Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (2024)

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Brew a primitive mugwort lemon beer with foraged ingredients. This home brew is easy to make and so delicious! Mugwort is easy to forage for, smells delicious, and is a great herb to use in a homemade beer recipe

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (1)

Homemade Herbal Brewing

You may remember several weeks ago that I made a starter from wild yeast. Once it was bubbling along nicely, I wanted to use it in something (of course).

Since I got the wild yeast recipe from Pascal Baudar’s book The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, I decided to try one of his foraged brew recipes using it.

I already had someforaged mugwort that I had dried recently, so the Mugwort Lemon Beer recipe caught my eye. I love how mugwort smells, and I could see how it would work well in a primitive brew.

This mugwort lemon beer is such a cool recipe! It’s not at all like a traditional beer, which can actually be quite complicated.

Honestly, around here we often brew traditional beer from kits, as it’s a much simpler process. This is more of a primitive style beer, though, and is super easy to make.

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (2)

How to Make Mugwort Lemon Beer

The first step with any homebrewing recipe is to make sure that everything is properly sanitized. There are many sanitizers to choose from, but I like to use One Step brand as it’s easy to use and relatively non toxic.

A one gallon glass jug and airlock is recommended for this recipe, as are swing top bottles.

Mix the water, mugwort, and brown sugar in a large pot. Cut and squeeze the lemons into the pot. Bring the solution to a boil; let it boil for 30 minutes.

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (3)

Place the pot into a pan of cold water; cool to 70°F (21°C), then add the yeast.

Strain the brew into your fermenter. Position the airlock or cover the fermenter with a paper towel or cheesecloth. Let the brew ferment for 10 days.

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (4)

I decided to include a few of the juniper berries from the starter as well in the brew, one because I like the taste of them, and two because I thought it would help the yeast along a bit.

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (5)

Siphon into beer bottles and prime the bottles with 1/2 tsp brown sugar for carbonation (optional). Close the bottles and store somewhere not too hot. The beer will be ready to drink in 3 to 4 weeks.

Tips for Using Wild Yeast Starter

I was given a few tips from Pascal with regard to using the wild yeast starter.

He recommended using less brown sugar if you prefer a not so sweet brew, as the wild yeast usually doesn’t ferment it all out. I used about 1 pound.

He says to use about 1 cup of wild yeast starter for a gallon of brew.

When using wild yeast, the beer should be bubbling away nicely after 2-3 days. Count 10 days after this before bottling.

Mine was still brewing quite vigorously after 10 days, possibly because of the addition of the juniper berries, so I waited another week to bottle mine.

I also decided not to prime the bottles, as it was still bubbling nicely. The end result was a fizzy and delicious beer!

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (6)

I was so happy with the results of this beer! I will definitely be making this and other brews like it from Pascal’s book again.

It was fun to use foraged ingredients, and I loved using the wild yeast! The flavor was amazing, and it was also cheap to make. A winner in my opinion!

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (7)

The New Wildcrafted Cuisine is such a cool book with so many amazing recipes. Its main focus is foraging and wildcrafting, but there are also many fermented recipes as well. Totally my kind of thing, and I think that you will love it!

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Ready for your next brewing adventure? Try one of these tasty recipes!

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Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (8)

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5 from 4 votes

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe

Brew a primitive mugwort lemon brew with foraged ingredients. This home brew is easy to make and so delicious! Mugwort is easy to forage for, smells delicious, and is a great herb to use in a homemade beer recipe

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Fermenting Time 10 days days

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 130kcal

Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Mix the water, mugwort, and brown sugar in a large pot. Cut and squeeze the lemons into the pot. Bring the solution to a boil; let it boil for 30 minutes.

  • Place the pot into a pan of cold water; cool to 70°F (21°C), then add the yeast.

  • Strain the brew into your fermenter. Position the airlock or cover the fermenter with a paper towel or cheesecloth. Let the brew ferment for 10 days.

  • Siphon into beer bottles and prime the bottles with 1/2 tsp brown sugar for carbonation (optional). Close the bottles and store somewhere not too hot. The beer will be ready to drink in 3 to 4 weeks.

Notes

  • This recipe is fromPascal Baudar’s bookThe New Wildcrafted Cuisine.
  • Use less brown sugar if you prefer a not so sweet brew, as the wild yeast usually doesn’t ferment it all out. I used about 1 pound.
  • When using wild yeast, the beer should be bubbling away nicely after 2-3 days. Count 10 days after this before bottling.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 130kcal

Mugwort Lemon Beer Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you use mugwort in beer? ›

Mix the water, mugwort, and brown sugar in a large pot. Cut and squeeze the lemons into the pot. Bring the solution to a boil; let it boil for 30 minutes. Place the pot into a pan of cold water; cool to 70°F (21°C), then add the yeast.

How do you ferment mugwort? ›

Directions for Mugwort, Elderflower, & Ginger Beer
  1. Step 1) Make Your Wort (Tea) Place your herbs in either a half-gallon or gallon glass jar (heat resistant is best, like a Mason jar). ...
  2. Step 2) Measure Out Sugar. ...
  3. Step 3) Combine the Tea and Sugar. ...
  4. Step 4) Add Water. ...
  5. Step 5) Pitch Your Yeast. ...
  6. Step 6) Ferment.
Jun 27, 2017

How do you get the lemon flavor in beer? ›

To really get that fruity tang, one quarter lemon per half liter gives a good, assertive flavor. This translates into the juice of 10 lemons or limes per 5 gallon batch. So, you could add this juice right before bottling, but the juice is fermentable and there is yeast in any unfiltered beer.

How to make beer quickly? ›

Keep Original Gravity Low

The lower the gravity, the greater chance of producing a quality beer in a short amount of time—aim for something below 1.050. British and American session ales generally work well for a fast turnaround.

What not to use with mugwort? ›

Mugwort has no known interactions with other medications. Do not use mugwort if you are: allergic to the Asteraceae or Compositae (daisy) family of plants, which includes ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and chamomile. under 18 years of age.

What happens if you use too much mugwort? ›

It is possible to take too much mugwort. While no studies define safe consumption limits, research shows that taking a lot of mugwort can lead to miscarriage, nausea, vomiting, and nervous system damage. 2 Consult with your healthcare provider and read the product's instructions before using mugwort.

Why is mugwort illegal? ›

Mugwort is considered an invasive species in some areas. It grows so fast4 that it's illegal to grow it in some states.

Is drinking mugwort safe? ›

Also, mugwort contains a substance called thujone, which can be toxic in large amounts. The amount present in the herb itself is little enough that experts generally consider it safe to use.

How much mugwort can you drink? ›

Mugwort tea

Artemisia tea can be prepared with the flowers or leaves of this plant. This can help treat indigestion, fever, menstrual cramps, intestinal cramps, headache, or anxiety. Place the mugwort leaves in the boiling water and let them steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 2 to 3 cups a day.

What is a lemon beer called? ›

Shandy is beer mixed with a lemon flavoured beverage, often lemonade, usually half lemonade and half beer, resulting in a lower ABV for the finished drink.

What is the alcohol content of lemon beer? ›

It contains 2% alcohol. This product contains alcohol.

Why do people add lemon to beer? ›

Originally Answered: Why do they serve beer (e.g., Corona) with lemon or lime? Because in those clear glass bottles it is going to taste light-struck or skunky. The lime or lemon is to disguise the otherwise horrible skunky taste and aroma.

What is the fastest beer to ferment? ›

If you really want to quaff your beer quickly, you need to forget about true lagers, high gravity beers and sour beers. All of these take extended periods of time to ferment or condition. This leaves low to moderate gravity ales as your best choice. A typical ale fermentation finishes in two to five days.

What is the easiest beer making? ›

Brew
  • Pour 10 liters of fresh, cold water into the 10 gallon plastic pail (carboy). ...
  • In your largest pot, bring seven liters of water to a boil.
  • Add one can of malt extract. ...
  • Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
  • As soon as the sugar is dissolved, pour contents into the carboy.

What is the fastest yeast to ferment beer? ›

Save Time By Fermenting with Kveik Yeast

Really fast. As Garshol says, brewers using kveik yeasts have cut their fermentation time in half — from two weeks down to one — and he reports watching a dried and dormant strain start visibly fermenting within 30 minutes.

How do you drink mugwort? ›

Instructions
  1. Heat one cup of water in a teapot or in a small saucepan, bringing it to a boil.
  2. In a mug or pot, pour water over the chopped mugwort. Let the mugwort infuse for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Strain out the mugwort with a strainer, catching the remaining tea in a mug or pot.
  4. Sweeten with sweetener of choice and enjoy.

How do you add herbs to beer? ›

When thinking about how to use herbs in homemade beer, add them in the same way as we do hops. These herbs may be added early or late in boil (depending on whether you're looking for more bitterness, flavor, or aroma) or to the secondary fermenter, just like with dry hopping.

How much mugwort should you drink? ›

Mugwort tea

Artemisia tea can be prepared with the flowers or leaves of this plant. This can help treat indigestion, fever, menstrual cramps, intestinal cramps, headache, or anxiety. Place the mugwort leaves in the boiling water and let them steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 2 to 3 cups a day.

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