Allotments 4 All

Has anyone a good wine recipe, tried & trusted please.

I believe there are some simple recipes on this board?

My method is to chop 3-4 lb of stalks into a sterilised bucket,, add 1,25kg sugar and yeast, about 6 pints of cooled boiled water. Strain into a demijohn after about 5 days, making the volume up to a gallon. Leave to finish fermenting. Rack and strain. Bottle as required. Drink when thirsty.

I have made several gallons this way, and various people have been impressed, including other winemakers ...

Well i have decided to make lots of rhubarb wine for that wonderful time of year
 
CHRISTMAS,    it will make a lovely additional pressie.
I know i am far to early but it will taste nicer.

Well, start with this??

Although wine is perhaps traditionally enjoyed at Christmas, I actually enjoy rhubarb most in the summer heat, chilled right down, as the sun is sliding down behind the skyline ...

I've got a good crop already too, Tim..was thinking of crumble, tho :), and Rosebud.....how could you keep it for Christmas, even made into wine? Would it really make a nice prezzie? (I've an elderly friend - now 86! - who makes her own wines & if  recommended I'll give her some stalks as an Easter prezzie).

So....the keeping properties of rhubarb wine - will it improve the flavour?

Who was that sliding down behing the skyline? ;)

Who knows after a few glasses of chilled rhubarb wine !!!  Indeed, who cares  ;D

The point is, it can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere ...

There is a great home brewing site which has lots of recipes. It is UK based and they will answer any questions you have.  You can order as little as a yeast sachet and they are very helpful too. Look at www.thebrewshop.com :) :) :)

A lovely site newtoit, thank you for that link, and welcome by the way !  :)

Alishka - I'll thank you to watch your words - ELDERLY??

At 86 shurely not 'middle-aged' - unless your name's Methuselah (or however you spell it) in which case, you're a mere babby ;D

Hi Curry,

Very interested in trying your recipe!  I was just wondering how much yeast should you put in? Also are there any classic beginner traps that it is easy to fall into or is it really as straight-forward as you make it sound?

Lottief

Definitely as straightforward as it appears lottief. Regarding the yeast, I just start a teaspoonful off in a cup of water and sugar, then add to the must. The quantity is not critical as the yeast multiplies. Stir the mixture daily when in the bucket, using a sterilised spoon (ie rinsed with boiling water).

Good luck !

I'll be trying it straight after easter - just found some equipment on freecycle! How exciting!

My last gallon from the previous year is about to be racked and bottled - I just use plastic pop bottles. This will mean I can start on this years brew, I will be checking the stalks regularly for plenty of growth. The peace of our living room will be punctuated by that familiar 'plop' 'plop' sound !

I like to add a teaspoon or two  of ground cinnamon in to themix for that bit extra..

When we moved here, I naturally brought all my homebrew equipment, etc with me, including several bottles, demi-johns popping and going, etc. After unpacking,  I piled all the boxes and packing cartons (cardboard) in the garden to use the following spring as the base for mulch beds int he garden.  When I came to do it, I found one solitary bottle of rhubarb wine which somehow got missed :o  By that time it was about two years old, clear as a bell; we opened it, and it was like the very best dry champagne, slightly sparkling.  The best wine, home made or otherwise I've ever tasted. So, the moral of the story is, leave your rhubarb wine at least a couple of years in the bottle.  If you drink it too soon, it tastes the way that sweaty socks smell............... :'(

Sweaty socks? You must be using a different recipe to me then, or do you tread your rhubarb ...  ;D

I have just started the first of this years brews, with two gallons ...

I will start my second batch this afternoon. The first lot is bubbling away merrily and looking very pretty in pink. Thanks for the recipe Curry. Now when I head off to the allotment I just say: "off to the vineyard now folks!" ;D ;)