Instead of hops

[Kiltlifter]

Has anyone here tried brewing up a beer that was made with nettles instead of hops? How'd it taste if you did?

[Tweek]

I have not tried this. I dont know how you could even get to the point where you are handling nettles on purpose. Maybe a revenge thing?

[brewmonkey]

Check out Stephen Buhners book, he covers the use of nettles in it. It is called "Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers".

[evilredlight]

I have had a nettle cheese
It tasted like spinach.
I wonder if the beer would taste like spinach as well.

I personally think that alternatives to the use of hops is a good idea. Hops tea is used for sleep inducing qualities and it adds the same qualities to beer. What if I want to stay awake as i drink beer?
I am going to experiment with fresh garden herb beers this summer.
If you want to continue this conversation see my post in the "extreme beer" section.

[Caffinehog]

I've never tried these, but they sound interesting.
I've read about poeple using new growth from spruce trees, nettles, yarrow, juniper berries, sweet gale, or wintergreen in place of hops.
Nettles and sweet gale were used before the romans brought hops to the UK.
I definately have plans to try one of these.

[Caffinehog]

Originally posted by Tweek
I have not tried this. I dont know how you could even get to the point where you are handling nettles on purpose. Maybe a revenge thing?
The minute nettles are boiled, the stinging hairs are destroyed. They were a popular vegetable in ancient times.

[unkle bik]

We used "hemp" seeds once.
They gave the beer a nutty flavor.

I think we used too much, though. It took away from the good taste of beer & provided nothing in the way of physiological effects.
BTW, juniper berries are what gives gin it's distinctive flavor.

[evilredlight]

I just found another reason for not using hops!

Hops contain estrogen, a female hormone, and have an antiaphrodesic effect and after prolonged exposure can lead to a condition known as "brewers droop", if you know what i mean.
Women have often used hops brewed in a tea, or in beer as a kickstart to breastfeeding !!!

[Kiltlifter]

I fully intend to give a try at brewing up a nettle beer this summer. I'm going to use a pale ale as a base recipe. What I have to figure out (and it may be trial and error time) is how much nettles to use in the brew for bittering. I was intending to just try brewing a gallon for the first batch and seeing how it goes. I'd also like to try my hand at a gruit just for "fun". Maybe my nettle beer idea would be a sorta gruit since I won't have any hops?

Anyway, if anyone has suggestion on quantities to use ... I'd be interested in hearing them. Most recipes for nettle beer that I've seen so far haven't been really for "beer" IMO. Even the ones in the Sacred Beer book are more along the lines of a sort of tonic rather than a beer.