Rhubarb Wine

[IrregularPulse]

Thanks. He just dropped off the rhubard. Going to toss it in the freezer and get to ordering. Never made a wine before other than Apfelwein, but his Son in Law usually makes it and I had some last year. Me and my neighbor both agreed it was way too sweet. Can't wait for this one.

 

[Goat_Nutz]

Ok so i made the rhubarb wine, despite protests from my brother and uncle. After about 8 months, it was awsome. Weird thing is it looks like tap water when you pour it. Its smooth and has a nice rhubarb taste, not to heavy not to lite. I used Yoopers recipe with some EC-1118 that stuff is indistructable i swear. I was wondering if i did anyhting wrong that it came out like tap water, like clear. It's the clearest wine i've made so far, is that good? I mean it tastes good and all but isnt it supposed to be like pinkish or seomthing? Thanks in advance to any answers to this.

Goat

 

[AdamWiz]

I just got a ton of rhubarb from my grandpa's garden, so I think I'm going to give this a go. Bear in mind I have never made wine of any sort-just a lot of beer, so I apologize if this is a stupid question. My question is this : why a towel over the fermentor and not an airlock? Just putting a towel over it sounds like a great way to end up with infections. I mean, even after washing there could be all sorts of microscopic stuff on the towel. I understand that must needs some oxygen, but a towel over an open fermentor does not sound kosher to me. Are there any more sanitary options?

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

I just got a ton of rhubarb from my grandpa's garden, so I think I'm going to give this a go. Bear in mind I have never made wine of any sort-just a lot of beer, so I apologize if this is a stupid question. My question is this : why a towel over the fermentor and not an airlock? Just putting a towel over it sounds like a great way to end up with infections. I mean, even after washing there could be all sorts of microscopic stuff on the towel. I understand that must needs some oxygen, but a towel over an open fermentor does not sound kosher to me. Are there any more sanitary options?

the towel is only for the first couple of days to make sure that the must has enough oxygen to get cranking, after 2 or 3 days you can slap an airlock on.

 

[IrregularPulse]

finally got my chemicals ordered. I'm assuming when you say pt in the recipe, it's Pints, not parts?

 

[lschiavo]

finally got my chemicals ordered. I'm assuming when you say pt in the recipe, it's Pints, not parts?

I went with pints. I just pitched the yeast on 6 gallons this morning.

 

[IrregularPulse]

That's what I was going with as well. I should have everything by early-mid next week and I can get this started finally.

 

[IrregularPulse]

after much procrastination, my rhubarb is now sitting in the fermenter in a strainer bag thawing out. Got about 13.5 lbs. Going to add the sugar and water and campden tomorrow when I get home from work.

 

[Yooper]

after much procrastination, my rhubarb is now sitting in the fermenter in a strainer bag thawing out. Got about 13.5 lbs. Going to add the sugar and water and campden tomorrow when I get home from work.

My rhubarb is still in the freezer! This summer has been so busy for me, that I'm rarely brewing or working on my wine. I'm going to spend two days next week brewing and racking wines!

 

[IrregularPulse]

You think over night is to let it thaw and then add the sugar water tomorrow aroun 6? Or should I run to the store now? I have no idea how long it takes to that 13 lbs of fruit or how long it with stay good once it thaws.

 

[Yooper]

You think over night is to let it thaw and then add the sugar water tomorrow aroun 6? Or should I run to the store now? I have no idea how long it takes to that 13 lbs of fruit or how long it with stay good once it thaws.

Overnight should be fine! You'll be adding the campden, too, so it'll be fine.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Thanks. What exactly does the campden do?

 

[lschiavo]

Thanks. What exactly does the campden do?

Good queestion. At first, I think it kills the stuff you don't want fermenting your wine. What does it do when racking?

 

[Yooper]

Good queestion. At first, I think it kills the stuff you don't want fermenting your wine. What does it do when racking?

It is an antioxidant. The sulfite binds with the wine, so that oxygen can't. Then it gradually disipates.

I guestimate 50 ppm by using one campden tablet per gallon at every other racking.

 

[dmcoates]

One last question before i make this. If i am doing a 4 gallon batch would i need to add 4 times the amounts of tannin, yeast nutrient, campden and pectic? Thanks

 

[lschiavo]

One last question before i make this. If i am doing a 4 gallon batch would i need to add 4 times the amounts of tannin, yeast nutrient, campden and pectic? Thanks

Yes, multiply everything by 4 except the yeast.

 

[lschiavo]

So this is the second racking since primary. I racked this onto crushed campden tabs. It has to be the campden that is responisble for the color change right? Yooper said it would end up a golden color but I did not expect it to change right before my eyes.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Finally got mine all finished and yeast pitched. Mine was never pink. It's been a light green thus while time. My stalks were all green a well though. In the gravity sample it was mor yellowish.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Whoops, I added the yeast after everything else instead of waiting 12 hours. What's the reasoning to wait? I've got a spare pack of the same yeast if the other chemicals are going to kill this first batch.

 

[Yooper]

Whoops, I added the yeast after everything else instead of waiting 12 hours. What's the reasoning to wait? I've got a spare pack of the same yeast if the other chemicals are going to kill this first batch.

The yeast should be added after 24 hours- just so the campden doesn't stun it. It might be fine. The pectic enzyme works better 12 hours after the campden is added- they don't play well together, but no harm will come from adding them at the same time. The PE just might be a bit more ineffective. I wouldn't worry about it, though- this wine clears beautifully anyway.

 

[IrregularPulse]

The campden was added 3 days ahead of time with the sugar and water. I just didn't wait the 12 hours after adding the concentrate, PE, nutrient and tannin, to add the yeast.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I hit 1.110!!! I hope it's not rocket fuel for the next 5 years.

Nevermind, I see that is withing the recipe. For some reason, the app doesn't display that info above the first paragraph

 

[Malarky]

So i'm a noob that's new to brewing and i've been lurking for awhile. i've got apflewein under my belt...and i just racked my first batch of rhubarb to a 1 gallon jug and this stuff smells incredible! But...the rhubarb totally stained my primary bucket yellow... Is this an ok time to soak with some bleach? The forums seem split on it? I just know that the rhubarb is so pungent I didn't want to contribute anything off to the mead I'm making next. Thoughts?

 

[Yooper]

So i'm a noob that's been lurking for awhile to brewing and i've got apflewein under my belt...Just racked my first batch of rhubarb to a 1 gallon jug and this stuff smells incredible! But...the rhubarb totally stained my primary bucket yellow... Is this an ok time to soak with some bleach? The forums seem split on it? I just know that the rhubarb is so pungent I didn't want to contribute any flavors to the mead I'm making next? Thoughts

Yes, bleach is fine. Just rinse, rinse, rinse well and let it dry so that no bleach smell remains. Use mostly hot water with a little bleach.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Just racked this again tonight. I'm so lazy. How many times do you typically need to to rack it? I had very little sediment. I'm thinking I'll be able to rack it on more time, then rack to a bottling bucket. I'm going to pick up some wine bottles and borrow a corker from a friend for this stuff.

 

[Yooper]

Just racked this again tonight. I'm so lazy. How many times do you typically need to to rack it? I had very little sediment. I'm thinking I'll be able to rack it on more time, then rack to a bottling bucket. I'm going to pick up some wine bottles and borrow a corker from a friend for this stuff.

If it's clear (you should be able to read a newspaper through it), and not dropping any more lees, you can bottle any time.

 

[IrregularPulse]

It's definitely clear. I thought you had to keep racking until it no longer dropped anything after racking. I'll give it two weeks then and bottle. I'm a little concerned about the nose burning whatever it was while leaning over the carboy. I'm thinking it was vinegary, but not sure.I'm hoping that I'm just not used to the chemicals in wine making and what they add until aging. I racked onto 5 campden tablets. Perhaps it was the combo of the starsan foam, the campden and the wine.

 

[Yooper]

It's definitely clear. I thought you had to keep racking until it no longer dropped anything after racking. I'll give it two weeks then and bottle. I'm a little concerned about the nose burning whatever it was while leaning over the carboy. I'm thinking it was vinegary, but not sure.I'm hoping that I'm just not used to the chemicals in wine making and what they add until aging. I racked onto 5 campden tablets. Perhaps it was the combo of the starsan foam, the campden and the wine.

The idea is that you want to go 60 days without any new lees. Then you know you won't have those lees dropping in the bottle!

The co2, campden, and wine probably made an aroma that caused that burning! I wouldn't worry about it at this point.

 

[lschiavo]

It's definitely clear. I thought you had to keep racking until it no longer dropped anything after racking. I'll give it two weeks then and bottle. I'm a little concerned about the nose burning whatever it was while leaning over the carboy. I'm thinking it was vinegary, but not sure.I'm hoping that I'm just not used to the chemicals in wine making and what they add until aging. I racked onto 5 campden tablets. Perhaps it was the combo of the starsan foam, the campden and the wine.

I noticed a strong smell too...must be the campden. I tried a little sample recently and it tastes good. I ended up using super kleer as it didn't seem to be clearing by itself. It is now very clear and I racked last night to see if anything else is dropping. Now I have to decide if I should sweeten this before bottling.

 

[Atek]

Just made a batch of this myself. Didn't quite have 3 lbs of rhubarb. Worked out to 2 3/4lbs. Should be alright, just a little on the light side I imagine.This is the first time I've just left it towel covered... makes me nervous to do that. My friends father had some issues with infection. I'll keep ya'll posted on how it goes.