Nettles, also known as Stinging Nettles, are delicious and versatile wild plants. Their signature sting disappears when the nettles are cooked, so they can be harvested as greens, drunk as a mineral-rich tea, or even used to make this delicious nettle beer recipe.
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Although nettles are so widely distributed that they are easy to wild harvest, when we arrived on our homestead, we could not find any stinging nettle, although we were wildly successful in foraging for wood nettles. I started some stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) by seed and planted them in a few moist and shady spots.
When I received a copy of Wild Drinks and co*cktails, by Emily Han,I was immediately drawn to the nettle beer recipe. With plenty of nettles growing in the backyard, I harvested the tender tops and began making this simple fermented beverage. Here’s the recipe, adapted with permission from Wild Drinks and co*cktails.
Recipe for Stinging Nettle Beer
Ingredients
8 ounces of fresh nettle tops or 4 ounces dried nettles
1/2 gallon water
1/2 cup turbinado or raw sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon ale yeast
How to Make Nettle Beer
Step One: Harvest the top few inchesof fresh nettles – you will need 8 ounces for this recipe (I made 1/4 recipe). Be sure to wear gloves to avoid getting stung! If you do not have fresh nettles, you can make this recipe with dried nettles.
Step Two: Place the nettles and water in a pot and bring to a boil on the stove. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Step Three: Line a strainer with a fine mesh cloth (cheesecloth will work great) and strain the nettle liquid into a large bowl or crock. Be sure to squeeze the cheesecloth to extract all of the liquid from the nettles. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
Cool the liquid to room temperature and then add the lemon juice, then sprinkle the yeast on top of the liquid. Cover the bowl or crock with a towel and let it sit at room temperature, out ofdirect sunlight, for three days.
Step Four: After three days, strain your nettle beer through a fine mesh sieve and funnel it into bottles, leaving at least one inch of headspace. We like to reuse Grolsch beer bottles for this purpose (you can sometimes find them at thrift stores, or on Craigslist).
The author advises placing the beer in cool storage for one week and “burping” the bottles daily. However, we opted to not burp the bottlesto maximize carbonation. If you do not burp the bottles, be sure to check on them daily to ensure your bottles will not over-carbonate and explode!
Step Five: After one week, transfer to the refrigerator and drink within one year. Enjoy the lemony-tangy refreshing flavor of your homemade nettle beer!
If you’d like to try your hand at making other wildcrafted and seasonal beverages, check out my posts on how to make homemade sodaandhow to make shrubs, and my book review of Wild Drinks and co*cktails (and other inspiring homesteading books!).
Tangy and mineral rich, this wild harvested and fermented nettle beer recipe is a delicious drink, reminiscent of hard cider, and easy to make at home!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time3 days
Total Time3 days 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of fresh nettle tops or 4 ounces dried nettles
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1/2 cup turbinado or raw sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon ale yeast
Instructions
- Harvest the top few inchesof fresh nettles – you will need 8 ounces for this recipe (I made 1/4 recipe). Be sure to wear gloves to avoid getting stung! If you do not have fresh nettles, you can make this recipe with dried nettles.
- Place the nettles and water in a pot and bring to a boil on the stove. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Line a strainer with a fine mesh cloth (cheesecloth will work great) and strain the nettle liquid into a large bowl or crock. Be sure to squeeze the cheesecloth to extract all of the liquid from the nettles. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
- Cool the liquid to room temperature and then add the lemon juice, then sprinkle the yeast on top of the liquid. Cover the bowl or crock with a towel and let it sit at room temperature, out ofdirect sunlight, for three days.
- After three days, strain your nettle beer through a fine mesh sieve and funnel it into bottles, leaving at least one inch of headspace. We like to reuse Grolsch beer bottles for this purpose (you can sometimes find them at thrift stores, or on Craigslist).
- After one week, transfer to the refrigerator and drink within one year. Enjoy the lemony-tangy refreshing flavor of your homemade nettle beer!
Notes
The author advises placing the beer in cool storage for one week and “burping” the bottles daily. However, we opted to not burp the bottlesto maximize carbonation. If you do not burp the bottles, be sure to check on them daily to ensure your bottles will not over-carbonate and explode!
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FAQs
Their recommendations for amounts of honey added to a batch of beer (as a percent of total fermentables) are: 3 to 10 percent honey produces a subtle, floral flavor and delicate aroma; 11 to 30 percent produces a robust honey flavor that should be balanced by strong hop flavors, spices, or darker specialty malts; above ...
How much honey to add to beer? ›
Their recommendations for amounts of honey added to a batch of beer (as a percent of total fermentables) are: 3 to 10 percent honey produces a subtle, floral flavor and delicate aroma; 11 to 30 percent produces a robust honey flavor that should be balanced by strong hop flavors, spices, or darker specialty malts; above ...
How much alcohol is in nettle beer? ›
- 500ml. A member of our Standard beer range, find out more on our Nettle IPA page.
Is nettle beer good for you? ›
Aside from making a somewhat pleasant drink, stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are a great source of vitamin C and apparently help alleviate rheumatic pain.
How to use honey in home brew? ›
If you want a subtle honey flavor, add honey between 10 to 30 minutes left in the boil. To best preserve the aromatics of honey and obtain a stronger honey flavor, pre-process honey at low temperatures and add it at the end of the kettle boil so it is exposed to high temperatures for a minimal amount of time.
How much honey do I need to prime 5 gallons of beer? ›
To carbonate a 5 gallon batch of beer with honey, you can typically replace 5 oz of priming sugar and use 1 cup of honey. Bring 16 oz of water to a boil. Add the 1 cup of honey to the boiling water and stir vigorously.
How do you add honey to a beer recipe kit? ›
Adding honey to the fermenter:
Add the honey directly to your fermentor, perhaps a Big Mouth Bubbler, and stir gently, expect a renewed fermentation within a day or two. This will leave more residual sweetness and a more intense honey character in your beer.
When to pick nettles for beer? ›
When is the best time to forage for nettles? Nettles are best eaten when the leaves are young and tender, so pick the fresh young tips of the plants in early to mid spring when they're at their seasonal best. You can also pick them later in the season when they're growing well, but before they flower.
How to make homemade nettle tea? ›
-Clean your nettles under cold running water and place into a tea pot or tea strainer to brew. – Allow the nettle tea to brew for 2-3 mins in hot water before straining and serving. You can also make cold brewed nettle tea by leaving chopped nettles in a 500ml of water overnight.
What is the strongest beer by alcohol content? ›
1. “Snake Venom” by Brewmeister – ABV: 67.5% Brewmeister's “Snake Venom” takes the top spot in our list, boasting a staggering ABV of 67.5%. This Scottish brewery is renowned for pushing the limits, and “Snake Venom” is no exception.
Occasional side effects include mild stomach upset, fluid retention, sweating, diarrhea, and hives or rash (mainly from topical use).
How to use nettles for arthritis? ›
You can apply stinging nettle to the skin around the painful area. Common side-effects include itching and a tingling sensation. Because it can be applied to the skin, it's unlikely that it'll affect other medications.
How much honey should you add to beer? ›
A good place to start experimenting is with one to two pounds of honey per 5-gallon batch (~0.5–1 kg/19 L) of mid-gravity beer. One pound (0.45 kg) will tend to impart a fairly subtle flavor, while two pounds (0.91 kg) will yield a much more pronounced and noticeable contribution.
What is beer made with honey called? ›
Mead (/miːd/), also called hydromel (particularly when low in alcohol content), is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops.
How much honey to raise ABV? ›
The Simple Answer. Each pound of honey added to a gallon of must (the pre-fermentation honey and water mixture) adds about 5% of potential alcohol when fermented completely.
Can you mix honey with beer? ›
In short, honey is a living food. If this alone doesn't get you excited there are some less health-oriented, more brew-oriented reasons for using honey. When added to beer, much like any other simple sugar, it will raise the alcohol level and lighten the body. It can also add flavorful sweetness if desired.
How much honey should I add to my drink? ›
Ideally, the water should be warm. It can be hot, but it should not boiling. Adding honey to boiling-hot water will destroy the good enzymes in honey that make it so healthy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 grams) of honey into the mug.
Why do you put honey in beer? ›
Honey is a versatile brewing ingredient that can be used in a broad range of styles to contribute flavor, increase alcohol content, and it can even serve as the priming sugar for bottle conditioning.
How do you add honey to alcohol? ›
There are two ways to go about it. If you're making a single serve, add all your other ingredients and then add the honey using a bar spoon. Taking your time, stir in the honey slowly until it's all dissolved off the spoon and into the co*cktail. Shake and strain as normal.
