# wild rhubarb wine



## benbeard

Anyone here have any tips for wild rhubarb wine? The wild rhubarb is almost ready in Arizona and I may try to make some wine with it this year. Yeast, tannin, grapes, precipitated chalk, anything.

Thanks,


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## djrockinsteve

I took rhubarb juice, blended it with 10% raspberry juice. It came out amazing. Treat it like a white wine. Usual procedure.


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## WaterWolf

I made a wine out of rhubarb last year, however my understanding is that 'Wild Rhubabrb' is a different plant altogether?


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## GreginND

Yes, there are other plants that look like rhubarb, but are not.

http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/not-rhubarb


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## Norske

I didn't think rhubarb could grow that far south.


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## jensmith

How does your Western rubarb taste compared to out North Eastern rubarb? If it is more like rubarb and less like dock weed then just follow a basic rubarb recipie. If it taste more like a dock weed, good luck! 
I have made rubarb wine with the whole stalk and just the juice. Better wine all around with the whole stalk. Just a fyi. If your mock rubarb is dock like maybe juice it and add some other fruit to the bace for flavor. Apple juice or rasberries.


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## benbeard

GreginND said:


> Yes, there are other plants that look like rhubarb, but are not.
> 
> http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/not-rhubarb



From your link
"Rumex hymenosepalus... stalks are an excellent substitute for rhubarb. This plant is a native of Western US." Wild rhubarb, red dock.

I haven't used it, but other locals have in traditional rhubarb recipes.


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## benbeard

djrockinsteve said:


> I took rhubarb juice, blended it with 10% raspberry juice. It came out amazing. Treat it like a white wine. Usual procedure.



I'm thinking just to be safe, I should blend in another amount of fruit. I want to keep it local, but might have to go with something else. I like the idea of 10% or something minor. Thanks,


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## SusieQ

I am just starting a batch of Rhubarb wine from my garden. It should be ready for Christmas so I was wondering, has anyone ever added a bit of cinnamon and used some brown sugar instead of white sugar? I thought is might be a nice flavour for that time of year.


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## Smok1

SusieQ said:


> I am just starting a batch of Rhubarb wine from my garden. It should be ready for Christmas so I was wondering, has anyone ever added a bit of cinnamon and used some brown sugar instead of white sugar? I thought is might be a nice flavour for that time of year.



I justed started a rhubarb wine, but i used white sugar 20lbs rhubarb, juiced it in an omega juicer and froze the juice to seperate the majority of the oxalic acid, i kept the pulp and added 5lbs of diced strawberries and a couple vanilla beans and k1-v1116 and its still fermenting at 0.994 and smells wonderful.


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## the_rayway

There is a really good thread somewhere here about juicing the rhubarb, and cutting out the dark spots - which is where the most acid will build up...I'll see if I can find it for you.

I've used rhubarb as a base, and it's really lovely.

Hah! Found it: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7289&highlight=rhubarb+acid+freezing this thread - comments and links by Luc.


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## MNSue

*Rhubarb wine recipe*

Between me and the neighbor we have lots of rhubarb. Can anyone give me a good recipe they have tried.

This isn't my first try at making rhubarb wine but I'm always trying different recipes as I haven't found one that I really like yet.


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## Smok1

MNSue said:


> Between me and the neighbor we have lots of rhubarb. Can anyone give me a good recipe they have tried.
> 
> This isn't my first try at making rhubarb wine but I'm always trying different recipes as I haven't found one that I really like yet.



I added 5lbs strawberries to mine this year and it smells amazing, my friend added raspberries and his was really good as well


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## MNSue

*Rhubarb wine recipe*

Thanks for the tip about adding other fruit.

Have another question... when you add your yeast to the juice mixture do you stir it in or just leave it on top?


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## gordini

Freezing the rhubarb first is another tactic. I once visited a rhubarb winery in the Vosges area of 
France.... here's the link 
http://www.nomacorc.com/blog/2016/06/rhubarb-wine-a-tradition-reborn-in-the-vosges-region-of-france/


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## Ambugaton

I will be starting a batch here soon. I will be cleaning the rhubarb and dicing it/freezing it to help release the juice. I only have about 5lbs now but... My neighbor who is selling their house asked me to keep up with their lawn in between owners and I see they have quite a bit that's ready... That's considered lawn maintenance right? I would appreciate any recipes if someone is willing to share.


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## Smok1

I have a batch aging in the carboy right now, i used 25lbs rhubarb and 5lbs strawberries for a 6 gallon batch. I juiced the rhubarb before freezing and then put the juice in 4 liter water jugs and froze it, its suppose to seperate the oxalic acid from the rhubarb juice, then i scraped the seperation off the top, im convinced it worked because my TA test after thawing was 0.2


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## GreginND

I have found that just freezing the stalks whole and then thawing works great. Most of the juice will come out when it thaws and then the rest can be pressed. I will never slice 1000 pounds of rhubarb in a cuisinart again.


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## glennwing

*Rhubarb Wine*

My recipe for rhubarb wine is:
10 lbs rhubarb diced in 1 inch pieces and frozen
10 lbs of white sugar
1 gallon white grape juice 
3 lbs of frozen rasberrys 
Champagne yeast

Boiled 2.5 gallons of water. Turned off burner and dissolved sugar. Cooled syrup added to 6.5 gallon brew pail with thawed fruit. Let sit for 3 days. Strained out fruit and pressed as much juice as possible. Added grape juice and enough water to make 6 gallons. Added yeast food and yeast. 
Ferment was very active and lasted about 5 days. After 2 weeks racked to a Carboy. Let it sit for about 2 months at about 65 degrees. Racked it again and then cold crashed it for about a month. Hit with campden tablets and back sweetened with 2 cups of sugar. Came very clear with a light red color. 
OG 1.090
E.G. 0.994 
Like everything else I make some people absolutely loved it others didn't


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## MNSue

Ambugaton said:


> I will be starting a batch here soon. I will be cleaning the rhubarb and dicing it/freezing it to help release the juice. I only have about 5lbs now but... My neighbor who is selling their house asked me to keep up with their lawn in between owners and I see they have quite a bit that's ready... That's considered lawn maintenance right? I would appreciate any recipes if someone is willing to share.


Yes... I would say that thinning out your neighbors rhubarb patch would be considered lawn maintenance. And... if my next two batches turn out I'll send you my personal recipe. Won't know how that's going to be until late this fall.

I have lots of rhubarb though so I think I'm going to try glennwing's recipe next.

Happy winemaking!!!


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## MNSue

glennwing said:


> My recipe for rhubarb wine is:
> 10 lbs rhubarb diced in 1 inch pieces and frozen
> 10 lbs of white sugar
> 1 gallon white grape juice
> 3 lbs of frozen rasberrys
> Champagne yeast
> 
> Boiled 2.5 gallons of water. Turned off burner and dissolved sugar. Cooled syrup added to 6.5 gallon brew pail with thawed fruit. Let sit for 3 days. Strained out fruit and pressed as much juice as possible. Added grape juice and enough water to make 6 gallons. Added yeast food and yeast.
> Ferment was very active and lasted about 5 days. After 2 weeks racked to a Carboy. Let it sit for about 2 months at about 65 degrees. Racked it again and then cold crashed it for about a month. Hit with campden tablets and back sweetened with 2 cups of sugar. Came very clear with a light red color.
> OG 1.090
> E.G. 0.994
> Like everything else I make some people absolutely loved it others didn't


That looks good and I have more than enough rhubarb to try it. I like adding the white grape juice concentrate too.

Thanks for sharing!!


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## MNSue

MNSue said:


> That looks good and I have more than enough rhubarb to try it. I like adding the white grape juice concentrate too.
> 
> Thanks for sharing!!


I'm somewhat new to this so excuse me for asking... what do you mean by "cold crashed it" for a month?

Thanks for answering!


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## fivebk

It means putting it in a refrigerator and cooling it down quickly. This also helps drop unwanted acid in a wine.

BOB


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## wildhair

I used Jack Keller recipe as a guide last year. 20# for a 6 gal batch. I chop the rhubarb into chunks, then vacuum seal it and freeze it - really brings the juice out. I found it needs to be a bit sweeter, but it's makes an excellent wine. 

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques34.asp


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