not sure - problem with rhubarb wine

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lawnmower

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not sure - problem with rhubarb wine
« on: August 13, 2013, 19:22 »
Hello all,
I have joined the forum for some good advice. I have made some rhubarb wine (I think) for the first time. I put the yeast and stuff together and followed the insrtuctions to the T. When I syfoned off the wine into demi johns I put the cork in with the breather. This has been left for over 4 weeks and it looks the same as it was when it first went in. It never bubbled/fermented on the johns and looks cloudy   
« Last Edit: August 17, 2013, 07:46 by mumofstig »

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Capt Zero

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Re: not sure
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2013, 19:51 »
Hi Lawnmower & welcome to the forum.

What was your recipe??? It would help us to help you if we know what you have done. There's a number of things that could have happened or gone wrong. Do you have an hydrometer??

"From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world."
–Saint Arnold of Metz, The patron Saint of Brewers

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BobE

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Re: not sure
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2013, 19:52 »
Can you taste test it LawnM?

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lawnmower

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Re: not sure
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2013, 10:32 »
Hi, Capt Zero and BobE,
Sorry for the delay in my reply.
 I had 10lb of rhubarb and spliit it in to two buckets, so I did 5lb rhubarb, 4.5lb sugar,1 1/2 tsp yeast, and 1 1/2 tsp yeast nutriant and 1/2lt white grape concentrate. left it near to 2wks before I put it in demi johns. It fermented well as I activated the yeast before I added to the rhubarb. I didn't put all the yeast sediment into the johns tho, is this where I may have gone wrong? been in the johns for three/ four wks now looks the same now as to when I put it in the johns. No BobE I havn't tried it not sure whether to or not. :D

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lawnmower

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Re: not sure
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2013, 10:35 »
Oh, and I do not have a Hydrometer.

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BobE

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Re: not sure
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2013, 13:07 »
I think you will have to taste it, not to drink it but to see if a) has it gone bad. b) has it finished first fermentation.  Without a hydrometer you can only use taste as a test.

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syks grower

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Re: not sure
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2013, 22:31 »
Hi lawnmower
The normal way to make rhubarb wine is
Chop 5 lbs of rhubarb add 3 lbs of sugar and mix well leave closely covered for 24 -48 hours.
Stain off the rhubarb amd wash with water add all the liquid to a demijohn add yeast nutrient, yeast and concentrate add water to fill demijohn and ferment out under airlock.

I would try the following make up a new yeast starter with some orange juice and add it to one of the demijohns to see if it starts fermenting. if it does not then the wine has fully fermented.
You do not say how many demijohns of wine you have got?
you need about 3lbs of sugar to the gallon to give you a decent strength wine.

When did you make the wine and how old was the rhubarb because this  can cause the wine to be cloudy

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lawnmower

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Re: not sure - problem with rhubarb wine
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2013, 04:54 »
Hi BobE,
It tasted horrid, think it has to go down the drain or used as an alcoholic cleaner. I will try again with my August harvest of rhubarb. Never say die and I will buy a hydometer for the next lot too. Thank you BobE.

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Capt Zero

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Re: not sure - problem with rhubarb wine
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2013, 07:27 »
Don't be too quick..I made rhubarb last year for the first time in years. A few months in and it was not nice at all,  6 months was  :(....but I left it and around the 9/10month mark it came good, so good in fact that every * started drinking it. All 25 lts went in just a short time, that's why this year I have 50lts so far, with enough rhubarb to do another 25lts.
Your recipe that you used, you may want to consider a different type, a lot of guys I know always freeze the rhubarb over night,  apparently freezing the fruit bursts the cell wall. Then next day you put the rhubarb in a FV, and throw in the correct amount of sugar, it's know as the dry extraction way. You pop a lid on and leave for 24/36 hours. If you want the full recipe just shout.

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AnnieB

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Re: not sure - problem with rhubarb wine
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2013, 21:16 »
When you syphoned off to new DJ's you will have taken up enough live yeast to get the ferment going again, well it is difficult not to get some live yeast.

Was the original still bubbling when you syphoned?
If it had stopped before transfer then the transferred lot will also not do any more.
2 weeks in a bucket is too long, I tend to put mine in for 5-8 days then into a DJ.

Could have used all the sugar - do you actually mean 4.5lbs per gallon?
If so that is a lot of sugar and would give a starting gravity of about 1.150 to 1.160 and so potential alcohol of 20-22%. Few yeasts will go to this level, most taper off at around 18% also the sugar concentration could have been too much for the yeast and it has given up. The grape juice will also have had a sugar content.

So what could have happened is that after 2 weeks the yeast has eaten as much sugar as it can, produced the maximum alcohol level that it can then died. Could also have run out of nutrient.

Does it taste sweet ?

If you put 4.5lbs in 2 gallons then the yeast will have eaten all the available sugar and wants more. It would now taste very dry. If you have done this then add 1 teaspoon of sugar to one of the DJ's, stick the air lock back on and see if bubbles appear. If this is what you have done and it starts bubbling a little then you will need to add about 1/2lb of sugar to each (a total guess but that would make about 2.75lbs a gallon) and the yeast should restart as it will have available food. Add a bit more nutrient if it starts going again.

Finally, and no idea what to do, rhubarb is acidic and the acid could have killed the yeast. No idea if there is a solution to this at this stage of the fermentation.

That is my offerings.
Rather hope it is dry as a bone to taste as this is likely the easier to sort.

If you can then drop a hydrometer in and find out what the gravity is.



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