Pilsner, wine or ginger beer?
Local Merton amateur brewer, Helen Carter, reaps great satisfaction from transforming locally grown products into wine and beer. The upbringing Helen remembers, a Scottish ‘waste nothing, make use of everything, even if others think it is useless’ background finds her using what’s available, what’s seasonal. She describes herself as practical, just like her Mum. She remembers “there was always something brewing on my uncle’s kitchen table”.
Helen’s first dabble into brewing began at boarding school. The dilemma of what to do with the nightly supper of badly bruised apples was remedied. Mush up the apples, add sugar, strain through thick regulation school tights, add yeast and leave in the school locker to ferment. Remembered for its bouquet (which filled the corridors), its pink hue and for being harsh on the palate, Helen’s first vintage was born. Things have only improved.
Helen’s inspiration comes from whatever fruit is available. It may be from her and partner Ben’s home gardens, foraged from the wild or from friends’ surplus. Plum wine has been very successful, with pears having also been harvested and tried. Every year Helen makes Elderflower Champagne and Elderberry Wine. Particularly good is her Green Ginger Wine. Her most unusual and memorable variety is Gorse Flower Wine enjoyed as a golden coloured peppery dry wine.
Helen also brews beer and has tried Nettle Ale. Nettles were a favourite flavouring for beer for 2,000 years before hops gained favour in the 15th century. Until then the distinction between beer and ale was that only beer contained hops. Ales used herbs for flavour, predominantly nettles. Hop oil also has good preservative qualities. When brewing beer Helen prefers the hops grown in Motueka and stocked at Brew Craft, Hillside Rd, Dunedin where she also purchases her brew kits. Helen’s brewing method follows; heat the tin of malt and pour out, add sugar and dissolve with warm water. Top up with cold water. Boil up hops for half an hour (any longer and they become bitter), strain onto the malt wort then sprinkle on yeast. Put a lid on with an air lock and leave for 2 weeks in winter, 1 week in summer. Bottle, cap and leave for 2 weeks before drinking. One kit yields 40 x 500ml bottles at an approximate cost of $1.00 / bottle. Helen’s son, Jack, brews Ginger Beer and between them they have never had an exploding bottle – very impressive !
Helen is happy to share and swap recipes and also will consider a trade of your excess fruit for some wine.
Contact Helen at karitanekrew@gmail.com
Contacts for this column :
Suzi Flack : suzi@parisettes.com
Patti Vanderburg : vburg@es.co.nz
