Mike4 wrote:I was given a pile of rhubarb a few weeks ago and I used it to have a bash at making rhubarb wine. The initial fermentation seemed to go well but after racking it into the demijohn (I'm only making a small quantity), the secondary fermentation never got started.
Does anyone know why this might have happened, or more particularly if there is anything I can do to get fermentation started again?
Many thanks....
The usual recommendation to get it re-started is to take a small quantity, say a cupful of wine, add a small quantity of fresh yeast and keep it warm until it starts fermenting vigorously, then add back to the demijohn.
How much sugar to the gallon did you add? Does it taste sweet? If you were aiming for a lowish alcohol wine, say 2 lbs sugar\gallon it might have finished fermenting already but a taste will tell you whether it has finished or not.
Generally wines made with a higher proportion of sugar, say 3lb sugar\gallon are more prone to 'sticking' and it is generally advised to add a fermentation nutrient to ensure the yeast has sufficient 'food' to completely ferment the sugar.
I'm assuming you used a wine yeast as opposed to a bread making yeast (which will work, but not for higher alcohol wines and may not provide the best taste).
Keeping the brew at a consistent temperature will also help avoid 'sticking'.
RC