Hi. This is my first posting, but I have been reading your postings for
several months now. This is a great source of information and has been very
helpful. I have a question about rhubarb. I have read that rhubarb is high
in acid and takes on the flavor of other fruits it's mixed or blended with.
Has any one used rhubarb in fruit or vegetable wines to increase acidity? I
have never seen any recipes that called for anything other than lemons,
oranges or acid blend. It seems like using some rhubarb in low acid fruit
or vegetable musts would help increase the acidity as well as add some body,
without adding additional flavors. Any pros or cons about this would be
appreciated.

Thanks: GJG in Wichita

Hi,
I've made rhubarb wine as well as mixed it with other fruit. The type of
acid which rhubarb has is oxalic acid which is different than other acids -
the taste is unique and not everyone likes it. I use precipitated chalk to
remove the oxalic acid when I make rhubarb wine and do add oranges for the
acid requirement for making the wine. When I combine rhubarb with other
fruit, it is usually in small amounts so I don't remove the oxalic acid, but
I do add something for the acid. The wines I've made come out just fine.
Rhubarb does yield to other fruits, which is nice and adds body, but it
depends on how much rhubarb you add. It all depends on your taste buds, and
you should try to make a wine which YOU like.
Darlene


"GJG Wichita" > wrote in message
news:bRhzf.1357$oG.914@dukeread09...
> Hi. This is my first posting, but I have been reading your postings for
> several months now. This is a great source of information and has been
> very helpful. I have a question about rhubarb. I have read that rhubarb
> is high in acid and takes on the flavor of other fruits it's mixed or
> blended with. Has any one used rhubarb in fruit or vegetable wines to
> increase acidity? I have never seen any recipes that called for anything
> other than lemons, oranges or acid blend. It seems like using some
> rhubarb in low acid fruit or vegetable musts would help increase the
> acidity as well as add some body, without adding additional flavors. Any
> pros or cons about this would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks: GJG in Wichita
>
>

Blending is an excellent way to adjust acidity as well as other factors in
wine. But rather than trying to add some rhubarb (or lemons) to your wine
recipe, I would suggest you make rhubarb (or lemon) wine and then, after the
wines are aged a bit, blend the wines. I think you will have better
results.

Ray

"GJG Wichita" > wrote in message
news:bRhzf.1357$oG.914@dukeread09...
> Hi. This is my first posting, but I have been reading your postings for
> several months now. This is a great source of information and has been
> very helpful. I have a question about rhubarb. I have read that rhubarb
> is high in acid and takes on the flavor of other fruits it's mixed or
> blended with. Has any one used rhubarb in fruit or vegetable wines to
> increase acidity? I have never seen any recipes that called for anything
> other than lemons, oranges or acid blend. It seems like using some
> rhubarb in low acid fruit or vegetable musts would help increase the
> acidity as well as add some body, without adding additional flavors. Any
> pros or cons about this would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks: GJG in Wichita
>
>

Hey GJG:

Haven't used rhubard to increase acids in a fruit wine.

Have started using more fruit to get flavor and body in fruit wines.
With this years blackberry and cranberry had enough fruit the TA's
were within reason without adding any additional source of acid.
Didn't make any other non-grape wine this year.

Used rhubarb to top off other fruits last year. Rhubarb is not
benign, it does show itself, in my experience, at ~3L per 5 gallons,
or ~15% by volume.

Rhubarb wine is worthy. If you have access to rhubarb make it, as
suggested, then blend after the fact. Or bottle and enjoy rhubarb on
it's own. SWMBO has planted a rhubarb patch in her garden. That
means she wants me to make more rhubarb wine. It stands on it's own
just fine.

Steve noobie
Oregon







On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 20:36:55 -0600, "GJG Wichita" >
wrote:

>Hi. This is my first posting, but I have been reading your postings for
>several months now. This is a great source of information and has been very
>helpful. I have a question about rhubarb. I have read that rhubarb is high
>in acid and takes on the flavor of other fruits it's mixed or blended with.
>Has any one used rhubarb in fruit or vegetable wines to increase acidity? I
>have never seen any recipes that called for anything other than lemons,
>oranges or acid blend. It seems like using some rhubarb in low acid fruit
>or vegetable musts would help increase the acidity as well as add some body,
>without adding additional flavors. Any pros or cons about this would be
>appreciated.
>
>Thanks: GJG in Wichita
>