Its spring and that means ...

[Kiltlifter]

Nettle Beer! Yes, its time for a revival of Strange Brew '06. Went out last evening and gathered about a pound or so of nettle leaves. Will be brewing tonight!

Strange Brew is based on an English Mild recipe from my local homebrew shop (Mountain Homebrew) in Kirkland, WA. Instead of hops, all the bittering is being handled by nettles. The recipe turned out really great last year and gave a sort of tingle to the back of your tongue.

Of course, it would have been much easier and less "hazardous" to gather the material to make a Scotch Broom Ale but I digress.

[Vienna Lager]

Why not use water from a stream and call it 'Trout Turd Ale'
or from a lake and call it 'Bass-Turd Ale' or 'Perch Poop Porter"?

[Kiltlifter]

Sheesh ... who knew you had to be PC w/ beer experiments.

[toneyc]

Wait... How did we go from nettles to poop? I missed something.

:eek:
Toney.

[Grog]

Originally posted by toneyc
Wait... How did we go from nettles to poop? I missed something.

:eek:
Toney.

Good, I thought I was the only one!

[Vienna Lager]

I did not want to appear remiss if occasionally I did not mention the full names alluded to in the anagram BMC.

[Mad Scientist]

Beats me , but would someone please post the Perch Poop Porter recipe?

[Vienna Lager]

7 Lbs. 2 row (Rahr)
1 lb. Munich (Weissenheimer)
1 lb. Chocolate Malt (Briess)
1/2 lb. Caramalt (Briess)
1/2 lb. Crystal 40 (Briess)

Mash 154 degrees 60 min. (single step infusion) 1.25 qts strike water per lb. of grain or 3.125 gals.

Sparge with 5 gals 170 degree water to collect 6.75 gals wort.

75 min. boil with hops:
1 oz. Fuggle 4.5% @ 60 min.
1/2 oz. East Kent Golding 4.1% @ 20 min.
1/2 oz. East Kent Golding 4.1% @ 0 min.

Yeast: WLP017- Whitebread Ale

SG. 1.058
FG. 1.016

This was brewed on a frozen lake in Feb 2005 and hole was augered through the 18" of ice for wort chiller. Some of us also used the lake water for strike and sparge. Lake was known for Perch and Bass fishing hence the tongue in cheek reference to fish waste when naming our creations.

One person used 2 oz. of Fuggle 4.5% at 60 min. and his ale was 'hoppy' to begin with but seemed to mellow out after 9 months.

Another person used Danstar Windsor yeast as that was what his pocket book would bare.

[Mad Scientist]

Wow, I though that it might have been a joke......

[Mad Scientist]

A truly unique way to brew.....

[Vienna Lager]

Our club does a couple of group brews and one is the weekend nearest Washington,s B-day so it's cold and a novel place to brew is on a lake. Being so cold the lake water is clear as all particulants have precipitated out. The local University did a water analysis ( it helps that they have an experemintal station at the lake) and the water was as free of contaminants as city water without the chemicals added. It was great water to brew with albeit somewhat softer than ideal.

[Mad Scientist]

If we ever have a chance to brew on a frozen lake in TX, then there is a serious problem.....

[rougetrout]

Besides bitter what characteristics does nettle contribute...I would assume it is quite different from a hop bitterness.

[Kiltlifter]

Originally posted by rougetrout
Besides bitter what characteristics does nettle contribute...I would assume it is quite different from a hop bitterness. Taste contribution from the nettles reminds me somewhat of the taste from heather in that it has a sort of "floral" characteristic to it. The sting from the nettles is rendered inoperative by boiling the leaves but I did get a sort of tingle at the back of my tongue that I don't get from hops.

Nettle tea is supposed to be good for you so I'm sure that nettle beer is too! :)