Rhubarb Wine Recipe: A Homemade Wine to Surprise

This rhubarb wine recipe uses fresh rhubarb and a handful of other ingredients. The recipe yields six bottles of rhubarb wine and requires approximately three afternoons of active time to complete. Additionally, we provide tips on the necessary winemaking equipment and a step-by-step guide to the entire winemaking process.

Are you looking for a unique and delicious wine recipe to impress your guests? Look no further than this Rhubarb Wine Recipe! With just a few simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, you can create a sweet and tangy wine that will leave your taste buds wanting more. Whether you're a seasoned winemaker or just starting out, this recipe is sure to be a hit. So grab your rhubarb and let's get started!

Rhubarb Wine Taste

If you're wondering about the taste of rhubarb wine, it can range from very dry and zingy to sweet and lemony depending on the amount of sugar and tannin used. Regardless, it offers a fresh and summery flavor that's perfect for late-summer gatherings. The tangy lemony flavor is due to the naturally occurring oxalic acid in rhubarb, which provides a refreshing kick. The recipe's ideal tannin level comes from adding a mug of strong black tea to the must, providing a gentle dryness to the wine. Finally, the wine's sweetness is determined by the remaining sugar content after fermentation. To achieve your desired sweetness level, we offer step-by-step instructions below. This post is part of a collection of recipes for homemade rhubarb wine.

How to Make Dry or Sweet Rhubarb Wine

At the end of the rhubarb wine-making process, you'll have a clear and light yellow to golden wine, similar to white wine. You can prepare a rhubarb wine recipe 5 gallons, this post is focused mainly on a 1 gallon rhubarb wine recipe.

Initially, the wine is quite dry due to the alcohol content and tannins from the tea. If you prefer dry white wine, you can bottle it up at that point. The crispness of the wine reflects the absence of sugar. However, for those who prefer sweeter dessert wines, an additional step can transform dry rhubarb wine into a sweet delight. By adding a bit more sugar and an extra ingredient that prevents the yeast from producing more alcohol, the wine's sweetness can be increased. You can also use honey to back-sweeten the wine. It's recommended to keep detailed notes on the winemaking process, record exact quantities, and take hydrometer readings to improve future batches.

Equipment

• 2 plastic tubs
• Fermentation bucket (optional as you can use one of the plastic tubs)
• Hydrometer (optional)
• 1 Demi-john 5 liter/1.3 gallon - having two demi-johns is better
• Airlock with drilled bung
• Siphoning tube
• Funnel
• 6 wine bottles
• 6 wine corks (optional - you can use screw tops if you wish)
• Corker (optional - this is a tool that helps you to cork bottles)

Ingredients for Rhubarb Wine Recipe

Creating a delicious batch of rhubarb wine is a rewarding and enjoyable project. To achieve the perfect taste, one needs to ensure they use only the freshest ingredients.

To make delicious rhubarb wine, you will need the following ingredients:

• 5 lbs (2.3 kg) fresh rhubarb
• 3 lbs (1.4 kg) sugar
• 1¼ cups (285 ml) strong black tea
• 3 quarts (2.8 liters) of water
• 2 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 sachet of white wine yeast (5 g)

After fermentation, you will also need:

• 1 Campden tablet or 1 tsp Campden powder

If you want to sweeten the wine, you will need:

• ½ tsp potassium sorbate
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar

Using these high-quality ingredients and precise measurements, you can make a batch of rhubarb wine that is sure to impress your taste buds.

To ensure the rhubarb wine has a pleasant, balanced taste, rack it into a clean demijohn and let it mature for a while longer. By following these simple steps, you can craft a delightful bottle of rhubarb wine that's perfect for any occasion. So, gather the necessary ingredients and get started on your own batch of this delightful beverage today!

Instructions

Rhubarb Wine Recipe

If you're looking for a delicious homemade wine recipe, then this rhubarb wine recipe is definitely worth a try. Follow these simple steps and soon you'll be enjoying your own homemade wine.

Prepping the Rhubarb

To start, wash the rhubarb sticks and cut them into half-inch or thinner slices. Place these pieces in a clean, sterilized tub and pour in the sugar. Stir it well and then cover the tub with a clean towel or plastic wrap and leave for at least 24 hours but up to three days. After that time, the sugar will have pulled the moisture out of the rhubarb, creating a rich syrup.

Next, bring four quarts of water to a boil, hold it there for five minutes, and then allow it to cool to lukewarm. While it's cooling, make a large mug of strong black tea and allow that to cool too.

Pour the lukewarm water over the rhubarb and sugar. Stir well to dissolve any of the sugar at the bottom of the tub. Pour the liquid through a strainer into another clean tub. Discard the rhubarb pieces (or use them to make rhubarb pie).

If you want to know exactly what percentage of alcohol your wine is at the end, take a reading with a hydrometer. You'll probably get a reading of about 1.1.

Initial Fermentation (Part 1)

Next, add yeast and yeast nutrients to the rhubarb liquid. Stir well then cover the tub with a clean towel and allow it to sit undisturbed at room temperature for five days. If you want to be more professional in this step, you can use a primary fermentation bucket with an airlock. Fermentation will be pretty violent in this stage though, so it can get messy if the container doesn't have enough headspace.

At the end of the five days, rack the liquid through a sterilized siphoning hose from the tub into your clean demi-john. Fill the demi-john so that there's no less than an inch of headspace from the top of the rhubarb liquid to the bottom of the bung that you'll insert in the next step. You'll likely have less liquid than this at this stage, though.

Initial Fermentation (Part 2)

Once the rhubarb liquid is in, fit a drilled bung into the demi-john's opening. Next, pour a little boiled but cooled water into the airlock's chamber before inserting it into the drilled hole in the bung. This airlock will allow gas to escape but keeps air and potential contaminants from getting inside.

Leave the wine to ferment in a place that's at least room temperature, if not warmer. The temperature that the wine should be during its fermentation varies depending on the type of wine yeast you're using so look at the sachet for this information. A good way to ensure that the wine is at the correct temperature is to stick an LCD thermometer strip on the demi-john.

When your wine gets fermenting, you'll know it by the blip, blip, blip, of the water in the airlock. It will take about three to six weeks for fermentation to complete. By this time, the airlock may only be releasing a bubble of gas every minute or so or none at all.

Aging the Rhubarb Wine

After two weeks, strain the mixture through a muslin cloth and pour it into a demijohn. This will help to filter out any solids that may have been generated during the fermentation process.

Add a crushed Campden tablet to the mixture. Crush the tablet and mix it with a small amount of water then pour it into the wine. Campden tablets contain sodium or potassium metabisulfite which stops the fermenting process. It also stops mold and bacteria from growing in your wine and spoiling it during the aging process. Adding it is not optional.

Once it's in the demijohn, insert an airlock and leave it to ferment for a further two months. During this period, the wine will continue to develop and enhance its flavor.

Wine Racking

After two months (or more, for example, six months), the wine will be pale golden in color, and probably quite dry (unless you added sugar syrup).

Have a taste, and if the flavor of the wine is too dry for your liking, you can sweeten the wine with a rich simple sugar just before bottling it. Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 1/2 cup of boiling water. Boil for a few minutes to evaporate a little of the water. Allow this strong simple sugar syrup to cool to room temperature.

Rack the wine into a clean tub then add the sugar syrup and the potassium sorbate and stir well. The sugar will sweeten the wine, and the potassium sorbate will ensure that the yeast doesn't rise from the dead to devour the sugar. Take another hydrometer reading trying to get a reading of 0.998, equivalent to roughly 13% alcohol.

Benefits

Rhubarb wine not only tastes delicious, but it also has a range of health benefits. Rhubarb is rich in antioxidants and vitamins, which help to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. Additionally, the moderate consumption of wine has been linked to improved heart health and a lower risk of certain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Type 2 diabetes. So, enjoy a glass of rhubarb wine and feel good knowing that it's not only delicious but also good for your health.

"I've prepared this rhubarb wine recipe 1 gallon, and I have to say, the result was nothing short of awesome. The wine turned out to be delicious and had a unique flavor that was truly enjoyable. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try!"

Mary Rogers, New York

Conclusion

In conclusion, making rhubarb wine is a delicious and unique way to use up any excess rhubarb you may have in your garden. Preparing 1 gallon rhubarb wine recipe is commonly used. With just a few simple ingredients and some patience, you can create a refreshing and tangy wine that is perfect for sipping on a warm summer evening. So why not give it a try and impress your friends and family with your homemade rhubarb wine? Cheers to the rhubarb!