RHUBARB WINE

[NorthernWinos]

Been working in the flower beds and getting through them nicely...moved over to the main garden and see that the Rhubarb is poking through....


Planning on doing a batch of wine this year....Didn't make any last year...have tried various blends, Rhubarb/White Grape, Rhubarb/Raspberry/Red Grape, Rhubarb/Strawberry/Red Grape...think the latter is the best so far.


I was curiously going through another Forum [sorry...

] and found a recipe submitted by Tim Vandergrift....[thought he only made kits] but he mixed up a batch of Rhubarb and I like the new ideas he used...


Like..... he sugar extracted the juice form chopped frozen Rhubarb and added precipitated chalk [Calcium Carbonate] to cut the oxalic acid...then added pineapple juice to marry a different acid to the mix.....it sounded most interesting....


I've got to try it....


He saidthe recipewas from an older book Ted Underhill's Making Better Wines....I can't locate this book anywhere....anyone ever seen it????


Tim's recipe was for like 12+ gallons and all in metric...so I am having a fit trying to translate it to US gallons and pounds by weight....


Guess I have plenty of time to try to figure this one out...my Rhubarb is just nubbins right now.

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[Wade E]

I would search amazon.com for the book and google conversions. I found
a few sites that will convert anything to anyting and bookmarked it
cause I know nothing about converting metrics except from mm to inches
as I used to run a numerically controlled saw at a cabinet shop. As a
side note, a small local winery in Ct. called White Silo winery makes
an awesome Rhubarb wine. I gotta get a hold of some rhubarb and make
some. I just dont know where to get it as Ive never seen it around here
for sale but I know it grows around here as my parents used to grow it.


Edited by: wade

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

This book is available on ebay , only found one seller, $40+ shipping.


http://cgi.ebay.com/MAKING-BETTER-WINES-Ted-Underhill-1st-Revised-2000_W0QQitemZ170095623616QQihZ007QQcategoryZ378QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemEdited by: JWMINNESOTA

 

[Wade E]

Nice avatar JW. $40.00 plus, ouch! I just searched and I guess if you
want it you better grab it off ebay cause I dont see one for sale
anywhere!


Edited by: wade

 

[NorthernWinos]

eBay....anything you want....I was doing Amazon...silly me

 

[Waldo]

Must be an after effect of that tick bite that temporarily dulled your senses NW

 

[NorthernWinos]

The Rhubarb sure has grown nicely [must be the compost and fertilizer]...

Did loose the middle plant this past winter....Last summer when it was so hot and dry the Rhubarb was wilted flat...it was trying to tell me to water it...but there were higher priorities...usually you can't kill the stuff with and axe...




Hope to get enough for a batch and try the recipe with the Pineapple juice and neutralize the oxalic acid with the Calcium Carbonate.

 

[Wade E]

I will be having some Rhubarb ine at 2 wineries this weekend. 1 place
in CT. Ive been there a few times so far and they have excellent fruit
wines( I know grapes are a fruit but I say this to differentiate)
including Rhubarb sweet or dry. The other place is in NY which I have
never been to and they have all fruit wines to except for a Seyval
Blanc. They also have a few Champagnes in which 1 is a Rhubarb. We will
be having tastings at both. Have you ever made Rhubarb Champagne before
NW?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Not Sparkling Rhubarb Wine....tell us how it is!!!!

 

[Wade E]

Will do.

 

[Trigham]

NW ,

it seems u have a virtual vintners dream garden going there with many varieties , can u explore them with picture and descriptions please.

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

NW, Id love to see your recipe for Rhubarb, I have some growing behind the garage. always let the neighbor have them, this year I told the sweet ol gal...not so fast

 

[NorthernWinos]

Trigham...I kind of showed my Wine Garden in another Post..
http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3481


Here is the Post:


Worked in the Wine Garden today....not nearly as impresive as the other guys on this Forum....but this is just 'The Fruit Lady'..


Asparagus [not for wine] raspberries, rhubarb and a few grapes [45 + a few extras]...

3 rows of strawberries, garlic and another row of raspberries and a few extra grape plants...

Baby grapes on the vine.....

One of the Louise Swenson vines....was such a tiny tissue culture, but made it through the winter...

And under the tent...salad fix'in's

At the far end I have been setting out a black currant, sandcherries and Nanking cherries....still waiting for more black currants, Aronia, gooseberries and a Josta berry...will also be getting more Juneberries to match up with the plants at the back.


Will Post more photos as the plants arrive.....


Love fruit wine!!!





But didn't show the apple trees, crabapples and the native fruiting bushes....I'll try to add more to that Post...looks like a rainy day so will be indoors today...Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[NorthernWinos]

JWMINNESOTA....the fellow who Posted a recipe on another Forum [sorry...was just surfing for recipes

...] used Metric measurments....so I am going to have to wing it a bit when I do mine...I'll try to write it out as best I can doing conversions and Post it later...


He chopped the Rhubarb and froze it...so I am going to do that for starters.

 

[NorthernWinos]

NW, Id love to see your recipe for Rhubarb, I have some growing behind the garage. always let the neighbor have them, this year I told the sweet ol gal...not so fast

The recipe was in Metric and the fellow made a 12 gallon batch....I tried to interpret it as best I could.


He interpreted a recipe from the above mentioned [expensive] book.


For sugar extraction he chopped and froze the Rhubarb...he said 8# of chopped rhubarb per gallon of wine, seems like a lot.... I will try6-8 this year....[he said let the Rhubarb flavor shine through]


He put the frozen Rhubarb in a primary fermentation bucket with sugar [andother additives]and let it thaw..he used a lot of sugar...I would use less and then boost it up once the rhubarb has released it's juice and you add the water.


My interpretation of the recipe...this is what I will try....I have NOT made any yet...but will.


RHUBARB WINE WITH PINEAPPLE JUICE


I will made a 5 or 6 gallon batch


6-8# Rhubarb [chopped and frozen] per desired gallon of wine [in straining bag]
Sugar for extraction...[start with about 1+ 1/4#/gallon [add more later to get desired S.G.]
Crushed Campden tablets...1/gallon
1-2 oz of Chalk [Calcium Bicarbonate]...[this might fizz...I have never used it]
Pectic Enzyme.....as per directions on bottle/gallon
Frozen Pineapple Juice Concentrate....he used a untold measurement...I will use at least one 12oz container per gallon...and...maybe one for good luck!!!


Let thawto extract juices...he let it sit over the weekend....I would do it for 24 hours....squish the bag to help extract juice.


Add water to bucket[squish bag to release juice into liquid] and sugar and more waterto desired S.G.


Yeast Nuetrient...as per gallon instructions on bottle
Yeast...Lalvin E-C 1118...or your choice


Fermentation practice was not mentioned....I imagine he used the usual methods...ferment....squish bag...wring it out...rack to carboy...rack again..let clear...stabilize, etc.


If you start this before I do...please post photos and your opinions....
Thanks.

 

[Wade E]

Thats alot of Rhubarb per gallon. Wow! how much Rhubarb do you get out of your garden would you guess NW?

 

[NorthernWinos]

I thought that was a lot of Rhubarb too...he wasusing metric measurements, and I was confused by his measurements [kilos and liters].....Perhaps someone could convert it for us...I asked questions but was not informed of U.S. conversions.


He said 8 pounds per gallon...it was Tim Vandergift...I think he is well informed of conversions.


I have never really weighed the total harvest...Before I would pick 20 pounds, freezeand steam extract the juice....


This time I will pull the stalks in June from the 3 plants, hoping they get redder and longer in lengh......if I don't have enough 'tonnage' will pick again in August or pull some from the patch that came with the homestead..that patchisn't as red in color, but seems flavorful...I'll get enough pounds somewhere.


Will be fun just to try another recipe.


Previously I used the recipe from the book 'Winemaking' by Anderson & Anderson for my first batch...used white grape concentrate, it was just okay...Have also mixed Rhubarbwith Raspberry and with Strawberry...they wereboth mixed with WinExpert Red Grape Concentrate, the mix with Strawberrywas our favorite to date.


So...maybe by adding the Pineapple will get yet another flavor combination.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[Wade E]

The winery I went to today mixes their Dry Rhubarb with their sweet Blackberry to make an awesome Sangria!

 

[Cracked Cork]

You have a nice Wineyard there, how about give us a little tour, what have you got on those stakes in the back and on the right?

Crackedcork

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks Cracked Cork.....I like looking at your WebSite and go there every now and then for updates.....I did a little 'tour' [photos] in the topic WINE GARDEN...
http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3481&PN=3


I have to add some more photos once the new plants leaf out...just got a few more from a cold warehouse/catalog and they are getting 'babied' along now....sure hope they make it.