| For the novice brewer, the brewing of country-stlye | | | | Nettle Beer |
| beers (also sometimes called hedgerow wines) is the | | | | 2l nettle tops |
| easiest way to start in making your first beer. After | | | | 4l water |
| all, people have been making basic beers in this way | | | | 3 oranges, cut into segments (with peel) |
| for hundreds or years and the results can sometimes | | | | 3 lemons, cut into segments (with peel) |
| be surprisingly good. | | | | 900g sugar cubes |
| What's even better is that you don't have to go out | | | | Combine the nettle tops, water, oranges and lemons |
| and purchase lots of complicated and costly | | | | in a large pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes. |
| equipment. All you need is a bucket, bottles that can | | | | Take off the heat and strain through a muslin bag. |
| either be securely corked or that have flip-tops a | | | | Return the liquid to a pan, bring back to a boil and boil |
| little yeast, some toast and a big pot. | | | | for 30 minutes before adding the sugar. Stir until the |
| Country-style beers are typically made from water, a | | | | sugar has dissolved then take off the heat. Pour into |
| flavouring agent, sugar and yeast. The flavouring | | | | a fermenting bucket and allow to cool to blood |
| agent is typically sourced from the wild (which is why | | | | temperature. Spread a piece of toast with 15g yeast |
| this style of beer is known as a 'hedgerow beer') and | | | | and float this on the surface of the liquid. Allow to |
| common ingredients include dandelion tips, sloes, | | | | ferment for 3 days then rack into bottles (flip-top |
| elderberries, elderflowers, sea-buckthorn berries, | | | | bottles are best). Stopper the bottles securely then |
| dandelion and burdock roots, wild strawberries, rose | | | | lay down in a cool place. The beer will be ready to |
| hips and many more. In essence anything that can be | | | | drink in 2 months. |
| used to infuse water with a pleasant flavour. | | | | In addition to using toast spread with yeast you can |
| Once you have made your infusion you then add | | | | also use rye bread (naturally yeasty) or you can buy |
| tartaric acid as an acidifyer (or you can add oranges | | | | beer-making yeast and spread this directly on top of |
| and lemons to the infusion) and you will add about | | | | the sugared liquid. |
| 500g sugar per 1l or liquid. Then it's a case of allowing | | | | The recipe above gives you the basic (and traditional) |
| everything to cool down to body temperature | | | | method for making this kind of beer. Just vary the |
| before adding the yeast. A good example of this | | | | recipe for anything you wish to make and in two |
| beer type is nettle beer, the recipe for which is given | | | | months you will be drinking your own home-made |
| below: | | | | sparkling ale. |
