Craft A Brew - Mead Making Kit - Reusable Make Your Own Mead Kit - Yields 1 Gallon Review (2026)

Who this kit is built for

This kit suits a beginner who wants a documented, step-by-step path to a first batch of mead rather than assembling equipment and figuring out the process independently. The reusable equipment model means the initial purchase covers the carboy, airlock and racking gear for good, so repeat batches only require a refill kit or a new recipe rather than buying full equipment again. A 1 gallon yield keeps the batch size manageable on a counter or in a closet, useful for someone testing whether mead making is a hobby worth continuing before scaling up. Brewers who already own basic fermentation equipment, or who want to experiment beyond the guided recipe format, may find less value in paying for a branded kit built around a specific process.

What is in the kit and what you add

According to the manufacturer, the kit includes a 1 gallon glass carboy, airlock, rubber stopper, racking cane and tip, transfer tubing and tip, funnel, yeast, yeast nutrients, sanitizer and a mead making guide. That covers fermentation, transferring and sanitizing in one purchase, which is more complete on the ingredient side than kits that supply only equipment. What you still need to provide is 40 ounces of honey, since the kit is sold with an option to include honey or without it depending on the listing chosen, so check which version you are ordering. The equipment, carboy, airlock, racking cane and tubing, is designed to be reused for future batches once you pick up a refill kit or a different recipe from the same maker.

Brewing with this kit and what to expect

The process starts with dissolving your 40 ounces of honey into water in the glass carboy, pitching the included yeast and nutrients, then sealing with the airlock to let fermentation proceed while keeping contaminants out. According to the manufacturer, this specific kit is designed to produce 1 gallon of semi dry honey wine, at roughly 11 to 12 percent alcohol by volume, in about 30 days from start to finish, which is a notably documented and relatively quick timeline for mead compared with the months some other recipes call for. The included racking cane and tubing are used partway through to transfer the mead off sediment, improving clarity before the finished wine is ready. Because the equipment is reusable, once this batch is fermenting or bottled you can start a second batch with a refill kit without buying new gear.

How it compares to other mead kits

In the site's mead making kits guide, this kit ranks third of seven at 8.1, behind two kits tied at 8.6 that both center on a similar 1 gallon glass carboy with hydrometer and auto siphon, one of which adds bottles. Those higher-ranked kits emphasize equipment completeness, including a hydrometer for tracking gravity, which this Craft A Brew kit's manufacturer materials do not mention as included. Where this kit stands out is its documented, branded recipe process and reusability angle, positioning it as a system for repeat brewing rather than a single-use equipment bundle. Against the Must Bee Company kit at 7.8, which bundles yeast, nutrients and spices for a flavored mead, this kit sticks to a more standard semi dry honey wine recipe.

Verdict and who should look elsewhere

Choose this kit if you want a documented, beginner-friendly path to a first batch of mead with reusable equipment you can build on for future batches using refill kits. It is a solid, if not top-ranked, choice in this guide, earning its score from a clear process and reasonable equipment list rather than raw feature count. If tracking fermentation progress with a hydrometer matters to you, the two higher-ranked kits in this guide include one and may be a better fit. Buyers who want yeast, nutrients and flavoring spices bundled together for a flavored mead rather than a standard honey wine should look at the Must Bee Company kit instead.

Frequently asked questions