First wine attempt thoughts, recipe help wanted.

[jimmyjusa]

I just cut my two rhubarb plants and I'm the only one that will eat it. I had roughly 30 pounds prior to trimming, slicing, and freezing. I'm looking make a 5 gallon batch and I know the most common ratio seems to be 3 lbs rhubarb per gallon and 2.5 lbs sugar. I'm thinking I want to do a strawberry rhubarb wine instead of just rhubarb.
My thoughts for 5 gallons are:
10-12 pounds rhubarb
3-5 pounds either frozen strawberries or strawberry jam
10 lbs sugar or honey (I'm thinking sugar would be better as a trial due to cost in case it goes poorly)
If I need a tanin source I have a lot of loose black tea and could brew that (I've seen this used in other recipes as a source)
I don't think I'd need an acid blend, perhaps some lemon to balance the malic acid of rhubarb with citric acid.
I'd need pectic enzyme for rhubarb, so I would need more if using jam.
Yeast is k1v-1116, 2 or 3 packets.

 

[Yooper]

I've never made strawberry rhubarb wine, as my strawberries and rhubarb isn't ready at the same time, and we eat the strawberries pretty darn quickly anyway. But your recipe looks good.

I'd use less sugar at first, and test the SG. You can always add more later, but you don't want a boozy wine that will take a long time to age out- these lighter fruit wines don't age forever.

You are right you won't likely need to add acid, at least not at first, and you can add citric acid to taste later on. The same is true with tannin- you can add it later "to taste".

I'd target an OG of 1.085-1.090 or so, to avoid a boozy finish. Ideally, maybe 1.085 for the strawberry rhubarb fruitiness.

 

[jimmyjusa]

I've never made strawberry rhubarb wine, as my strawberries and rhubarb isn't ready at the same time, and we eat the strawberries pretty darn quickly anyway. But your recipe looks good.

I'd use less sugar at first, and test the SG. You can always add more later, but you don't want a boozy wine that will take a long time to age out- these lighter fruit wines don't age forever.

You are right you won't likely need to add acid, at least not at first, and you can add citric acid to taste later on. The same is true with tannin- you can add it later "to taste".

I'd target an OG of 1.085-1.090 or so, to avoid a boozy finish. Ideally, maybe 1.085 for the strawberry rhubarb fruitiness.

Thank you for your input, I ended up with 5 1-gallon bags of rhubarb and I'm thinking I'll use 3 of them and I believe they are roughly 4 pounds each but will weigh them out and get a better idea at the time. I've seen recipes to throw this in a bucket with the sugar to thaw and macerate, should I start with 5 lbs sugar in this step?

Then make up the difference using strawberries up to the 15 pounds total. Any recommendation on frozen strawberries vs the use of jam/jelly? My thought is a more concentrated strawberry flavor using the jelly unless I find a strawberry concentrate in the stores. If using frozen fruit ill add to maceration stage above

 

[Yooper]

That's what I do- add the sugar and water and campden and let it thaw and release the juice all together. I'd guess at 1.75 pounds of sugar per gallon, and then check the OG the next day to see where it's at.

I haven't used strawberries in a blend, nor have I used strawberry jelly or jam, so I can't really say. Rhubarb is strong, and may overpower the strawberries but that's just my guess.

 

[marose67]

Not a wine maker but, I’m a brewer.

I’ve made a strong ale with rhubarb and strawberries and it turned out awesome. I highly recommend the combo...

 

[jimmyjusa]

What kind of ratio did you use or do you think is best? I'd think half and half would be better if not more strawberry but since I have so much rhubarb that will be my primary. Perhaps blackberry would hold up to it better?

Not a wine maker but, I’m a brewer.

I’ve made a strong ale with rhubarb and strawberries and it turned out awesome. I highly recommend the combo...

 

[S-Met]

Jam/jelly will likely result in cloudy wine due too set pectins. May be better off with fresh/frozen fruit instead. Was also considering sprinkling fruit with pectic enzyme and see if it helps release more juice.

 

[jimmyjusa]

Jam/jelly will likely result in cloudy wine due too set pectins. May be better off with fresh/frozen fruit instead. Was also considering sprinkling fruit with pectic enzyme and see if it helps release more juice.

I did a search before initial post and people have successfully made wine out of jams in the past. They used the pectic enzyme from the start. I'll have to use it anyways for the rhubarb, but I'm unsure about the amount or how much could be too much

 

[jimmyjusa]

Drained off the rhubarb syrup and squeezed as much off as I could from the pulp. Added water to about 4 gallons for the first ferment. My hydrometer is apparently very old, has potential abv, proof, and balling. I added sugar up to a potential of 12% abv. It will drop some when I rack off to my other container after the active ferment slows down.

 

[jimmyjusa]

Lots of good feedback on this batch, rhubarb flavor is there in the background with a "wine" flavor upfront, i don't drink wine so that is the best way i could describe the taste. Friend mentioned it at his work and his coworkers really want to try it the next time i make a batch.

 

[nik2]

How was the acidity? The recipe I used had precipitated chalk to counter the oxalic acid, and the result was very nice. I'm not sure what oxalic acid tastes like though - I've heard some people taste it a lot more acutely than others, and I don't think I'm one of the sensitive ones...

 

[jimmyjusa]

I didn't tast anything overly acidic, I've had commercial wines that tasted more like vinegar than this stuff did. I did not add any other acid or anything to counteract the acid with this recipe. Oxalic acid is the toxic acid that everyone mentions with rhubarb. This is only really found in trace amounts in the stalks and is mostly in the leaves which nobody uses for that reason. I do believe the yeast selection helped give a wine taste to the wine, but i really only had a few tastes and gave all my finished stuff away as gifts.