Country brews such as Nettle Beer are generally quite speedy to make. When fermentation ended I added a dessertspoon of sugar before bottling to feed any remaining yeast and make sure the final product had some fizz to it. My Nettle brew bottled up as three pints, plus a little more that I put in a screw-cap bottle for me to taste before unleashing it upon the world.After a few weeks to mature I tried it out on friends in the park. The verdict: "Lovely", "Refreshing", "Is there any more?". Well yes, there are plenty of nettles, but aren't Elderflowers just about ready to be picked? The most often asked question was "how strong is it?". I've never worked out the alcohol content of a beer or wine before. Apparently you're supposed to measure the specific gravity before fermentation begins and compare it to specific gravity when fermentation ends. Next time I'll know.
I don't want to make too many claims for the therapeutic benefits of Nettle Beer as I feel it justifies itself by being such a fabulous, cheap and easy drink, but I am reminded of a phone-call from my days of manning a Herbal Medicine advice line. A man rang to ask how long he should boil his nettles for home-made beer. His own suggested advice of 40 minutes seemed to be working pretty well, so we agreed that he should stick with that. He then went on to say that as a result of drinking Nettle Beer not only had his hair grown back but it was "the right colour"! Nettle has traditionally been useful as a green vegetable, available early in the season. It is rich in minerals such as iron which may help to support hair growth. Do you need any more excuses?
