Rhubarb Wine 2019

Rhubarb stalks can be green or red or mixed green and red. I had plenty so I decided to use more of my red rhubarb and this gave a nice light red color to this recipe. I don't think it will have any effect on the flavor, but it did add a little visual change. The rhubarb that I grow is mixed green with red mostly on the lower half of the stalks.

Ingredients for 5 Gals. finished Rhubarb wine.

15 lbs chopped Rhubarb
15 lbs sugar
1/4 teaspoon Potassium Metabisulfite
1 1/2 teaspoon Grape Tannin
3 teaspoon Yeast Nutrient
3 teaspoon Pectic Enzyme
About 3 gals water

6/15 - Mixed 1 pkg Red Star Premier Wine Yeast - in 1/2 Gal. white grape juice starter. This was some old yeast I had stored in the fridge.
Mixed chopped Rhubarb with sugar and let it sit 24 hrs. to extract juice. I use a 10 gal plastic fermenter.

 
6/16 - Mixed Tannin, Nutrient, Pectic Enzyme, Potassium Metabisulfite, and 3 Gals water and wait another 24 hrs.

6/17 - Starting Specific Gravity about 1.120 (approx. 28 degrees brix) Sugar was higher than I planned. Pitched Yeast starter. No fermentation observed in 48 hrs.? The yeast may have been too old or sugar too high.  Stopped by the local brew shop and picked up some fresh yeast.

6/19 - Added 1 Gal. water to lower S.G. from 1.120 to 1.10 pitched 2 pkgs of Lalvin 71B wine yeast  Fermentation observed in 24 hours.

7/10 - S.G 1.020 Pressed pulp and transfer to a 7 Gal. glass carboy to finish fermenting under airlock.

7/24 - S.G. 1.004 Racked again to smaller 5 Gal carboy topped up and extra in 1 Gal. jug to age and clear.

4/11/2020 Final S.G. 1.004 calculated to 13.5% alcohol by volume.