Rhubarb Wine

[johngottshall]

I added my yeast yesterday morning along with peach and grape and peach juice instead of all water tasted and it was fantastic I hope it finishes as good as it was when it started time will tell

 

[Yooper]

I started a 6 gallon batch of this today. The rhubarb was frozen back in May, and I figured it was about time, so I could get ready for the fall fruits that will be coming. I'll update this when it's finished!

 

[solbes]

Our peach rhubarb finished a little higher than last year, this time it was 0.995. It had sat in secondary for 3.5 weeks, so racked it to tertiary where we start the long clearing process. Guess it's time to put that away and take a look-sy at Thanksgiving. Rack one more time after that hopefully.

The sample tasted pretty good. Again mostly rhubarb, but this time with a hint of peaches.

 

[WOODSMANWI]

Hey Yooper, thanks for the great recipes! I was getting this one started and had a couple questions...

1. What are the advantages of using either the Montrachet or the EC1118?

2. I overestimated the amount of water I'd need to dissolve the sugar and ended up with a little over a gallon...is that going to change how long I need to leave the fruit in to get the amount of rhubarb juice needed before adding all the other ingredients?

Thank you for your time!

 

[Yooper]

Hey Yooper, thanks for the great recipes! I was getting this one started and had a couple questions...

1. What are the advantages of using either the Montrachet or the EC1118?

2. I overestimated the amount of water I'd need to dissolve the sugar and ended up with a little over a gallon...is that going to change how long I need to leave the fruit in to get the amount of rhubarb juice needed before adding all the other ingredients?

Thank you for your time!

1. Either is fine. The yeast character is not really prevalent at all in this wine, and either would ferment out well.

2. No, but it will lower your OG a little bit. It's not a problem.

 

[lschiavo]

How is your rhubarb supply this year yoop? I'm going to have tons of apples but the old rhubarb patch hasn't recovered from my dad mowing it down last year. Yeah, I know! Can you believe he would do that?

 

[Yooper]

How is your rhubarb supply this year yoop? I'm going to have tons of apples but the old rhubarb patch hasn't recovered from my dad mowing it down last year. Yeah, I know! Can you believe he would do that?

Yes, I believe he did that.

We had another ton of rhubarb, but I only cut and froze 18 pounds. I didn't even make a pie this year, even though that's everybody's favorite pie.

We have a ton of crabapples, so Bob is really excited about the crabapple wine that will be forthcoming.

I just stirred up this wine, and while the raisins are making it a bit brown-ish, it smells awesome!

 

[johngottshall]

Here is a pic of my rhubarb/peach that was started on 7/6/13 starting to clear

 

[sfish]

The guy I brew beer with has a rhubarb patch and really likes to eat it. I have never tried it myself so anyway we started a 3 gal. batch last night. The guy at LHBS said this recipe looks awesome. This will be our first batch of wine.

 

[johngottshall]

I still have it in the jug bulk aging.

 

[sfish]

I still have it in the jug bulk aging.

Have you even had a taste? How long is your aging target? looks to be a year soon.

Would this oak well?

 

[solbes]

Great to see this thread pop up again as my Rhubarb is starting to go bonkers in the back yard. I will be doing my first cutting after the Holiday weekend, and hope to have enough after cutting #2 sometime in late June (have some in the freezer from July of last year as well). This has become a bigger hit for people visiting our lake place during the summer than my beer.

In 2012 I combined 15 lbs of Rhubarb with 3 lbs of strawberries in our first batch (planning on drinking last bottle this coming weekend to celebrate summer). Last years batch had 15 lbs of rhubarb and 3 lbs of frozen peaches. Bottled that 6 weeks ago and it was crystal clear after 10 months. Not sure what we will combine with this year. Blueberries, raspberries, or apricots?

Planning on doing a Black currant wine later in the fall. Had one from Forest Edge winery in Laporte MN last summer that blew my mind. SO Flavorful.

 

[sfgoat]

I've had mine aging for what feels like forever. I thought I had it done at one point but I had to add some CaCO3 because it was too acidic so now I have to wait for it to clear again.

 

[johngottshall]

My batch still isn't cleared I had it in the refrigerator for a month but no luck

 

[sfish]

I've had mine aging for what feels like forever. I thought I had it done at one point but I had to add some CaCO3 because it was too acidic so now I have to wait for it to clear again.

How did you know it was too acidic? Is it by taste or did you use a test?

 

[sfgoat]

Taste and ph.

 

[Helly]

We discovered a decent rhubarb patch growing in the woods behind our house this year. I've picked, cleaned, and froze about four pounds so far. Hoping to get enough for a 5 gallon batch, although I may have to shoot for 3 gallons. I only have two bottles left of last year's test batch. This is a must-try recipe if you haven't done it yet.


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[solbes]

Nice find on the rhubarb patch. Go buy a bag or two of compost or manure and throw on the rhubarb patch. Then get ready to cut every 2-3 weeks.

 

[Helly]

I've picked and cleaned 6 lbs so far and I'm sure I can get quite a bit more from it. I'm checking it every week to 10 days. Looked up some videos on splitting a plant up to propagate some more. Seems pretty simple.


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[solbes]

Nice, 6 lbs is a great start. I think this will be the first year we get 15 lbs from my patch alone. Usually augmented with F.I.L.'s patch.

In 2013 (our second year of making it), I got a tip from the local brew shop to freeze and thaw the rhubarb and fruit 3+ times to more easily extract the sugars. Which I did and then made the wine. For some stupid reason I did not take an OG reading, but this stuff is much more potent than the 13.8% stuff we made in 2012. Going to have to either cut back on the sugar or cut back on the rhubarb for this years wine.

 

[lschiavo]

We have had good rhubarb weather I guess. My grandparent's patch seems to be thriving this year. I will have to check with the FIL. He has a different variety (red stalks) that I mixed in with the bulk green stuff last time. That wine was well received. I hope I can find the time....

 

[Braufessor]

Hey -

My wife wants to take a stab at Rhubarb wine..... and this seemed like a great place to start. We would likely make something in the 3-4 gallon range. The recipe is for a gallon..... do we just simply multiply everything by 3 or 4? Campden, tanning, etc. What about yeast? Should we use multiple packs?

Thanks

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

Hey -

My wife wants to take a stab at Rhubarb wine..... and this seemed like a great place to start. We would likely make something in the 3-4 gallon range. The recipe is for a gallon..... do we just simply multiply everything by 3 or 4? Campden, tanning, etc. What about yeast? Should we use multiple packs?

Thanks

everything except the yeast. one packet is enough

 

[Braufessor]

Great. Thanks.

Also - in regard to water..... My tap water is highly alkaline (270 Bicarbonate)... I usually use RO water to cut it brewing beer. Is there anything, in particular, that I should be shooting for in regard to water in wine??? I could go all RO, or whatever is best.

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

Great. Thanks.

Also - in regard to water..... My tap water is highly alkaline (270 Bicarbonate)... I usually use RO water to cut it brewing beer. Is there anything, in particular, that I should be shooting for in regard to water in wine??? I could go all RO, or whatever is best.

I wouldn't use the tap water, I'd use the RO like you do with brewing beer. I'd hate to ruin a batch because of the water.

 

[solbes]

Agree, Yoopers recipe seems to scale up really well. I usually make 6 to start and end up bottling a tad over 5.

My 2012 batch was with carbon filtered tap water (alkalinity over 200). My 2013 batch was with 100% RO from the grocery store. I really could not tell a difference in the wine outside of the 3 lbs of strawberry in 2012 and 3 lbs of peaches in 2013. If you have an RO system, I would use all RO or a large percentage.

Last night I just started soaking 14 lbs of rhubarb with 3.5 lbs of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries). Definitely a darker purple color, but not sure that will stay all the way through conditioning and aging. I pitch yeast on Thursday

 

[OzzyBrew]

I've yet to venture into any kind of wine, but my wife would like something done with all of our rhubarb. Forgive my ignorance on the subject, but would I top off the fermenter each time I would transfer? I'll prob do a 5 gallon batch and just xfer back and forth to my 5 gallon better bottles.


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[solbes]

Head space in a primary bucket is fine. Even some in secondary with active fermentation going on may be okay. After that it is all secondary glass or better bottles and should be filled to very close to the neck. I would not top off with water. I start a tad over 6, 6 gal glass, 5 gal glass + 1/2 gal jug, 5 gal so no topping up. You could probably top off with commercial rhubarb wine or possibly a light white wine.

Only downside to rhubarb wine that I see is that it takes a year to clear and bottle. Damn fine summer drink by the lake, around a campfire, or on the deck. Usually all but 4 or 5 bottles are gone by Labor Day

 

[Braufessor]

3 lbs. rhubarb (stalk only)
1/4 pt. white grape concentrate or 1/2 lb. of light raisins (chopped)

1 tsp. yeast nutrient


Freeze fruit and then place in mesh bag and tie up. Place in primary and let thaw. Dissolve sugar in a little boiling water and dissolve campden and pour over fruit. Let sit 2-3 days, stirring daily, and keep pimary covered. Then, strain fruit out and discard. Add all other ingredients (using cold water) except yeast. Cover. 12 hours later, add yeast and stir well. Cover loosely with a towel. Stir daily, breaking up cap. When s.g reaches 1.020-1.040, rack into secondary, top up if needed, and attach airlock. Rack as needed, adding campden every other racking.

Ok - Getting ready to do this on Saturday, and I am a total newb to wine making so I have a few (dumb) questions. I have made one batch of wine.....errrrrr...... vinegar about 12 years ago. I think we will make 3.5-4 gallons with the hopes of eventually getting 3 gallons into a 3 gallon better bottle for secondary/tertiary..... (assuming there will be loss at rackings, etc.)

1.)White grape concentrate/or raisins..... is this just the frozen juice concentrate that you would find by orange juice in the grocery store? Is there a preference between the concentrate and the raisins?

2.) Yeast Nutrient..... Do I triple the yeast nutrient for 3 gallons even though I am not tripling the yeast?

3.) When you put the initial fruit in primary it says to dissolve sugar in "a little" boiling water and pour over rhubarb and later it says: after a couple days "remove rhubarb and add rest of ingredients with cold water"...... So..... I am NOT adding the 7 pints of water/per gallon batch to this primary?
How much water do I put in with the rhubarb? Do i subtract that from the "7 pints" total per gallon batch?

4.) If I put sugar, rhubarb and water in a bucket (without yeast) for 2-3 days..... what keeps it from becoming a bacteria festival of infection?

5.)Adding "campden every other racking"..... So, does that mean add it for the first racking into secondary? Or does it mean I added it to primary and not at secondary and then again at tertiary.... etc. And, If I am doing 3 gallons - 3 tablets each time?

Thanks for the help - Want this one to turn out better than my initial attempt at wine making.

 

[solbes]

Here's my take. Others may differ.

1) I personally add both, but 1 box of light raisins (15 oz) and 1 can of white grape concentrate (11 oz, yes by the other juices) for 6 gallons that becomes 5
2) Triple, everything is scaled but the yeast
3) I personally add as much water as I can fit in primary during the 2-3 day soak. Theoretically you should get more sugar transfer the more dilute the solution you have. You will always lose quite a bit of volume when you pull the rhubarb out at the end of the soak. Then I top up to the recommended water levels and OG
4) The camden you added initially keeps bacteria and bugs from multiplying and should suffocate them
5) I only add camden when racking from secondary to tertiary. As the yeast is still fermenting the last sugars when you rack from loosley covered primary to secondary with an airlock.