Nettle wine anyone?

OH has decided he would like to move on a step form the quite successful 'turbo' cider. He has decided he would like to try nettle wine, especially because there are sooo many nettles around. Does anyone have a good recipe?
We would also appreciate and good tips on picking nettles.

Oh, and if it's messy we aren't doing it. I have told him!!!

Blue Sky

Grasp 'em by the stalk!!!

The sting wears off after a few hours Cool

While we are on the subject of nettles tho' can anyone advise on how I would use my nettle fertiliser that has been stewing in the bin for a good month or so?

It must be working well 'cos it stinks the place out.

Sorry to hijack your topic DD. Can't help you with the nettle wine as I have not done any (yet). We have hundreds of the things too so I will be glad to see some good replies on this topic.

Get posting you fermenters

Daydreaming

simon wrote:

Grasp 'em by the stalk!!!

The sting wears off after a few hours Cool

Err cheers Simon Smile

Think I might have worked that bit out for myself

trigfa

And don't forget this week is Be Nice to Nettles Week

Blacksmith

I havn't got a recipe for nettle wine, but am in the process of making my second batch of oak leaf wine (3 gallons this time )
I would imagine the process is similar.
10 pints of leaves
1 gallon of water
2 lemons
2 lb sugar
yeast
Pour the boiling water over the leaves, leave over night, strain into a pan, bring to the boil, simmer for 15 mins.Add grated lemon rind and juice. Add sugar, allow to cool to blood temperature.
Add yeast, leave in bucket for 5 days, funnel into a demijohn.
Allow to ferment out, rack off, filter and bottle.
Cheers ! Dave

Blue Sky

very very very good indeed!

thanks blacksmith ... loadsa oak trees round here so will have a go soon.

appologies for typos, bad grammar, got a two year old on me knee so havin' difficulties

Treacodactyl

simon wrote:

Sorry to hijack your topic DD. Can't help you with the nettle wine as I have not done any (yet). We have hundreds of the things too so I will be glad to see some good replies on this topic.

http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlemanure.asp

cab

If you're just branching in to 'country' wines, nettle wouldn't be my first choice.

However...

Get yourselves some rubberg gloves and pick only young plants and the softer tips of older plants.

Bear in mind that American quantities are a little out, but this recipe doesn't look bad:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/nettles.asp

Nettle wine is a 'love it or hate it' thing.

Nanny

nettle wine

and just as an aside and because people all have them.........

if yo cut them (not with a strimmer!) on a dry day and leave them to dry out, they make excellent and nutritious hay and the stings are gone

my goats love them

Daydreaming

Tnanks Everyone. Just out of interest what would you recommend?
I think maybe nettle wine was planned more out of curiosity than anything else.
Anyway, I have pointed out that most of the nettles we come across now seem to be 'going to seed' and so I doubted they would be any good.

cab

What would I reccomend as a first 'country' wine?

I might be tempted to start with a wine based on apple juice. It'll be quick and tasty. By the time that's fermenting out, you're into the part of summer when there are some exciting fruits, and they're the ones that I'd reccomend a beginner might enjoy most. Plum, cherry, damson, blackberry, elderberry, they're all good.

Lloyd

Blacksmith wrote:

I havn't got a recipe for nettle wine, but am in the process of making my second batch of oak leaf wine (3 gallons this time )
I would imagine the process is similar.

..etc, etc...

Cheers Dave, I've printed it off and will make a batch in the morning.

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