Rhuberry Wead (Wine/Mead?) Please help!

[the_rayway]

Hi All,
I'm new as of today and LOVE this site! So much good information! I'm from Winnipeg, Manitoba and have started my very first mead (finally), only now I'm concerned that I've fiddled with it too much...

Recipe:
10Lbs Rhubarb
2 Lbs mixed strawberries, blueberries & blackberries
1 - 12oz can strawberry daquiri mix (just fruit & sugar)
12 Lbs generic liquid honey
4Gal water
1/2 tsp Tannin (granular)
4 tsp Yeast Nutrient
4 Campden tablets
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1 Pkg Lalvin Ec-1118
*Note this recipe was for a 4Gal recipe, but I added too much water and it became a 5Gal batch...

Starting S.G. 1.078

Was feeling good and the fermenting was going well when I read a few more posts and realized that my starting gravity was too low. The current S.G. was 1.010, so I mixed 1 Lb sugar into some of the must and added that. Brought the S.G. up to 1.014. I adjusted my O.G. to be 1.082 to reflect this. (This was on day 7), the next day I racked into a carboy. Bubbling like crazy.

Everything was going fine, bubbling slowed way down by day 4 in the carboy. S.G. was now 0.994. Hmmm...so soon? Strong alcohol taste, no hint of rhubarb, berries or the honey. So now I'm thinking: maybe I'll add the rest of the fruit I have frozen?

That was yesterday. Today I simmered the frozen fruit down, pureed it, and added 1 Lb of sugar and poured the mess into a new, clean, carboy. Racked the wine onto it as there was already a good 1/2 inch of sediment in my first carboy.

New S.G. 1.004 (added to my O.G. makes 1.090).

Now what? Is this enough to start a second fermentation? Or have I just sort of back-sweetened it a bit and now I wait for it to clear? Do I wait?

Please. Help.
Ray

 

[tonyandkory]

well if you didn't add sorbate it will restart more than likely
what was your SG goal?
I would add another pound of honey instead of sugar next time or if your going higher.

put the air lock on your primary and see if it restarts ... if not pitch some more yeast.

Just remember this could take a very long time to come around but worth it.

 

[the_rayway]

Thanks for the response!
It definitely restarted - by the time I came home in the evening my carboy was overflowing! I`ve been shaking it each day several times to loosen up the `crust`of fruit at the top of the carboy.

Checked the s.g. today and it was down by a few of points. It tasted like the fruit is a bit more to the front. I`m really just going for an ABV that`s high enough to be able to age the stuff without it going to vinegar... I`m figuring on a year in the carboy to clear, then in the bottle for another 6 months to a year? Does that sound about right?

 

[tonyandkory]

The Melomel ((fruit infused mead)) will take a year to be drinkable... better as you go along.

you should really be clear before 6 months ... I have never had to wait more than 3 before I could rack and bottle seeing I like to bottle age because of carboy space.

Don't worry what it tastes like now the flavor and aroma will come back later on.

Good luck! and welcome abord!

 

[the_rayway]

Excellent! Thank you so much for the help - I'm happy to be here and loving my new hobby (addiction is more like it!).

 

[tonyandkory]

yep your right on schedule .... the word addiction came out with in the first 5 posts lol

 

[the_rayway]

It grabs a hold you fast, doesn't it!?! My little guy (2 months old) has become a seasoned veteran of watching Mummy 'experiment'

 

[the_rayway]

Ok, now I'm a bit stumped. The Rhuberry seems to have finished fermenting - S.G. 1.002 for about a week now. However, there is a tonne of fizzing going on and air lock activity.

I tried to degas yesterday with my little drill whip for about 15 minutes. today the airlock activity is faster! What gives? Anyone?

 

[tonyandkory]

Your probably not done fermenting.... I have drilled the heck out of wines before and still had lots of gas in them too...

with your SG and yeasties used 1.002 is more than likely not the end .. you should probably see .998-.996 the 118 yeast is a power house

 

[the_rayway]

Holy Hannah! This stuff is going to be rocket fuel!
How long do you think I should let it go on until?

Also (total noob questions), when you check your S.G. - do you throw the wine from the tube away? Put it back? Drink it? I've been throwing it away, but it seems like I'm throwing out perfectly good wine and constantly topping up with water...

 

[tonyandkory]

Ferment dry and let sit a year... Put it back or drink it, it won't hurt ya... I would suggest not topping up with water. Use marbles or similar wine.

 

[the_rayway]

Ok, I've let this do it's thing for a little while now. It's clearing up and has stopped fizzing. during my last S.G. test (0.994) I'm finding that I've now got a 'plastic-y' taste and not much else - is this normal in a rhubarb based mead? Should I be concerned? Or is this one of those times where I shouldn't worry what it tastes like, because it will totally change in a year or two?

Also, should I consider an f-pack of some kind for enhanced fruit flavours? Thinking of the mixed berries, not rhubarb. Any thoughts? I appreciate any feedback

 

[tonyandkory]

The Rhubarb is so subtle that if you use any thing stronger than maybe strawberry or such it will over power it... my raspberry mead sat in carboy for six months and got bottles in December 2011 and will probably be ready in another couple months ... the young mead will in my experience taste off and have weird tastes but they do come around.

after the alcohol bite subsides the sweet taste from the honey will come through so be careful how much you back sweeten.. might let it sit a couple months then taste again then make that decision

I have a black berry mead made with black berry honey that tasted great then harsh and now is coming around again and it is only a couple months old..

 

[the_rayway]

Whew! I hoped that might be the case. It just tastes so horrible right now! I'll let it got for another 3 or 4 months before I taste it again. Then I'll look at back-sweetening, etc.

Because it's 75% rhubarb, and 25% berry mix, I had thought a berry f-pack might do the trick, but we'll wait and see. The three P's, right? thanks again!

 

[saramc]

Congrats on your new hobby, addicting as it may be (I was bitten by the bug also). Out of curiousity--is all the fruit still in this mead?

 

[the_rayway]

Hi Saramc,
The fruit is out of the mead, the major portion after primary. Then I added some pureed fruit during secondary, but again it was removed after a few weeks. Why do you ask?

 

[stujol]

I pour it back in to the carboy. dumping it put wold be alcohol abuse lol

 

[the_rayway]

So this mead is tasting 100% different than last time I tested it! I can't believe that it could change so much in just a month or so!

Now it tastes like vanilla with mild strawberry up front, light rhubarb and raspberries in the middle and a hint of honey in the finish. What a change from alcoholic rubber!

Now to stick it somewhere for a year or so before I bottle it