Step 1

First and foremost, sanitize everything that will come in contact with the mead.

Step 2

Put approximately 1/2 gallon of filtered water into a large stainless steel pot and heat until warm, but not boiling.

Step 3

Turn off the heat, add the honey, and stir to dissolve. You can put some hot water back into the empty honey container and shake a bit to get all of the honey out.

Step 4

Use a funnel to pour the honey water mixture into the glass jug (it will not fill it completely).

Step 5

Add the strawberries and raisins.

Step 6

Fill the jug with cold filtered water, leaving about 3 inches of space at the top.

Step 7

Cap the jug with its lid and invert once or twice to mix everything together.

Step 8

Check the temperature of the liquid; if it is 90°F or less it's ok to add the yeast. If it's higher, wait a bit until it cools.

Step 9

Add the yeast. One yeast package will ferment up to five gallons of liquid, so you don't need to use it all. I usually use about half of one package when making a gallon.

Step 10

Cap the jug again, and shake it vigorously for a minute or two. This helps to combine and aerate the yeast.

Step 11

Attach the airlock to the rubber stopper, fill it with water to the line, and put it into the top of your jug.

Step 12

The mead should start bubbling within a few hours and the top will get really foamy. Sometimes it foams too much and comes up out of the airlock, but that's ok. Just rinse the airlock and put it back on the jar. It will subside by the next morning. You will see millions of tiny bubbles coming up through the liquid - that's the yeast just doing it's thing.

Step 13

Put the jug in a cool and dark corner and wait. It will take about 6-8 weeks to fully ferment, depending on the outside temperature. It will ferment faster when it's warmer, slower when it's cooler. Check it every few days to make sure it is still bubbling. Once it completely stops bubbling, it is ready to be bottled. The mead is ready to drink right away, but will benefit from some amount of aging, as it can be a bit harsh at first.