You can go that route and use 71b-1122 but I personally wouldn't for a strawberry rhubarb melomel. I am really on a kick lately to use Cote Des Blancs yeast. Usually for a Rhubarb Wine or mead the most recommended yeasts are EC-1118 or Montrachet. Both would be fine for what you have but I would suggest Cote des Blancs as my first choice. Also consider making a BOMM out of it using Wyeast 1388 Belgian Ale Yeast - check out the website at (
https://denardbrewing.com/blog/category/mead/). Even if you decide to use a wine yeast, strongly consider using Bray Denard's Staggered Nutrient Addition regimen for a good meal result. Oh oh, my new first choice is Wyeast 1388 with Cote des Blancs second.
Here's a tip for your rhubarb - Use lots more. For a 5 gallon batch, usually the suggestion is 3-4 lbs. per gallon so that would equate to 15-20 lbs. of rhubarb for your recipe. Personally, I'd use even more (25-30 lbs.). I know you may have size limitations on your primary, I use a 12 gallon bucket for my 5-6 gallon batches when I add fruit. The other option is to add fruit to the secondary (bucket) for even more fruit flavor. If you do, then remember to start with a lower volume in your primary so your final secondary batch size is the approximate five gallons you want.
Second tip for your rhubarb - Lower the oxalic acid content. Many people object to using a lot of rhubarb in wines/meads because of the oxalic acid. So remove much of it. Here is how (can use rhubarb juice in primary or in secondary).
- Wash and cut the rhubarb stalks into small pieces about 1 cm long.
- Freeze the diced rhubarb pieces in freezer bags and after 7 days minimum thaw in a nylon bag.
- Then press the rhubarb pieces and collect the juice.
- Carefully pour the 100% rhubarb juice in freezer bags and carefully freeze them solid in an upright position.
- After 2 days minimum, get the frozen juice iceballs out of the bags and cut off the top part of the ice which has a different color and discard it to remove most of the oxalic acid.
-Thaw the trimmed rhubarb juice iceballs and collect the thawed juice into a carboy. Try to determine the volume of rhubarb juice (dipstick dowel method in a container calibrated volume to the dipstick is best).
Good luck with your batch. Let us know what you decide to use.
