By MaryAnne Musilo

A Runyenjes farmer has ended dangerous wine-making explosions by covering his fermenting jars with a balloon, in a trick that is now saving his hibiscus wine from bursting. The solution is giving him warning before the pressure builds up, and stopping the carbon dioxide from shattering further bottles

Charles Mutuiri, a beekeeper and wine maker from Runyenjes in Embu County, started making hibiscus wine as a value addition from his honey.

But “my first time making the wine in September this year, the jar exploded due to the gas that built up because I didn’t degas it”, he said. 

“The wine-making process makes gas that needs to be let out. You can see it as bubbles at the top of the wine, but you can’t always tell when it needs opening to reduce the pressure.”

“After my first jar broke, I made a small hole in the lid of the jar and covered it with a balloon. This way I get to know when there is gas and I open the jar to let it out.”

Charles started making wine as an experiment to link his honey business with his cousin’s hibiscus farm. He had long wanted a product that was uncommon in the local market. 

“I wanted to get something unique from hibiscus, beyond just tea and kombucha. I searched online and got posts of people talking about hibiscus wine, but they were using sugar. I tried mine with honey and I loved it.”

“I get the hibiscus from my cousin for free. It is a kind of partnership. I also prefer him because I know he farms organically, away from fertilizers and chemicals,” he added.

After he had made his first successful batch, he tried it with his friends. They liked it and he realised he could sell the wine.

As well as being an alcoholic drink with a fruity taste, the wine’s use of hibiscus means it is rich in antioxidants, supports liver health, helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol, and improves insulin sensitivity – qualities that are giving his new drink a bit of advantage.

He makes the wine using hibiscus flowers, ginger, lemon, honey, and wine yeast.

“I boil 2 cups of dried hibiscus in a litre of water. As it is boiling, I add some ginger slices and let it simmer. Then I let it cool.”

“When it gets lukewarm, I add half a teaspoon of wine yeast, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and stir, then I add honey to taste,” he said. 

“I then leave it to ferment for 7 days and sometimes longer for a sweeter flavour. With wines, the longer it is fermented, the better the flavour,” 

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Charles uses glass jars because glass does not react with the wine, meaning the container doesn’t alter the flavour or add any poison. The glass also makes it easy to see how the wine is fermenting.

When the wine is ready, he sometimes adds more honey to sweeten it more.

“Some customers want it sweet, others bitter. Others prefer it when fermented longer. I add honey as a sweetener for those who want it sweet,” he said.

He packs it in small plastic bottles, but is now dreaming of branding it as the demand grows.

“The business is slowly picking up. I sell to my friends at Sh500 per half litre but hope to get a bigger market,” he said.