Rhubarb Wine.

[Liquidity]

Hey everyone.

Been making home brew wine for about a year mainly following recipes from a book and mainly real fruit wines.

I'm currently doing a Rhubarb Wine as a colleague was bitching about how much of it he had and how there were only so many crumbles he could eat. So I did a deal with him where he supplied raw ingredients and I sent him back wine. I now have 6 gallons on the go.

I started in usual fashion, 4.5kg stalks, froze the lot to break it down. Extracted juice by putting 3kg sugar per 4.5kg of fruit on and leaving for 3 days. Had to add another 2kg of sugar per 3 gallon to bring potential alcohol up to 15% to start.

Anyway, now 3 days in and it's all fizzing away quite happily and even the pink colour is back after disappearing when I first sterilised the juice. However, I've had a friend and ex brewer telling me it's all for naught and it'll turn out chalky and be a bitch to clear. Is this right? Has anyone else done Rhubarb. How did yours turn out?

Sorry if this is in wrong section. Mods please feel free to move it if it is.

Thanks in advance. [emoji485]

 

[engineer]

Variable i think is the answer.
I have done several gallons this year, they started off pink when fermenting but eventually became much more pale in colour. I decided to let them clear naturally rather than filter, some are 3 months in and i can begin to see through the storage containers. I did one gallon 50% rhubarb and 50% grape juice just for something different. That one is definitely clearing faster but at the moment at least is less interesting to taste. I expect to age them for a min of 6 months and up to a year so at the end of that time i hope they are clear and ready to drink. If not then i can always resort to the filter if need be.

 

[Redron]

Had two gallons on the go now for over two months. Nicely pinkish red to start and now , after two racks, is a very pale pink and with a sg of 1024, I was hoping it would be less than this by now (I'm really a beer brewer !) and it tastes pleasant enough but is a bit 'thin' and lacks any real bite or kick. I didn't add any grape juice in the initial must so maybe that's where I've gone wrong. I may add some soon along with a bit more yeast to kick it along a bit....
Have to say though, it's fabulously clear and no finings used !

 

[jamesw]

I can imagine a lovely rhubarb champagne would be absolutely incredible!!
When I get round to growing some ill try it!

 

[engineer]

I can imagine a lovely rhubarb champagne would be absolutely incredible!!
When I get round to growing some ill try it!

Now that's an interesting idea. Just finishing a prosecco clone brew so will make a note and have a go as sparkling rhubarb wine next time the allotment provides the necessary.

 

[jamesw]

Now that's an interesting idea. Just finishing a prosecco clone brew so will make a note and have a go as sparkling rhubarb wine next time the allotment provides the necessary.

please do, and let us know how it goes!

I can imagine the slightly tart bubbly with rhubarb afternotes would be delish!
And its probably the next homebrew sparkly after elderflower champers.

 

[Liquidity]

Had two gallons on the go now for over two months. Nicely pinkish red to start and now , after two racks, is a very pale pink and with a sg of 1024, I was hoping it would be less than this by now (I'm really a beer brewer !) and it tastes pleasant enough but is a bit 'thin' and lacks any real bite or kick. I didn't add any grape juice in the initial must so maybe that's where I've gone wrong. I may add some soon along with a bit more yeast to kick it along a bit....
Have to say though, it's fabulously clear and no finings used !

My 6 DJ,s of the stuff are rocking at the moment. Seems to be going along like any of my other wines to be honest. I'd expect them to start slowing by next weekend.

Yes, the pink has finally come back, but I didn't add any grape, I hardly ever do with any of my wines. I just add additional fruit.

Tasted suitably Rhubarby when I went from primary to secondary, so hoping the taste stays good. If it ends up a bit flat, I'll slap it with some more malic acid which is what gives Rhubarb is sourness in the first place. (It's oxalic acid in the leaves that make you feel bad).

 

[bigboots]

Last week I bottled 26 bottles (ex-champagne /prosecco) of rhubarb for sparkling, and 7 used wine bottles for "normal" wine.
I had added several litres of red grape juice to the must as the rhubarb I made last year was very insipid in colour.
This year's batch, however, has turned out a VERY dark rose so I guess 1 litre of red grape would have been enough! Initial tasting was a little sharp, so promising for a sparkling wine.:

 

[NCFCcrazy]

I'm new to this wine lark, but I am a keen gardener and it was my grape vines that started me down the wine route. From a gardening perspective, forced rhubarb is much sweeter so expect that it will make better wine. Its not hard, all your friend needs to do is pop a bucket over the rhubarb in spring to restrict the light.

 

[Andrew Chapman]

Now that's an interesting idea. Just finishing a prosecco clone brew so will make a note and have a go as sparkling rhubarb wine next time the allotment provides the necessary.

Hi, did you ever give this a go?