Rhubarb cider anyone?

[Calenk]

I've been searching for days with no results. does anyone have a Rhubarb cider recipe? a local cidery makes a very dry and tart rhubarb cider that is fantastic and Id like to make something similar. could I just blend up some rhubarb and adjust OG with dextrose? would that work?

 

[S-Met]

Not really a recipe, but made a apple rhubarb cider several year's ago. I had a 1-time source of apple-rhubarb juice: $23 for their last 5.5-6gal of juice - dont know the blend ratio.

Added yeast (dont remember, but think maybe redstar premier blanc) and let it do its thing.

Found several rhubarb juice recipes, think uou could blend apple and rhubarb until it tastes good, then ferment.

 

[Yooper]

I have a rhubarb wine recipe posted- you could try that, but add far less sugar to keep it in the 5-7% range. 100% rhubarb is very strong with oxalic acid, so I dilute it with water, using 3 pounds of rhubarb per gallon. I've tried 7 pounds of rhubarb per gallon, and I found that way too acidic. You can also try dropping out some of the acid with calcium carbonate, and that can work pretty well if you wanted more rhubarb but not the strong "bite" of it.

 

[Kent88]

I love making rhubarb wine using about 5 - 5.5 pounds of rhubarb per gallon.

Hadn't really considered rhubarb cider.

 

[wisconsinitebrewer]

I did a rhubarb cider a year and a half ago, here was the recipe that I used:
5 gallons Cider
4.5 lbs Rhubarb
6 cups of sugar (bump up the OG to 1.065)
I fermented on EC 1118 and got a FG of 1.008
If I remember, it turned out pretty good. Not fantastic but still very drinkable.

 

[MarkKF]

So how do I handle the rhubarb? Chop it and press it? Heat it? Liquify it on a blender?

 

[S-Met]

So how do I handle the rhubarb? Chop it and press it? Heat it? Liquify it on a blender?

Yooper has a recipe, search rhubarb wine in the wine forums.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/rhubarb-wine-29310/

 

[wisconsinitebrewer]

When I used rhubarb to make the cider (and with wine) I chop it and freeze it when first picked. When I go to use it, I pull it out, put it in my fermenter and cover with sugar. I let this sit, along with a campden tablets, to extract all of the juices from the rhubarb.

 

[MarkKF]

So no need to press?

 

[wisconsinitebrewer]

I, personally, have never pressed rhubarb

 

[Barb801]

I have a rhubarb wine recipe posted- you could try that, but add far less sugar to keep it in the 5-7% range. 100% rhubarb is very strong with oxalic acid, so I dilute it with water, using 3 pounds of rhubarb per gallon. I've tried 7 pounds of rhubarb per gallon, and I found that way too acidic. You can also try dropping out some of the acid with calcium carbonate, and that can work pretty well if you wanted more rhubarb but not the strong "bite" of it.

How much Calcium Carbonate would you recommend per gallon?

 

[madscientist451]

I did it once a few years ago. For 3 gallons, I chopped up 3 lbs of fresh rhubarb and froze it. I then let it thaw and placed it in a carboy and racked 3 gallons of cider (already fermented) on to it. The fermentation kicked off again, and when it was done, I racked it off and let it clear. I then blended the rhubarb flavored cider with frozen apple juice concentrate and a homemade strawberry tincture made from strawberries and vodka. I don't have the notes but I remember it took a crap-load of strawberries to overcome the extremely tart rhubarb flavor. The rhubarb cider was eventually all consumed, but I didn't make any more, it was just a little too acidic for my taste. I only have one rhubarb plant and any I get now goes into strawberry jam.

 

[Chalkyt]

This isn't exactly what you are after but it might give you a few clues. It is styled as Rhubarb Champagne and makes a very nice pink medium alcohol spritzig beverage. I did add yeast in one batch but probably bottled too early because it blew all corks out (champagne corks, wired in place!!!!)

5 litres cold water
1 chopped lemon
875g (3-1/2 cups) chopped rhubarb
875g (3-1/2 cups) raw sugar
220ml (a bit less than a cup) of apple cider vinegar with "mother"
Put the ingredients in a fermenter and leave for 48 hours, strain and bottle.

I didn't have a hydrometer in those days so I can't tell you what the OG and FG were. I believe you can cut back on the sugar.

 

[S-Met]

Proper 6 twists on the cages? And plastic or cork closure?
Just odd to hear. I have only had issues when I accidentally forgot to put the cage on properly.

 

[Chalkyt]

Plastic corks. Proper corks are impossible to get here. Don't know how many twists (it was a few years ago) and of course the evidence was destroyed when the corks blew out, but I suspect the wires just pulled off because they weren't twisted on properly.

 

[MarkKF]

Anyone ever try Zorks? Will they hold pressure.

 

[lucienpower]

I'd love to know who makes the tart cider.nwould like to try it. I'm located near Vancouver, BC

 

[kevhamm]

I'd love to know who makes the tart cider.nwould like to try it. I'm located near Vancouver, BC

Two towns cider in Corvallis Oregon makes the Rhubarbarian and it's very good