Making herb beers

Cheers!

Recently while perusing the fascinating A Modern Herbal by M. Grieve, from 1931, I came across the following paragraph under 'Nettles':
'The Nettle Beer made by cottagers is often given to their old folk as a remedy for gouty and rheumatic pains, but apart from this purpose it forms a pleasant drink. It may be made as follows: Take 2 gallons of cold water and a good pailful of washed young Nettle tops, add 3 or 4 large handfuls of Dandelion, the same of Clivers (Goosegrass) and 2oz. of bruised whole ginger. Boil gently for 40 minutes, then strain and stir in 2 teacupsful of brown sugar. When lukewarm place on the top a slice of toasted bread, spread with 1oz. of compressed yeast, stirred until liquid with a teaspoon of sugar. Keep it fairly warm for 6 or 7 hours, then remove the scum and stir in a tablespoonful of cream of tartar.  Bottle and tie the corks securely. The result is a specially wholesome sort of ginger beer. The juice of 2 lemons may be substituted for the Dandelion and Clivers. Other herbs are often added to Nettles in the making of Herb Beer, such as Burdock, Meadowsweet, Avens Horehound, the combination making a refreshing summer drink.'

Lemon balm

I immediately set to experimenting with that and the result is indeed a very refreshing lightly alcoholic drink. Initially I steamed the herbs, then tried boiling them for 20 minutes but now I infuse them for 24 hours, the same as for elderflower cordial. The results are all very similar. Since the infusion method is easiest and uses least energy, I will stick to using that.

Since we aim to use only local ingredients, I replaced the ginger with lemon balm, which we have aplenty and which gives a nice citrus tang.

Here are a couple of nice & easy recipes to try. No doubt, more variations will follow as more herbs and fruit become available throughout the year.

Spring weed beer

Bottling time

Makes 5 litres

Ingredients
A pillowcase full of nettle tops, dandelion flowers, cleavers (sticky willy) and lemon balm
A handful of wild hops (optional)
500g sugar
1 tsp brewing yeast
1/4 cup sugar for bottling

1. Pick your ingredients and put them in a large pot.
2. Cover with boiling water (2-3 litres) and leave to infuse for 24 hours. 
3. Strain and boil for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the liquid into a large fermenting bucket with lid, stir in 500g of sugar and top up to the 5-litre mark with cold water (and ice cubes to make it cool faster).
5. Leave to cool to 25C and add the yeast.
6. Ferment for a week.
7. Dissolve 1/4 sugar in 1 cup of warm water and pour into a sterilised demi-john or similar large container. 
8. Syphon the brew from the fermenting bucket into the demi-john, to get rid of the sediment and mix in the bottling sugar.
9. Bottle the beer immediately in sterilised bottles and leave to bottle condition for at least five days. 
10. Serve chilled. 

Elderflower beer

Elderflowers in our hedge

Makes 5 litres

Ingredients
30 elderflower heads
A few sprigs of lemon verbena
500g sugar
1 tsp brewing yeast
1/4 cup sugar for bottling

1. Pick your ingredients and put them in a large pot.
2. Cover with boiling water (2-3 litres) and leave to infuse for 24 hours. 
3. Strain and boil for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the liquid into a large fermenting bucket with lid, stir in 500g of sugar and top up to the 5-litre mark with cold water (and ice cubes to make it cool faster).
5. Leave to cool to 25C and add the yeast.
6. Ferment for a week.
7. Dissolve 1/4 sugar in 1 cup of warm water and pour into a sterilised demi-john. 
8. Syphon the brew from the fermenting bucket into the demi-john, to get rid of the sediment and mix in the bottling sugar.
9. Bottle the beer immediately in sterilised bottles and leave to bottle condition for at least five days. 
10. Serve chilled, on its own or with a measure of gin and some ice.