mead without introducing unnecessary oxygen or sediment.

Whether you’re brewing your first gallon, shopping for a gift, or upgrading from a bare-bones setup, these 10 kits cover a useful range of budgets and experience levels.

Our Top Picks

Product	Best For	Key Feature	Rating
Craft A Brew Mead Making Kit	Best overall	Complete reusable 1-gallon setup	★★★★⯪
Blue Ox Brewing Deluxe Kit	Most complete	Hydrometer and storage bottles	★★★★⯪
MUST BEE Mead Making Kit	Beginners	Simple guided brewing process	★★★★⯪
Jigger N’ Dash Mead Making Kit	Best value	Siphoning gear included	★★★★⯪
FastRack Shepherd Made Kit	Budget brewers	Simple glass-carboy setup	★★★★⯪
Craft A Brew Deluxe Kit	Easy bottling	Backsweetening and bottling tools	★★★★⯪
VineLabs Ultimate Mead Kit	Equipment upgrades	Hydrometer and auto siphon	★★★★⯪
One Gallon Deluxe Kit	Honey included	Raw honey and oak chips	★★★★⯪
Home Brew Ohio Mead Kit	Traditional setup	Straightforward brewing equipment	★★★★⯪
HiveVine Wine & Mead Kit	Multi-purpose brewing	Wine and mead equipment	★★★★☆

Top 10 Mead Making Kit Options

1. Craft A Brew Mead Making Kit

Craft A Brew is one of the easiest places to start if you have never fermented anything before. The reusable one-gallon setup combines the basic equipment with yeast, nutrients, sanitizer, and straightforward instructions rather than overwhelming beginners with specialty tools.

Current research shows the kit maintaining strong customer feedback, and its established glass-carboy design makes it particularly useful for learning the fundamentals before moving into larger batches.

Key features: 1-gallon glass carboy, airlock, stopper, racking cane, tubing, funnel, yeast, nutrients, sanitizer
Best for: First-time mead makers
Pros: Reusable equipment; clear instructions; established brand; useful racking equipment
Cons: Honey not included; no hydrometer
Why we recommend it: It covers the essentials without loading a beginner down with equipment they may not understand yet.

2. Blue Ox Brewing Deluxe Mead Making Kit

Blue Ox takes a more complete approach. Along with a one-gallon fermenter and racking equipment, the Deluxe kit includes a hydrometer setup, four flip-top storage bottles, and multiple stages of yeast nutrients.

That combination is useful because a hydrometer helps you monitor fermentation rather than relying entirely on bubbles in the airlock. The kit has also received strong customer feedback, although its review volume is considerably smaller than long-running options such as FastRack.

Key features: Hydrometer kit, four 1L bottles, fermenter, racking equipment, staged nutrients
Best for: Buyers wanting an all-in-one setup
Pros: Excellent equipment selection; bottles included; gravity testing tools
Cons: More expensive; more equipment than casual beginners may need
Why we recommend it: Few starter bundles include both fermentation monitoring and proper storage equipment.

3. MUST BEE Mead Making Kit

The standard MUST BEE kit keeps things refreshingly uncomplicated. You get a one-gallon glass carboy, yeast, nutrient, siphon, tubing, temperature strip, airlock, funnel, and instructions; you supply the honey and water.

Customer-feedback data is also stronger here than with many newer kits, making it a sensible option when you want a proven starter package rather than an oversized equipment collection.

Key features: Glass carboy, siphon, temperature strip, yeast, nutrient, airlock
Best for: Straightforward first batches
Pros: Beginner-friendly; reusable; transfer equipment included
Cons: Honey not included; no hydrometer in the standard version
Why we recommend it: It includes the equipment most beginners actually use while leaving room for future upgrades.

4. Jigger N’ Dash Mead Making Kit

Jigger N’ Dash stands out among basic kits because it includes racking equipment instead of stopping at the fermenter and airlock. Its package includes a one-gallon jar, siphoning tube, clamp, racking cane, funnel, yeast, nutrients, sanitizer, and instructions.

That makes transferring finished mead easier and reduces the number of accessories you need to order separately.

Key features: Racking cane, siphon tubing, sanitizer, yeast, nutrients, glass fermenter
Best for: Value-conscious beginners
Pros: Good accessory selection; reusable; US-based support
Cons: No hydrometer; honey purchased separately
Why we recommend it: It provides an unusually complete equipment set without immediately jumping into deluxe-kit territory.

5. FastRack Shepherd Made Mead Making Kit

FastRack’s Shepherd Made kit is one of the most established choices in this category, with thousands of customer ratings reported across current retail data. Its simplicity is both its advantage and limitation.

You get a glass fermenter, airlock, stopper, yeast, and nutrient, but accessories such as a hydrometer, sanitizer, and better racking equipment may need to be purchased separately.

Key features: 1-gallon glass jug, airlock, stopper, yeast, nutrient
Best for: Budget-conscious brewers
Pros: Simple setup; strong review history; reusable carboy
Cons: Few accessories; no hydrometer or full siphoning setup
Why we recommend it: It’s a sensible bare-bones choice if you’d rather build your brewing toolkit gradually.

6. Craft A Brew Deluxe Mead Making Kit

Already fairly certain that mead making will become more than a one-batch experiment? Craft A Brew’s Deluxe version adds equipment for the later stages of the process, including backsweetening and bottling tools.

The extra equipment costs more initially but reduces the number of individual accessories you’ll have to collect afterward.

Key features: 1-gallon brewing system, bottling accessories, backsweetening tools
Best for: Beginners planning multiple batches
Pros: More complete workflow; reusable equipment; established brand
Cons: Higher cost; unnecessary extras for one-time brewers
Why we recommend it: It makes more sense than a minimal kit when you already expect home brewing to become a regular hobby.

7. VineLabs Ultimate Honey Mead Making Kit

The VineLabs kit is aimed at brewers who want better measuring and transfer tools from day one. Current product research describes a package containing a glass carboy, hydrometer, graduated cylinder, auto siphon, bottle filler, sanitizer, nutrients, and a detailed brewing guide.

Key features: Hydrometer, graduated cylinder, auto siphon, bottle filler, sanitizer
Best for: Beginners who want room to improve
Pros: Strong equipment package; fermentation measurement tools; reusable
Cons: Bottles not included; more pieces to learn
Why we recommend it: The hydrometer and auto siphon make it particularly useful for learning proper brewing technique instead of relying on guesswork.

8. One Gallon Deluxe Mead Kit

This kit takes a different approach by supplying ingredients that many competitors leave out. Its deluxe kit includes raw Idaho honey along with fermentation equipment, oak chips, fining ingredients, and stabilization supplies.

The included honey makes it convenient for gifting because the recipient does not immediately need to shop for the most important ingredient.

Key features: Raw honey, wide-mouth fermenter, siphon, sanitizer, oak chips, finings
Best for: Gift buyers and ingredient convenience
Pros: Honey included; oak chips; broad equipment selection
Cons: Higher price; instructions may be less beginner-friendly
Why we recommend it: It removes the guesswork of sourcing honey while offering enough equipment for continued small-batch brewing.

9. Home Brew Ohio Mead Making Kit

Home Brew Ohio offers a traditional no-frills approach aimed at people who simply want the equipment, recipe, and brewing chemicals necessary for a small batch.

Current reviews of the kit consistently describe it as a straightforward one-gallon starter setup, although its customer-review volume is lower than the most established options in this guide.

Key features: 1-gallon brewing equipment, recipe, fermentation chemicals
Best for: Traditional homebrew enthusiasts
Pros: Straightforward setup; reusable; established homebrew supplier
Cons: Honey not included; fewer premium accessories
Why we recommend it: It suits buyers who prefer a conventional homebrew setup instead of elaborate gift packaging.

10. HiveVine Wine Making Kit & Mead Making Kit

HiveVine is the most versatile option here because it is built for both wine and mead rather than one drink alone. The equipment package includes a glass carboy, fermenter, hydrometer, siphon, airlock, and brewing handbook.

Its review base is still small, so it does not have the long track record of FastRack or MUST BEE. Still, the equipment selection makes sense for someone who wants to explore several forms of home fermentation.

Key features: Carboy, fermenter, hydrometer, siphon, airlock
Best for: Making both wine and mead
Pros: Versatile; measurement equipment included; reusable
Cons: Small review base; not specifically dedicated to mead
Why we recommend it: It gives curious home brewers more room to experiment beyond honey wine.

How to Choose a Mead Making Kit

For a first batch, prioritize the basics: a food-safe fermenter, tight-fitting stopper, airlock, yeast, nutrients, sanitizer, and some method of transferring your mead.

A hydrometer is especially valuable because fermentation activity isn’t reliably measured by watching the airlock alone. If you plan to continue brewing, an auto siphon, bottle filler, test cylinder, and reusable bottles become worthwhile upgrades.

Batch size matters too. One gallon is ideal for beginners because mistakes cost less honey and you can experiment with different varieties without producing dozens of bottles.

Home fermentation also fits naturally alongside other essential homesteading skills such as cooking from scratch and food preservation.

Final Thoughts

The right mead making kit should make your first batch simpler without forcing you to replace half the equipment immediately afterward. Craft A Brew offers a well-rounded starting point, while Blue Ox and VineLabs make more sense if you want a hydrometer and upgraded accessories from the beginning. FastRack is appealing for keeping costs down, and HomeBrewStuff stands apart if having honey included matters. Whichever route you choose, prioritize reusable equipment, good sanitation, proper fermentation monitoring, and enough patience to let the honey and yeast do their work.

FAQs

What should a mead making kit include?

At minimum, look for a fermenter, airlock, stopper, yeast, nutrients, sanitizer, and instructions. A siphon and hydrometer make the brewing process significantly easier.

Is making mead difficult for beginners?

Mead is relatively approachable because the basic recipe is simple, but sanitation, yeast nutrition, temperature, and fermentation monitoring still matter. A well-designed beginner kit reduces much of the guesswork.

Does a mead making kit include honey?

Usually not. Most kits expect you to supply your own honey, although some HomeBrewStuff kits include pre-measured honey.

Is a hydrometer necessary for making mead?

You can technically ferment mead without one, but a hydrometer is highly recommended. It helps measure specific gravity and determine whether fermentation has actually finished.

How much mead does a starter kit make?

Most beginner kits make approximately one gallon. Larger recipe kits and advanced brewing setups can produce three to five gallons or more, but one gallon is generally easier and less expensive for experimenting with your first recipes.