I know of a fellow who makes a wonderful mead flavored with toasted oak chips that he gets from a brewing supply shop. There is a lot of discussion that could be had about yeasts. Many people like particular wine yeasts, or champagne yeast. Some people like brewer's yeast. Personally I appall most other brewers because of the yeast I use.
Bread yeast starts easily and brews reasonably quickly.
It may not have as high an alcohol tolerance as some yeasts, but it does plenty well enough for me. A fermentation lock is a device that allows the gas to escape but doesn't allow fresh air into the fermentation container. This is very important because fermentation is an anaerobic reaction which produces alcohol and biologically is referred to as anaerobic respiration. The second possible pathway for the respiration is aerobic respiration, which requires oxygen, and this breaks the alcohol down and also can make acetic acid, which is the stuff that makes vinegar sour. Fermentation locks are cheap and available from any brewing supply shop.