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Something doesn't sound right, maybe to me, but that SG is way too low to start before you added the sugar.

So adding 3gal of water diluted the SG to 1.007.
Did you happen to measure before you put the water?

Sounds about right to me. Rhubarb doesn't have a lot of sugar in it.
 
Ah, so I did. I think that was a mistake. I must have copied that from one of my early winemaking logs. I have a few rhubarb berry blends I've done where I've added pectinase. I don't use it on pure rhubarb and it has never been a problem.


Do you find adding berries makes a better wine blend versus just plain rhubarb?
 
SG only checked after water added. As Greg said, there really isn't much in rhubarb juice to bump SG.

As for flavour, it is still quite pronounced, after the sugar was added, the liquid smelled like rhubarb pie filling. Sweet and tart at the same time, if you can picture it. To explain what rhubarb tastes like, that's tough. Tart like a Granny Smith Apple, crisp like celery, not really sweet. Can be sour like lemon/lime, with a flavour... How the hell do you describe it??
Bake it in a pie, make a jam, with strawberries or apples in a crumble or crisp, it's heaven!
 
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Hounddawg, I'm betting you would like rhubarb wine. Rhubarb looks like pink or green celery, and most folks mix it with strawberries and a LOT of sugar to make pie. I personally munch on stalks while walking around the garden. It is a very light flavor, but dry and extra tart. Kind of like grapefruit without the background bitter but even more tart. I'm jonesing to make some rhubarb too, but to date I have only mixed it in with other stuff in wines. Mixed in with stuff it gives the edge of a great granny smith apple flavor.

Just do not eat the leaves. Way too much oxalic acid. Also, read the thread about the natural way to reduce the amount of acid in the juice. Oxalic acid can cause kidney stones etc, so it is worth the extra steps to remove whatever you can of that stuff.

Pam in cinti
 
thank you, since I love grapefruit an grapefruit juice white type, I'll look up where I can buy seeds and try a five next year, I've heard about rhubarb pie all my life but never saw any I know of, but I'll find out come next season, man yall are turning me into a experiment prone old fart,,, lol
thank you ma'am
Dawg::


Hounddawg, I'm betting you would like rhubarb wine. Rhubarb looks like pink or green celery, and most folks mix it with strawberries and a LOT of sugar to make pie. I personally munch on stalks while walking around the garden. It is a very light flavor, but dry and extra tart. Kind of like grapefruit without the background bitter but even more tart. I'm jonesing to make some rhubarb too, but to date I have only mixed it in with other stuff in wines. Mixed in with stuff it gives the edge of a great granny smith apple flavor.

Just do not eat the leaves. Way too much oxalic acid. Also, read the thread about the natural way to reduce the amount of acid in the juice. Oxalic acid can cause kidney stones etc, so it is worth the extra steps to remove whatever you can of that stuff.

Pam in cinti
 
@hounddawg rhubarb grows from a tuber/root or bulb. Most seed houses carry it.
 
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thank you very much PierreR
I believe ya'll has gotten me curious enough so that I will check out a few farmers markets, on top of trying to grow some myself this coming spring,,
Dawg::

PS

yall are a bunch of nuts, but as nuts go ya'll really are the finest nuts I've had the honor of knowing, just for chits an grins I got a few large persimmon trees
not trying to lead this thread astray but a recipe for persimmons I would love to try that as well,,:sh:ib




@hounddawg rhubarb grows from a tuber/root or bulb. Most seed houses carry it.
 
thank you very much PierreR
I believe ya'll has gotten me curious enough so that I will check out a few farmers markets, on top of trying to grow some myself this coming spring,,
Dawg::

PS

yall are a bunch of nuts, but as nuts go ya'll really are the finest nuts I've had the honor of knowing, just for chits an grins I got a few large persimmon trees
not trying to lead this thread astray but a recipe for persimmons I would love to try that as well,,:sh:ib

I will be surprised if you find it, since you live in Arkansas. I live in Mid-Missouri and can't find much around here. Not enough to do wine from. Can't find choke cherries either and my dad (from North Dakota) keeps bugging me to make some of that.
 
Rhubarb needs an extended period of cold (below 40 degrees) in order to trigger spring growth. Thus, it does't grow well where the ground doesn't freeze. It's hard to grow in Arkansas. While some have been able to get it to grow up into zone 7, it really loves to be in zone 5 or less.
 
OK! This is becoming a pain in the butt in spite of its self. I have had 2 foam overs today. Ive added no nutrient or energizer. Its frothy, not just bubbly. Ideas on how to control?
Would this benefit from bentonite?
 
OK! This is becoming a pain in the butt in spite of its self. I have had 2 foam overs today. Ive added no nutrient or energizer. Its frothy, not just bubbly. Ideas on how to control?
Would this benefit from bentonite?

I had a lot of foam on my Elderberry. I racked it to off the foam.
 
be very, very careful, it sounds like rabies,
in case you was thinking I am not right,
now you know for a fact,,
Dawg::


OK! This is becoming a pain in the butt in spite of its self. I have had 2 foam overs today. Ive added no nutrient or energizer. Its frothy, not just bubbly. Ideas on how to control?
Would this benefit from bentonite?
 
Ive been to this site a dozen times, and "happened" on this today. Mods, this is from Kellers site, please delete if this is not allowed.

There are basically four approaches to making wine from rhubarb, but all require cutting it into pieces first. (1) The pieces are then crushed and pressed to extract the juice, which is fermented; (2) the pieces are covered with sugar to draw out most of the juice as liquor, which is then separated from the pieces and fermented alone or fermented pieces and liquor together and pressed before transfer to secondary; (3) the pieces are frozen, thawed and then processed as (1); (4) the pieces are frozen, thawed and then processed as (2).

Here are four recipes using the four approaches. Two use precipitated chalk to buffer oxalic acid because the rhubarb used seem to require it, while two do not because the rhubarb used tasted fine. You have to use your own judgement regarding your own rhubarb.
Rhubarb Wine (1)

6 lbs rhubarb
2 lbs sugar
2 tsp citric acid
1 tsp yeast nutrient
6-1/2 pts water
1/2 oz precipitated chalk
1 finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet
Wine yeast (Montrachet or Champagne) in starter solution

Trim, wash and cut the rhubarb. Add 5 pints of the water into which is dissolved 1 finely crushed Campden tablet and the sugar. Cover and set aside for 3 days, stirring twice a day. Strain the rhubarb (save the water) and press it dry, then discard the pulp. Combine the sugared water and juice and add the chalk; when the fizzing subsides, add the remaining ingredients (except the reserved 1-1/2 pints water) and ferment in gallon jug covered with clean cloth until vigorous fermentation subsides. Add reserved water and attach airlock. Ferment to dryness, racking every 3-4 weeks until clear. Stabilize, sweeten to taste and age about 3 months. Rack if needed and bottle. Allow 8-12 months before tasting. [Author's own recipe]
Rhubarb Wine (2)

4 lbs rhubarb
1 cup white grape concentrate
1 lb 13 ozs granulated sugar
1-1/2 qts boiling water
1 tsp citric acid
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/4 tsp grape tannin
2/3 tsp pectic enzyme
1 finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet
2 qts cold water
1 pkt Champagne wine yeast

Place cut rhubarb and sugar in primary and mix well. Cover primary for 24 hrs. Crush rhubarb with a piece of hardwood or the bottom of a non-punted wine bottle. Pour boiling water over the crushed rhubarb, stir vigorously and recover primary. When water cools, ladle or scoop rhubarb into a straining bag and squeeze as much of the juice out as possible. Discard pulp. Add the grape juice, citric acid, yeast nutrient, tannin, crushed Campden tablet, and cold water. Cover and wait 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, recover and wait another 12 hours. Add activated yeast starter and ferment until vigor subsides. Transfer to secondary, ferment to dryness, rack every 3-4 weeks until clear. Bottle dry or stabilize and sweeten, age 3 more months, rack if needed, and bottle. Age 6-9 months before tasting. [Author's own recipe]
Rhubarb Wine (3)

4 lbs rhubarb
2 lbs sugar
juice of 2 large oranges
2/3 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
6-1/2 pts lukewarm water
Red Star wine yeast

Wash and cut the rhubarb, then place in ZipLoc freezer bags and freeze at least a week. Dump in colander to thaw over primary. When thawed, squeeze out as much of the juice as you can. Stir in remaining ingredients except yeast. Cover and set aside 12 hours, then add activated yeast in starter solution and recover. Recover and ferment 3 days. Stir, pour through funnel into secondary and attach airlock. Ferment to dryness. Rack monthly until clear. Bottle dry or stabilize and sweeten, age 3 more months, rack if needed, and bottle. Age 6-9 months before tasting. [Author's own recipe]
Rhubarb Wine (4)

4 lbs rhubarb
2 lbs sugar
350 mL pineapple juice or 450 mL orange juice
2/3 tsp pectic enzyme
1 finely crushed Campden tablet
1/2 oz precipitated chalk
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Water to 1 gal (about 6-1/2 pts)
Campagne wine yeast activated in starter solution 12-14 hours prior to use

Wash and cut the rhubarb, then place in ZipLoc freezer bags and freeze at least a week. Remove and place in primary to thaw. Sprinkle very finely crushed Campden tablet and then the sugar over rhubarb in even layer. Cover primary with lid or plastic sheet for 36 hours. Sprinkle pectic enzyme and precipitated chalk over mixture, stir well and recover the primary. Wait additional 36 hours and add all remaining ingredients. Ferment about 5 days, then strain out the rhubarb and press it. Combine pressed juice with fermenting liquor, transfer to secondary and affix airlock. Ferment to dryness. Rack monthly until clear. Bottle dry or stabilize and sweeten, age 3 more months, rack if needed, and bottle. Age 6-9 months before tasting. [Author's own recipe)
 
OK! This is becoming a pain in the butt in spite of its self. I have had 2 foam overs today. Ive added no nutrient or energizer. Its frothy, not just bubbly. Ideas on how to control?
Would this benefit from bentonite?

Temps. getting too high? That will make your yeasts go nuts for a while. See if you can cool your ferments down a abit and bet that will slow them down. Probably won't need to cool down much. Arne.
 
Temps. getting too high? That will make your yeasts go nuts for a while. See if you can cool your ferments down a abit and bet that will slow them down. Probably won't need to cool down much. Arne.

That might have been part of it. It was only 74f. Being 48 hours after pitching yeast, it may have been the yeast finding its stride.

My remedy was to steralize a large spoon, and get rid of the froth. Weird stuff, had the consistency of the froth you see sometimes in rivers.
 
That might have been part of it. It was only 74f. Being 48 hours after pitching yeast, it may have been the yeast finding its stride.

My remedy was to steralize a large spoon, and get rid of the froth. Weird stuff, had the consistency of the froth you see sometimes in rivers.

Was that the room temp. or the must temp? When the ferment gets going strong the temp. of the must can raise quite a bit. Three or four degrees higher than 74 could make your ferment blast along faster than normal. Good luck with it and have fun. Arne.
 

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