Amazing Nettle Beer!

 Now I know I try a lot of different things, some work, many don't and some are terrible. But occasionally you come across one that is out of this world good. This is one of them! 

I mentioned on twitter that I fancied trying to make some nettle beer and a twitter friend sent me a screenshot of a recipe his dad used to use.

Not sure what book it came from but it was a good starting point. 

So in the middle of April we went and set about collecting some nettle tops.

As the recipe was for 5 gallons, and I'm never one to do things by halves, we picked two huge "bags for life" and filled them to the brim. We tried to just pick the nettle tops on, seriously green on that sunny April day. I also had no trouble finding some dandelion roots to add in either! Nice to find a good use for them! 

As usual I didn't follow the recipe exactly! I had no oranges for a start. I also didn't add the mixture back to heat up again to dissolve the sugar. So really I just steeped the nettles in most of the boiling water, used some of the water to dissolve the sugar and then strained the nettle juice back in to combine. 

I did buy a proper ale yeast and will probably do so again, that along with the cream of tartar are the only "expensive" ingredients, but even then you're probably only looking at £6 for the 5 gallons (so long as you already have the brewing kit. 

 Then it really is a quick brew, just three days fermenting and time to bottle up. Then leave for at least a week before drinking, but it has got better after three weeks. 

Last night we each had a glass of it with our roast (the children drink this as well as it's very low alcohol and we think it's good not to completely withhold alcohol from them then let them drink (and go crazy) when they turn 18!). My wife actually said to me (and please bare in mind that most experiments I make she hates) that "this seems like she's been waiting her whole life to drink" She mentioned that she went out the other night and none of the drinks she had came anywhere near this one for taste. 

It's not a beer at all in taste, it's sweet, almost grassy taste and lightly fizzing, just enough to make it an interesting drink, it's far more like a lemonade or a ginger beer. 

I've just started a second batch! Just a good refreshing drink to have chilled, we've been enjoying it with a meal. Although I have a few beer kits that are nearly ready to drink as well  - good job we're allowed to be social again. 

I'll do a post on some of the beer kits soon, things have moved on so much since I last tried - I honestly can't believe how good these beers are and great that there's no need to buy a high taxed item like beer if I don't want to! 

I'd also like to try a traditional ginger beer if anyone has a recipe they've tried? Do you have any quickly brewed drinks?