Strawberry Pizzazz Help

Please help started my first batch of mead today after many years of beer. Since i had all the equipment from brewing didn't need to buy anything and therefore didn't think everything through.

Here is my problem and recipe

18lbs of fresh strawberries
18lbs of honey (wildflower)
Water
campden
Yeast nutrient and energizer
Lalvin 71B

I prepped berries (including 3 days deep freeze). heated some of the water and dissolved honey. Added must and strawberries to primary and here is where my problem comes in. I didnt have enough room for the rest of my water to get to 5 gals. Can I add more water after I remove the berries or is that just going to leave a watered down mead. I figure since all of the honey is already in there the alcohol content will easily reach 14% allowing me to adjust flavors later with out too much risk of restarting fermentation. Planning on pitching yeast tomorrow.

I don't understand. You didn't have enough room for 5-gallons?

Or your honey, berries, and some water filled up to 5-gallons using less water than you planned for?

Correct between all the berries and the honey I was only able to get about 3.5 gals of water into primary. I figure when I pull out the berries I will only have about that much mead and I was hoping for a full 5 gals.

To sum up all the ingredients are in the primary except the last 1.5 gals of water.

Yes, when you rack to a carboy to age/clear, you'll want to top off with water....

Perfect. Thanks for the help.

I've got a batch of this I need to keg tomorrow!

Been staring at meads for a while. Looking to combining the two and get a good Braggot but had to brew this first to learn. Looked very very good plus the wife gripes about my brewing (mainly because I don't brew anything she likes) so hopefully this will quiet her down. If this turns out good I am planning on a peach when they come into season. I live 1/2 mile from a pick your own strawberry/ peach farm so those two recipes could be regulars in the rotation

Another quick question for you.

I have read in the forums to not put top on primary, to use cheese cloth to cover, because the fermentation will be vigorous and a standard airlock wont handle it. Would you put the top on and run a hose into water bucket or the cheese cloth method. I worry about losing my alcohol to evaporation.

I fermented mine in a bucket in the bath tub covered with a lint free cotton towel.

Are you using a carboy/better bottle for a primary, or a bucket?

Using a bucket In the bathtub. I guess cheese cloth could let in undesirables.

You want that CO2 to be able to get out during the active fermentation....a towel works pretty good to keep out stuff, yet easy to remove to punch the cap and stir...

I do my open fermentations by putting an empty airlock in the lid and just letting the lid rest loosely on the bucket. Every day for the first 7 days of fermentation I stir with a degassing whip for 2 minutes using a drill to drive off CO2. It really helps the fermentation.