Nettle Beer
A fresh and tasty brew to make in the late spring
This is very simple to make, just remember to pick only the young leaves at the tip of the plant and wear gloves!
Make in April to May
Difficulty: Easy
Refreshment is not the first thing that pops to mind when you talk about stinging nettles, but get past their fearsome sting and you will be rewarded. The young leaves make a herby and very refreshing beer. The basic method is straightforward and not much harder than cooking a pan of spinach, but as with many home brewed drinks this one can be a little lively and apt to explode if you bottle it too soon. Use a demijohn or "burp" your bottles to let off the gas and you will be ok!
Ingredients
This will make 8 pints (4.5 litres) of beer. To make 2 gallons, just use double the amount of every ingredient
- 1kg of nettle tips - this is roughly a carrier bag full - or 120g dried nettle leaves
- 4.5 litres / 1 gallon of water
- 1 packet of ale yeast
- 1 lemon - the juice and zest
- 20g cream of tartar
- 750g sugar
Equipment
You will need
- A big (1 gallon/5 litre) pan
- Demijohn (or carboy) with an airlock
- Straining bag or sieve
- Large brewing tub or food container (over 1 gallon / 5 litres)
- Bottles
Remember to sterilise all your equipment before using it, including anything you use to stir the mixture. Otherwise you risk ending making a disappointing vinegar!
Method
The Nettles
First and most important - wear gloves and a long sleeved top! Nettle stings are usually not dangerous unless you have an allergy, but can be painful if you are stung
When harvesting nettles, just take the top 4-6 leaves and leave the rest of the plant intact. The bigger leaves have a bitter taste, and many of our native insects and butterflies rely on them for food, so forage responsibly and leave the rest of the plant for them to munch on. Lay your nettles out on paper after picking to let the bugs wander off
Finally pick your leaves before the nettles come in to flower. Their flowers are pale tassels, and the plant will become bitter tasting at this time
Other than all that - it is simple. Pick the tips from your nettle plants and fill a grocery carrier bag for this recipe. If you want more then scale up the other ingredients - use double the amount of every ingredient for 2kg nettles, and so on
The Brew
Wash the nettle tips and drain the water away
Add the nettles, lemon juice and lemon zest to a large pan
Pour in the water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes
Leave it to cool a little and then sieve or strain into a sterilised tub or pan. It is easier to take out the nettles with tongs before straining
Add the sugar and cream of tartar to the tub, and stir until the sugar is dissolved
Allow it to cool to room temperature
Add the yeast - read the packet for any specific instructions
Cover the tub and leave overnight to let the yeast start converting that sugar to alcohol
The Bottles
Decant the beer into a demijohn the next day, fitting the bung and airlock
Leave for 6 days until the airlock has just about stopped bubbling - this means the yeast has done its thing but just has enough left to give a little fizz to the drink
Syphon into bottles and store in a cool place
It is ready to drink now, but will keep for up to a year in the fridge
Troubleshooting
I Was Stung By Nettles
Ouch! We have all been stung by a nettle and while sore, the pain will usually fade away quickly. To help ease it, wash the area with soap and water as soon as you can, and keep the rash cool with water or ice. Antihistamine cream may help the pain, or apply the tried and tested smushed up dock leaf. Of course if you have an allergy or the rash has not reduced after 24 hours then seek medical attention
My Beer is Too Bitter
If you use the big leaves to make the brew, or harvest when it is in flower then your brew may come out too bitter. There is not a lot you can do about this unfortunately. If you store it for a long time (think a year) then the flavour may become more mellow
I am Worried About My Beer Exploding
The demijohn comes in handy with a lively brew because it lets off the fermenting gases while keeping the brew sterile with an airlock. When the airlock has just about stopped bubbling, you are ready to bottle and shouldn't get any explosions when you come to drink your nettle beer
I Don't Have a Demijohn
If you don't have a demijohn then leave the brew in the fermenting bucket for 5-7 days which should give enough time for the main rush of fermentation to die down, and then bottle it. If you aren't sure then "burp" a bottle every day for the first week to let some gas out. If it seems very fizzy then carefully burp a little gas from the other bottles. This is a bit of an art - too much burping and you end up with a flat beer
If you are still worried then go for a plastic bottle instead of glass. That way, the plastic will bulge when it's ready to burp some gas. And worst case you end up with a popped lid and beer on your ceiling and walls, instead of broken glass on top of that
I Can't Wait For Nettle Season!
If you want to brew nettle beer and can't wait until spring, then try dried nettles. Use 1/8 the amount of dried nettle leaves compared to fresh leaves, and follow the rest of the recipe as above
Questions and Answers
Does Grasping The Nettle Really Work?
Not for me. There is a popular saying that grasping the nettle hard will stop it from stinging you. The idea is to grab it firmly by the stem, making sure your fingers move in the way the hairs grow so it smooths them down rather than sticking them into your hand and stinging. This is a nice idea but in my experience nettles do not respond to domination in this fashion and just sting me the same as if I brushed them, if not more. Maybe this could be fixed with some practice but I find gloves are easier to use and more reliable.