Nettle Beer

[durulz]

Well, Spring is here, so I'm going to have a go at making nettle beer.
But, realising that it may taste like crap, I thought I'd make a small batch of it first - I have a couple of 2L cider jars and thought I'd make 2L of it to start with.
However.
How many nettles do I need to make 2L?
The recipes I've seen always refer to the weight of nettles needed. But nettles are light and I reckon that a couple of pounds of nettles will be a huge amount - and I have no way of weighing what could be a bin bag's worth, or even greater.
So, can anyone tell me what a pound of nettles looks like volume-wise? That is, how many supermarket carrier bags-full is a pound of nettles?
Cheers.

 

[Matt Weir]

When I last made it I'm sure I used 2 full carrier bags for 2 gallons. I didn't bother measuring the strength as the recipe said it would produce beer of about 3% but I think it was a lot stronger as I decided to add honey then found out honey takes ages to ferment so left it for ages. I was battered after about 4 pints

 

[gregorach]

Well, honey would be traditional... But it makes it very difficult to know how strong the finished product will be, unless you use a hydrometer.

 

[durulz]

When I last made it I'm sure I used 2 full carrier bags for 2 gallons. I didn't bother measuring the strength as the recipe said it would produce beer of about 3% but I think it was a lot stronger as I decided to add honey then found out honey takes ages to ferment so left it for ages. I was battered after about 4 pints

Honey sounds nice.
Any chance you post the full recipe and process for making it?
Ta.

 

[Matt Weir]

Honey sounds nice.
Any chance you post the full recipe and process for making it?
Ta.

I reckon I'll have posted it here somewhere - I'll have a dig about...and here it is, as I said I also added honey but must have done so during the first 7 days. Let us know how you get on with it

Right,

I got my first batch of nettle beer on last night.

I filled my 5 gallon brewing bucket half full, pretty tightly packed with young nettle tops and boiled this in two large pans of water for 30 minutes which I strained off into my (freshly sterilised) 5 gallon brewing bucket giving me roughtly 2 gallons of generally extremely strong and brown, hot nettle tea.

To this I added approx 100 grams of brown sugar and approx 300 grams of granulated (I would have used only brown but that was all I had) and approx two teaspoons of ground ginger and gave it all a good stir to dissolve the sugar.

Whilst this was left to cool I started off my yeast culture. This time I put 3 teaspoons of regular 'quick' baking yeast in 1/2 glass of fresh orange juice and left it for approx 30 minutes to get underway. I then added this to the nettle mixture (which I helped to cool with a few ice cubes) and gave it another stir.

It is now to be left for 7 days after that I will rack it off and leave it bottled.

 

[brancho]

I made some from THIS RECIPE and it was OK but I will have go again this year with honey instead of sugar.
I had wanted to use birch sap instead of water but have not had the time to collect it.

 

[durulz]

Well, I've made some.
I've now siphoned it off into a 2L bottle to settle and do whatever it is it has to do. Here's a picture so far:

I must say, it did have an...unconventional aroma. Whilst siphoning it I did taste it and it wasn't too bad - you could tell it was alcoholic. I would expect it to mellow over the next two weeks, when the Great Tasting Ceremony takes place. Must say, I will ensure I am within striking distance of good toilet facilities when I pluck up the courage to drink it.
Been good fun to do, and a great learning experience (even if the lesson learnt was just how damn easy it is to make cheap booze).

 

[Matt Weir]

Good work. Let us know hot it develops

 

[Iona]

Hi!

I just syphoned mine off, and have half a bottle with no stopper!

the recipe says to leave it another couple of days in bottles before drinking (HFW's recipe) but I wanna try! is it going to be rank?

 

[Philr]

I made some last year, enough to fill 3x 3ltr coke bottles (as i thought they would take the pressure) Drank the 1st after 2 weeks, (im still here) the next two didnt stay around long either once the bottle was opened it soon goes flat and tastes better chilled.
Going to be doing some again this year.
PS
I wasnt too fussy how old the stingers were as i was using what i have grown in my wild patch of garden.

 

[durulz]

OK, finally tried it a couple of days ago.
It was OK. Didn't have much of a taste, to be honest. It did have an odd aftertaste (jury is still out whether it was a good or bad aftertaste. Just unusual).
Wasn't too keen on the smell though.
Not something that I would drink a lot of.
Mind you, it has inspired me to try other hedgerow brewing. But probably not nettle beer. Not until I've had time to forget what it was like, or sure I can make it better next time.

 

[badgeringtim]

i started my nettle beer over a week ago and its still bubbling away - i followed (kinda) the stonehead method. which suggests ater 3 days the beer should be bottled.
I just wanted to point out that if there is stil a lot of fermentation it will break most bottles. i dont know the specific gravity but i will measure mine and hopefully compare, if anyone else has measurements or with 'normal' bottling practices. I did actually bottle a couple of litres last night and had to open them again this morning (ina very tentative protracted fasion) as the bottles were like drum skins. Then i had to have a bath on account of getting all sticky...
At the moment it does have a very.. home brew aftertaste.

But i wanted to ask would it be ok for another week when i go on holiday, i dont want to waste it (3 carrier bags of nettles is quite stingy) but dont want to redecorate the flat either... any ideas?

 

[Hunter_zero]

3 days the beer should be bottled.
I just wanted to point out that if there is stil a lot of fermentation it will break most bottles.

Just a word of warning!
A month or so back I decided to switch from my normal Ginger beer bottles (plastic) to Grolsch beer bottles. One exploded all over my kitchen during the night. I joke not, the place was full from top to bottom with shards of glass, I still find the odd bit even now. One chunk was embedded in a solid pine cabinet. A fresh loaf of bread was next to the bottle, it's looked as if it had been sliced by Freddy!

I have Parsnip wine on the go at the moment but all my ginger beer will be done in plastic bottle from now on.

John

 

[badgeringtim]

yip although plastic is a bit safer i have seen a 2 litre bottle make a hole in the celing. it actually went right through the plaster board - rocket style!
Hmm this sounds like im particularly bad at brewing now dont it...? it was elderflower 'champayne' and supposed to be very fizzy.

oh ang john dont know what ginger wine recipy you use but i made a couple of batches last year! beutiful stuff!