Buy this item and earn 30 points valued at $0.60.

Try making your own great tasting heather ale with the free recipe below! Heather flowers are a traditional remedy in Swedish herbal medicine. A low mound of handsome greenery topped by multiple spikes of colored flowers, heathers are native to Ireland, Scandinavia, Russia, and northern North America, but are especially synonymous with Scotland and its history and lore. The native Picts were renowned for their fierceness in battle and their heather ale, which was made without he addition of malt and hops (as they don't grow in Scotland), instead relying on the heather's nectar for flavor and to help with the fermentation. In Scotland, white heather is considered good luck, no doubt due in part to its scarcity, much in the same way that a 4-leaf clover is in Celtic mythology.

The heather is a woody and bushy evergreen shrub with multiple branching stems. It has miniature leaves that are like needles. They are borne on the twigs of the plant. The flowers of the heather are bell-shaped and are purple to pink in color, but white flowers do appear occasionally. They typically bloom in late summer. They are arranged in a multiple spike formation and are quite impressive when seen from afar. Due to the attractiveness of its flowers, heathers are often used as a decorative and ornamental plant, and a landscaping complement.

Also known by its scientific name of calluna vulgaris, the heather is found in abundance in Scotland, Ireland, the Scandinavian countries, Russia and North America.

The heather is a plant whose different parts are used for different applications. The branches are often used as straw for brooms while the leaves are used as flavoring agent for beer and tea. The heather bark is used for tanning while the flowers contain nectar.

The active constituents of heather are various types of quercetin (including dihydroxychromone), tannin and flavonoids. To make heather tea, place about a handful of finely-chopped heather (flowers, leaves) into a mug of boiling water. Let the mix stand for about 10 to 15 minutes, then strain and drink. Heather tea is usually taken 3 times per day but is not recommended for prolonged use as its high tannin content may contribute to liver damage.

Packed Fresh To Order In Our Flavor Savor Foil Bags! Our Herbs Are Absolutely The Purest And Freshest Shipped To Your Door! We Buy Direct From The Growers And Store All Our Precious Herbs In Climate/Light Controlled "Waiting Rooms"!

Also known by its scientific name of calluna vulgaris, the heather is found in abundance in Scotland, Ireland, the Scandinavian countries, Russia and North America.

The heather is a plant whose different parts are used for different applications. The branches are often used as straw for brooms while the leaves are used as flavoring agent for beer and tea. The heather bark is used for tanning while the flowers contain nectar.

The active constituents of heather are various types of quercetin, tannin and flavonoids. To make heather tea, place about a handful of finely-chopped heather (flowers, leaves) into a mug of boiling water. Let the mix stand for about 10 to 15 minutes, then strain and drink. Heather tea is usually taken 3 times per day for a short duration of time for its benefits. Heather flowers are used to make tea that has been helpful with colds and flu symptoms as well as great support for a healthy urinary tract as well as healthy bone support.

Heather Ale
Ingredients:
7.25 lbs. English pale malt
1 lb. Carapils or dextrin-type malt
0.5 lb. crystal malt (20° Lovibond)
0.5 lb. crystal malt (40° Lovibond)
0.125 lb. chocolate malt
3 cups fresh or 1-2 cup dry heather flowers (1/2 added for 60 minutes, 1/2 added at end of boil)
1 oz. of 4.2% alpha -acid Fuggles hops (4.2 AAU) (optional)
0.50 oz. of 4.2 % alpha–acid Fuggles hops (2.1 AAU) (optional)
1 pt. starter of Scottish Ale yeast (Wyeast 1728 or equivalent)
2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step:
Mash grain in 3 gallons of water at 150° F for 60 minutes. Sparge with 168-170° F water to collect 5.75 gallons of wort. Total boil time is 90 minutes. After 30 minutes of boil, add first addition of heather flowers. Continue for remaining 60 minutes. Whirlpool and add second addition of heather flowers or use a hopback of flowers. Cool to 69° F. to pitch starter. Oxygenate-aerate well.

Ferment at 69° F for seven days then rack to secondary fermenter. Continue fermentation for seven more days until gravity is about 3° Plato (1.012) or fermentation is finished. Let settle. Rack, prime and bottle. Age seven more days before drinking.

(5 gallons, extract with grain)
Ingredients:
Substitute the pale malt with 7 lbs. English pale malt extract syrup. Other ingredients remain the same.

Step by Step:
Start with 5 gallons of 150° F water. Steep crushed grain for 30 minutes. Sparge grains with enough 170° F water to make 5.5 gallons. Heat to boiling and add extract syrup. Total boil will be 60 minutes. At beginning of boil add first addition of heather flowers. Continue for remaining 60 minutes. Whirlpool and add second addition of heather flowers or use a hopback. Cool to 69° F to pitch starter. Oxygenate-aerate well. Follow fermentation schedule above.

OG =1.048
FG =1.008
Color = 18 SRM
Bitterness = 23 IBUs