I have about 3Kg raspberries—got them cheap as end of season fruit—and will make a mead with them.

Have one bucket of honey but will need to get more.

Will start the mead off with just honey, water and yeast in my plastic fermenter then add the fruit to the 25l glass demijohn I will rack the mead to after maybe 5 days fermenting.

I need to get some pectic enzyme to ensure the fruit breaks down. Better get some silicone bungs and winemakers airlocks too. One advantage to this location—no mosquitoes! In Adelaide I often had 2-3 dead mosquitoes in my airlocks—at the end of ferment low night time temperatures might result in a dead mozzie ending up in my beer!

Need bungs drilled to take an airlock and some solid bungs to close a container of brew completely. Never can tell when a ferment is REALLY over—first time I made a mead I came into the brewery—demijohn was open and the bug a metre away! I learned to cover the solid bung with several layers of clingwrap secured with strong rubber bands around the neck of the demijohn.

After a month—in any case until after the ferment really slows down I will rack the mead to a 20L demijohn and let it stand over winter—the cold should really clear the mead, dropping the yeast and bits of fruit, seeds resulting in a nice bright melomel.

Next year—hope to do this with my own fruit. And with blueberries, black and red currants etc. Cherries too but that might take another year.