Rhubarb wine query please

[Bertie Doe]

About this time each year, I always have two gallons of elderberry wine on the go. This year the allotment has produced a large crop of rhubarb, the Spring flush has been used in jams and pies.
I'd like to try rhubarb wine (for the first time) once the two demijohns are free. I've picked about 4Kg today, which have been cleaned and chopped. I've been forced to freeze it, because the wasps are showing an interest and I dare not delay the picking.
I'm going to try this recipe http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/may/25/how-to-make-rhubarb-wine I've also looked at 2 or 3 other recipes online and they all omit the need to boil. Having lost a beer and a wine batch in the past, due to infection, I'm a bit nervous of not boiling. What does the team think? Thanks.

 

[Wraeccan]

In all honesty I can't give a perfect answer. However, I didn't boil mine. I simply covered the chopped and frozen rhubarb with the amount of sugar, covered it and left it for 24 hours. It did give off a lot of liquid.

I'm sure some better advice will be along shortly.

 

[Moley]

I simply covered the chopped and frozen rhubarb with the amount of sugar, covered it and left it for 24 hours. It did give off a lot of liquid.

I'm sure some better advice will be along shortly.

No it won't, I think you've nailed it already :thumb:

Extract the juice, crush in a CT, then pitch your yeast after 24 hours.

 

[Bertie Doe]

I simply covered the chopped and frozen rhubarb with the amount of sugar, covered it and left it for 24 hours. It did give off a lot of liquid.

I'm sure some better advice will be along shortly.

No it won't, I think you've nailed it already :thumb:

Extract the juice, crush in a CT, then pitch your yeast after 24 hours.

Thanks guys, just one more please, reference crush in a CT. I thought the purpose of a CT was to kill yeast? For example: it's used at the end of a ferment - if you wish to add sugar to sweeten the finished wine.

 

[dizidave]

Hi Bertie, thats right about teh CT's, however, they are also used as an alternative to boiling, teh idea being that the CT's kill off any natural yeasts or bacteria that you dont want in your must.

The CT's effect will have gone after 24 hours so you can then pitch your yeast and away it goes.

Its sometimes best to avoid boiling as a sterilisation method as it can cause issues with pectin and hence clearing i beleive.

I did some rhubarb wine a few months ago, i didnt have as much rhubarb as i would have liked but the wine has turned out OK.

Good luck

 

[Moley]

Again, spot on :thumb:

Most country wine recipes will use either boiling or CTs to clean up the must and get rid of any undesirables before you pitch your yeast.

Rhubarb is best suited to cold juice extraction, either by the dry sugar method or “freeze and squeeze”.

 

[Bertie Doe]

Thanks all that's good news. This morning 'next door' gave me 3 glass DJ's and air-locks. I'm giving them a good soak at the moment, all I need to purchase are 3 rubber bungs. This is a great result, I now don't have to wait for the 2 DJ's of elderberry to finish. So this w/end I'll start 2 of rhubarb and one gallon of WOW.

Moley I was looking at your 'How to' on WOW. Am I correct in thinking that the carton of orange is NOT in itself a concentrate? In other words it's not the type you dilute to taste and you can drink it straight from the carton - like a breakfast orange?

I was looking at my green coffee bean suppliers site and noticed he did the Melitta range of filters. I use a caffetiere or espresso machine to filter coffee, so I have no experience with the filter paper system. Thinking aloud :wha: would it make a good cheap wine filter.
£5 for the #6 cone and £3.10 for 80 filters. Coffee is obviously courser than wine debris, so you may need 2 filters (one inside the other). So that would be 8p to filter a gallon. Has anyone got thoughts on this project?
http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products ... .aspx?c=20

 

[Moley]

Moley I was looking at your 'How to' on WOW. Am I correct in thinking that the carton of orange is NOT in itself a concentrate? In other words it's not the type you dilute to taste and you can drink it straight from the carton - like a breakfast orange?

Correct, they are usually “FROM concentrate”, I've never tried any of the freshly squeezed orange juices.


I doubt if coffee filters would do anything, but filtration should never be necessary and is only an optional extra finishing touch.