In line with my NEW "Frogle" life I am planning, I am going to stop buying River cottage stinging nettle beer that is so yummy and try my own instead.. I thought I would share this as if your anything like me and drink alot, so the thought of waiting not even two weeks for it to be ready sounds ace too me and what a better way to get rid of the nettles all around my stable yard...
I will let you know how it goes..
Nettle Beer Ingredients
1 gallon of young nettles (8 x 1 pint jugs of nettles)
2 lbs malt
1/4 oz root ginger
1 gallon water
12 oz of sugar
1 oz dried hops
1 lemon
1 tbsp of yeast, activated
Nettle Beer Recipe
Start by gathering the stinging nettles and put them in a saucepan (nettle leafs and stalks) along with the gallon of water, quater ounce of root ginger, 2 pounds of malt and 1 ounce of dried hops. Boil these ingredients together for around 15 minutes.
Next, strain the liquid into a bucket or polythene vessel. Add the 12 ounces of sugar, and then the juice of a lemon. Stir all of these until the sugar has dissolved into the mixture. Wait until the liquid is around 30 degrees C and then add the tablespoon of activated yeast.
Cover the mixture and leave it in a warm place for about 3 days to allow it to ferment. Remove any of the froth that rises to the surface of the mixture, this is best done by skimming with a clean instrument.
Gather some strong bottles which will be used to contain the beer. Start to strain the mixture into these bottles, and then store in an upright position in a cool place (somewhere like a garden shed, garage or basement). Leave it to ferment for an extra week or so before drinking the nettle beer.