Help...rhubarb wine not fermenting!

[BusterKeaton]

Hi to all!! I'm a newbie on here and am wanting a little advice on some rhubarb wine I've started to make a couple of months ago. I'll fill you in on the reasons why I think it might not be fermenting so you have a better idea. I made the rhubarb wine following a guardian recipe on the web, I realised after I'd done it (being an amateur brew maker!) that I'd put the yeast into the wine when it was too hot. However I also used a large food grade tub to put the wine in for its first fermentation, which my father in law uses to make beer. Because it was so big I sterilised it according to its size and not how much wine was actually in it (1 gallon), if you know what I mean. So basically I don't know whether its not fermenting because I killed the yeast by adding it when it was too hot, or because I used too many sterilising tablets! I have tried to get it going again by adding more yeast, nutrient and sugary mixture and I also tried siphoning a bit of wine from my elderflower wine, which was going hell for leather, neither of which have worked. Please help....I'd be really disappointed if I have to throw it away, as I used most of my homegrown rhubarb up on it (

 

[Grumpy Jack]

Few years ago I had an emergency restart yeast sachet which was supposed to do, well, exactly what it said. Never had to use it but I wonder if your HBS might gave something similar?

 

[Moley]

If you started it a couple of months ago I would be very surprised if it was fermenting now, that should have finished ages ago.

If you hadn't added or had killed the yeast, then it certainly wouldn't be any good by now and would probably have a thick skin of mould on the top.

Taste it, and if it's dry get it racked off the sediment.

I assume you haven't got a hydrometer?

 

[BusterKeaton]

No I haven't got a hydrometer, I racked it off into a demijohn a week after I put it in the bucket, so there's no mould, it's actually started to clear and the sediment is sat at the bottom. I'll head to the local hbs tomoro and see what he has.

 

[Moley]

Description sounds good from your 2nd post :thumb:

A hobby hydrometer should only set you back about £3 and removes all of the guesswork.

But drinking straws are less than 1/2p each so use your taste buds too, is it sweet or dry?