Question about Nettle Beer

[Richie O]

Hey all,

I've just started to make some nettle beer using the recipe on the skills part of the site.
I was just wondering what the final product should look like, currently it resembles ginger beer in colour.
Also how long should it be left to ferment for?

Thanks
Richie

 

[match]

There are many different types of nettle beer - the main ones falling into 2 categories - the first being a 'true' beer and the second a slightly alcoholic fizzy drink like ginger beer.

If you are making the former, you will have added a lot of yeast and possibly some malt extract, and it should ferment for a week or two, then be racked and bottled and left for a few weeks to a few months.

If the latter, then you only need to ferment it for about 3-4 days, bottle it (in plastic bottles!) to let the pressure and fizz build up and drink after 3-4 days (when the pressure on the bottle can be felt. At this point it probably won't be more than 1-2%, but will be sweet and fizzy and refreshing.

 

[Matt Weir]

Right, I know what my next brewing project is

 

[Richie O]

Thanks for the clarification, it's been fermenting in a demijohn for a week now. I am looking forward to guzzling it down but i guess i'll have to be patient.
Btw Rivercottage have started selling nettle beer on their site

 

[rik_uk3]

Thanks for the clarification, it's been fermenting in a demijohn for a week now. I am looking forward to guzzling it down but i guess i'll have to be patient.
Btw Rivercottage have started selling nettle beer on their site

Just checked the Rivercottage site, £28 plus post for 8 litres of nettle beer Whats the food like on his planet? Home brew yes, but Hugh is taking the pee at those prices

 

[dave k]

I made some last year, just using nettles and no hops. it turned out a slight light green, about 6%

it was strange though - not sure I'd do it again like this, but I would perhaps mix in some hops to give it a bit more of a beer-y taste.

 

[Richie O]

Just checked the Rivercottage site, £28 plus post for 8 litres of nettle beer Whats the food like on his planet? Home brew yes, but Hugh is taking the pee at those prices

Yeah, i agree Hugh is definately milking nature for as much profit as he can atm but people idolize him and if they are willing to pay such high prices for nettle beer then more fool them.
But i do believe that it is made in conjunction with the Badger brewery and their beer ranges are fantastic and taste amazing so i would certainly buy a bottle just to see what magic they have managed with this beer.

 

[Matt Weir]

Yeah, i agree Hugh is definately milking nature for as much profit as he can atm but people idolize him and if they are willing to pay such high prices for nettle beer then more fool them.
But i do believe that it is made in conjunction with the Badger brewery and their beer ranges are fantastic and taste amazing so i would certainly buy a bottle just to see what magic they have managed with this beer.

I agree, the range of Badger ales are excellent

 

[Matt Weir]

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.

 

[Toadflax]

Tried my first batch of nettle, dandelion and burdock beer at the weekend. It looks like beer, nice deep brown colour, smells similar to beer and tastes OK - sort of sharper /sweeter taste than bitter. Certainly has alcohol in it as I was feeling the effects after only one pint at lunchtime over the weekend (I don't usually drink at lunchtimes!).

Only thing was that the first bottle hadn't primed that well (not very fizzy) so I've shaken the other ones and will leave them for another week.



Geoff