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Basic Rhubarb-Wine Recipes
It goes without saying that most rhubarb-wine recipes involve large quantities. Be sure you have enough rhubarb, enough time to prepare it, and lots of patience to wait for the final product. Some general knowledge of the process would certainly be an asset for
beginners who think they might like to dabble in homemade wine-making.
Familiarize yourself a little with the terms that are commonly used by
winemakers and you will be prepared ahead of time for the recipes that
are more involved than others.
Common Wine-Making-Terms
Generally speaking, the rhubarb is chopped, added to water, covered and
set aside to ferment in a warm environment. This is only the beginning.
The liquid is repeatedly filtered and siphoned at different intervals over a period of months to ensure a fantasic rhubarb-wine in the end. During the course of the process, sterile conditions are a must, though
some recipes call for specific bacterial killing agents, while others
do not.
As the filtering process comes to an end, the wine should be getting
clearer. This is the result you want to achieve.
5 pounds rhubarb 1 1/2 gallons boiling water 1 cup raisins 3 pounds brown sugar 3 oranges sliced 3 lemons sliced 1 tblsp. active yeast Method Chop all rhubarb and put into a crockpot. Add the boiling water and let it sit for 3 days covered. Filter the liquid, and to that add chopped raisins, fruits and sugar. Add the yeast and stir well. Cover the pot again and leave in a warm area for 30 days to ferment. Give the mix a stir daily. Filter the mixture again and pour into well sterilized bottles and keep in a cool area. The wine will taste the best the longer it is allowed
to age.
See the Oldest Alcoholic Beverage
CINNAMON RHUBARB-WINE 12 cups chopped rhubarb 1 or 2 small cinnamon sticks 8 cups white sugar 1 1/2 gallons water 1 tsp. nutrients 1 package of wine yeast 2 campden tablets 1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
Method Put the water into your sterile container and add the campden tablets. Mix well and add the rhubarb. Let this stand for a few days and stir each day. Strain the liquid and add sugar and nutrients. Add the yeast and stir. Cover and let stand for 1 day. Filter into another container and add the cinnamon sticks. Attach an airlock. DRY WINE For one year, the wine is racked in the first 3 weeks, and then repeated every 3 months for one year. The wine is then bottled. SWEET WINE After the first siphoning at 3 weeks, add 1/3 cup sugar. Mix the sugar with the wine first and return to the liquid and place in a secondary container or fermentor. Repeat every 5 or 6 weeks until the fermentation process stops with the adding of sugar. Rack every 3 months for one year.
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