Rhubarb wine?

Intelekt · May 3, 2013

Hello,

I've just been given a kilo of fresh rhubarb from someone's allotment :thumb:

I can't seem to find a recipe on here for it, so has anyone got a tried and tested rhubarb wine recipe that's on the sweet side? :pray:

I only want to brew 1 gallon so I'm hoping I've got enough rhuby.

Many thanks :hat:
Ade

oldbloke · May 3, 2013

CJJB reckons it's a decent wine in itself and also great for blending with other stuff you're not so happy about.

He says:
3lb rhubarb 3lb sugar yeast nutrient
or take out 1/4lb sugar and add 250ml grape concentrate
Slice thinly, cover with sugar, wait 24hrs, strain, some water onto pulp, strain again, make up recovered liquid to 1 gallon, pitch yeast

Not tried it myself
Someone who has will be along shortly, I'm sure

Intelekt · May 3, 2013

Thanks oldbloke :thumb:
Seems simple enough, I suppose it's extracting the rhubarb juice that's the key, although I've never juiced a rhubarb before :hmm:

I wonder if freezing it would help?

oldbloke · May 4, 2013

Intelekt said:
I wonder if freezing it would help?

Does with many fruits, breaks the cell walls

Curryholic · May 12, 2013

Sorry to hijack this a bit... I've just pulled 5lbs of rhubarb from the garden and stewed it up for compot - wife's choice! I added a bit too much water in with approx 2lb sugar and it was cracking with ice cream and I've managed to split it into 3 tubs and have about 3.5L of rhubarby/sugary liquid.

Question is could I add some more sugar and bits and brew it up? :hmm:

Cheers,
Dave

LeithR · May 12, 2013

@curryholic,
Yes, you must!! to use a multi purpose word. :) :)

It would work well - go for it.

second2none · May 12, 2013

One of my first adventures into brewing was with canned rhubarb just popped three cans of the pie filling stuff in a Dj with white sugar and water and fermemneted it dry! It tasted bad so was left a month or two then i just fell in love with it!

Would love to seem some peoples recipes posted her coz I'm definatly going to give this a go

I seem to remember that I added some ground ginger to mine, as ginger and rhubarb are a classic combination in the culinary world

I dont know what CJ says but the taste of rhubarb changes so much from raw to cooked, have you thought of cooking it first?
I love the idea of using rhubarb jam that texture where the rhubarb falls to stringy bits is heavenly....

Infact if it wasnt sunday I would be in the supermarket right now after rhubard :rofl:

Intelekt · May 13, 2013

So if its that good from tins then it must be well better fresh :hmm:
Was there a lot of sediment in the DJ second2none?

The recipe I've decided to go with is this one:

2kg Rhubarb
250ml or wilkos size red grape juice concentrate
1.25kg Sugar
2tsp Pectolase
Youngs dried active Yeast
1tsp Yeast nutrient
1tsp glycerine
Water

It's a combination of the other rhubarb thread, plus a bit of CJJ's input with the concentrated grape juice added

I did look at the tinned rhubarb yesterday in the supermarket

Ended up buying two tins of blackcurrants :shock:
But yeah I have to agree the taste is divine :party:

second2none · May 13, 2013

Yes good from tins but recommend looking at cooking it first

Yes there's loads of floating bits and loads of fizz up at the start recommend half filling ur dj then topping up the next day!

The bits float around and without wanting to put u off remember
The brew looking like an alien entity ands if u can imagine inch long spagetti like strands of green being blown about by realised gass u can see why my sister thought it was full of worms!

I just sieved them out and let settle then rack off got rid of everything nicely!

I have no idea how ur recipes going to turn out but good luck!
Would have thought rhubarb was a white wine sort of drink like elderberry
But don't let me stop u doing a red just a personal choice!

I will keep my fingers crossed for u

Tim_Crowhurst · May 13, 2013

second2none said:
Would have thought rhubarb was a white wine sort of drink like elderberry

You mean elderflower, surely? You don't get much redder than elderberry!

second2none · May 13, 2013

Yes I stand corrected! I did mean elderflower

Intelekt · May 14, 2013

Stage 1

Right I finally got my rhubarb going tonight :party:

I'll post pics as I go and see what it turns out like :thumb:

First I defrosted the rhubarb after freezing it for a couple of days:

Then a few hours later when it had defrosted I sprinkled a teaspoon of pectolase over the top, then added 1.25kg of sugar:

Now I just wait 36ish hours for the sugar to dissolve.

Stage 2

I left it for about 60 hours in the end but its ok, then strained it into demijohn and swilled some water around the rhubarb and strained it again twice

to get all the sugar syrup out.

I made a rhubarb crumble with the left over rhubarb :thumb:

Then added red grape juice concentrate and other ingredients, swished it about and topped up with water then added yeast and fitted airlock:
Only filled Â¾ of the DJ in case of volcanic eruption

Now I just wait :thumb:

Still fermenting ten days later quite vigorously! Smells nice!
No volcanic eruption so topped up with cooled boiled water to neck.

second2none · May 15, 2013

Since ur using fresh wild fruit are u going I boil or add a Camden tablet to kill
Mold/natural yeasts or u reckoning it will have all been killed off in the freezer!?

Picture 2 should be hanging in an art gallery!!

Can I ask what kinda camera u used to take the pics?

Intelekt · May 15, 2013

second2none said:
Since ur using fresh wild fruit are u going I boil or add a Camden tablet to kill
Mold/natural yeasts or u reckoning it will have all been killed off in the freezer!?

Picture 2 should be hanging in an art gallery!!

Can I ask what kinda camera u used to take the pics?

Thanks for the compliments :thumb:

I'm not going to add a Campden tablet because I think it was CJJ and in another book that said this would make it into a very dry sort of hock style wine

Just going to do it and hope for the best!

My camera is an iPhone 4S, which I have to say is the best camera ever! My canon eos could do better I suppose but the iPhone is always there with me :party:

Intelekt · May 16, 2013

Quick question :thumb:

When I strain my rhubarb juice do I just let it drain or is it best to squeeze the juice out? My instincts are thinking if I squeeze then more acid might be released :hmm:

second2none · May 16, 2013

The malatic acid (damn should have listened to my dad today)
Is only present in quantities in the rhubarb leaves
And hence mashing it won't release more acid just more flavour
But but but will release more pectin as well making ur brew more opaque like ginger beer style and people confuse this with the brew not clearing!!

If I was u I'd just sieve it and accept the lose of some flavour and have a clearer brew

PuggledPrune · May 16, 2013

Can i jump in with a wee question?

I've only got about 1kg of rhubarb, was thinking of adding 500g of forest fruits or cherries or something. Will that be enough fruit or should i buy more rhubarb/random fruit....?

cheers

Intelekt · May 16, 2013

second2none said:
The malatic acid (damn should have listened to my dad today)
Is only present in quantities in the rhubarb leaves
And hence mashing it won't release more acid just more flavour
But but but will release more pectin as well making ur brew more opaque like ginger beer style and people confuse this with the brew not clearing!!

If I was u I'd just sieve it and accept the lose of some flavour and have a clearer brew

Thank you :hat:

Oxalic is the one I think :hmm:

I'm adding a teaspoon of pectolase to the DJ too, (ones already been added to the must)
So I think just swirling me bucket and gently pressing the juice out thru my jam strainer stand thing is the way to go :thumb:

Edit: nope too much hassle sterilising all that stuff

sieve and funnel will do :party:

It'll have to be tomorrow morning now, which will make it 60 hours in the bucket with the sugar and not 36 hours, but hey ho

second2none · May 16, 2013

Yes oxalica acid... It cleans black marks out of oak you know (well u do now)

Yes just sieve it but give it another day or so back in the dj before bottling u will find this helps get rid of yeasties that have been riding round on the rhubarb strands

As for adding fruit I'm sorry I have never done that but when u say summer fruit did u mean the frozen supermarket stuff if u do I would add at least 1kg of that because rhubarb is such a strong bitter flavour sounds like I trying to balance it out... So would have at least 1kg of fresh maybe even more but it depends if u want a fruity rhubarb drink or a Rhbarbie fruit drink!
Please post ur recipe and how it turns out what ever u deside to do!

Intelekt · May 17, 2013

second2none said:
Yes just sieve it but give it another day or so back in the dj before bottling u will find this helps get rid of yeasties that have been riding round on the rhubarb strands

Eh? :hmm: before bottling? I haven't even started fermenting yet :nah:

Rhubarb wine?

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