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dedicated to giving you some sample recipes. Spring in Wisconsin is a new
beginning, the long winter days are in the past (at least for this year) The trees
are budding and the tulips and daffodils are poking out of the ground. Soon it will
be time to harvest fresh ingredients for wine. Here are a couple of our most
requested spring wine recipes, Rhubarb and Dandelion.
These recipes are for 1 gallon, for larger quantities multiply everything except
the yeast by number of gallons you intend to make. 1 Package of yeast should be
used for 1-5 gallons.
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One Gallon
INGREDIENTS
3 ½ to 4 lb. Strawberries
1½ lb. white granulated Sugar or until Specific Gravity is 1.090
1 tsp. Nutrient Powder
¾ tsp. Acid Blend Powder
½ tsp. Pectic Enzyme Powder
1 Campden Tablet
½ tsp. Energizer Powder
Add enough water to make 1 gallon
Wine Yeast
We suggest a Starting Specific Gravity of 1.090 for 12% Alcohol by Volume Potential
Suggested Fruit Acid should be .5% to .6%
METHOD
Use only ripe fruit without any visible damage. Make sure all stems are removed. Place the
fruit into the fermentation bag, and put this bag into the primary fermentation container.
Crush the campden tablets and mix all ingredients except the wine yeast in primary
fermentor. Cover with a plastic sheet. After 24 hours and when must is 70 degrees F., add
the yeast. Ferment for 5 to 7 days or until Specific Gravity is 1.040. Remove fermentation
bag and lightly press. Rack wine into gallon jug. Attach fermentation lock. Rack after the
first week, then one week later and again in two weeks. Rack every two months until the
wine is clear and no sediments are visible on the bottom of the jug. When wine is clear and
stable, bottle.
The color of strawberry wine is usually more orange than red.
Age 6 months or more.
Hint: Strawberries can be harvested and kept frozen until ready to use, will bring
out more flavor.
Mary’s Recipes - Rhubarb Wine
One Gallon
INGREDIENTS
4 lb. Rhubarb
2½ lb. white granulated Sugar or until Specific Gravity is 1.095
1 tsp. Acid Blend Powder
1 tsp. Nutrient Powder
1 Campden Tablet
½ tsp. Pectic Enzyme
¼ tsp. Tannin Powder
¼ tsp. Energizer Powder
½ tsp. Anti Oxidant
Add enough water to make 1 gallon
Wine Yeast: Red Star Premier Couvee
We suggest a Starting Specific Gravity of 1.095
for 12.5% Alcohol by Volume Potential
Suggested Fruit Acid should be .5% to .8.5%
METHOD
Thaw out the rhubarb. Pour sugar and pectic enzyme powder with the crushed campden tablet over the rhubarb in the primary fermentor to extract the juice. Cover with lid or plastic sheet. Let stand for 24 hours, then strain out the fruit and press very dry. Mix all other ingredients except wine yeast in primary fermentor. Gently add the yeast to the must. Cover with lid or plastic sheet. Ferment for 5 to 6 days, or until Specific Gravity is 1.030. Rack into secondary fermentor and attach fer-mentation lock. Rack after the first week, then one week later and again in two weeks. Rack every two months until the wine is clear and no sediments are formed on the bottom. When wine is clear and stable, bottle. Wine may be sweetened to taste at time of bottling by adding a sugar syrup (two parts sugar to one part water), after first adding ½ tsp. of stabilizer per gallon. Also, add ½ tsp. of anti-oxidant per gallon to preserve the color and flavor.
Age 6 months or more.
Helpful Hints - Because of the oxalic acid present in rhubarb It is best to ferment just the juice, and not on the pulp. Never use hot water with rhubarb. When harvesting late in the summer, cut about 1 inch of stem with the leaf. Cut up rhubarb and put into your freezer for at least a few days, it will yield more flavor. Can be frozen repeatedly.
BLENDING
I've selected these two recipes this month because of their excellent blending opportunity.
Blending two wines is a little more advanced technique. The best way for a beginner to
make a blended wine is to make two separate wines and blend them.
Make equal amounts of strawberry and banana wine.
After the wines are finished fermenting, clear, stablized, and sweetened to taste blend them
according to your taste.
HINT: Bottle some Strawberry, some Rhubarb and blend the rest. You will end up
with 3 distinct wines from 2 batches!
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