wine Tomato Wine

WarrantMan

Extreme Member
[SIZE=10.5pt]Greenguru,[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=10.5pt]In your spiced pumpkin wine thread, I made reference to Tomato wine. It sounds bizarre, but it really finishes nicely, not like a V8 as most would assume - but like a curious fruit, sometimes almost like a citrus or kiwi. Here are a few pics of three different batches. I make notes (as can be seen) and I don't really know how others do it (it is a hobby for me and i have just been "winging it" for years.) But, I collect the notes afterwards and if it is particularly good, I try and replicate it later. The batches differ only slightly by the tomato, the yellowish looking ones are just standard run of the mill store type, the darker one has mixed color heirloom types. I have found that the different strains of yeast will produce wildly different finishes. The last pic is one that I will let finish very dry. As the notes indicate, the other two have had quite a bit of sugar added and will be somewhat sweet and high alcohol content when bottled. Never tried it? I suggest to give it a go - usually tomatoes are cheap and plentiful when in season and when done right,  produce a highly drinkable wine![/SIZE]
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I wonder how it would taste if you distilled it to make a brandy. My wifes parents use to own a wine tasting room and my wife would bring all the turned wines that had been open too long home so I could dump them in my still. It made some pretty good brandy shine.
 
Dragonsfire,
 
I use a large industrial size stainless steel blender (1.5 gallon I think,) to produce the initial pulp. It is strained via mesh bags after primary. So there are no seeds and such. I abhor the use of chemicals, so my batches will undergo long waits and quite a few "rackings" before completion. I played with finishers and stuff early on, but opted out for the 100%  natural route. The end result is sometimes a little cloudy, but always delightful. There are some pros who make this  but for me just a hobby.  http://edibleroadtrip.com/blog/2014/1/2/6tjqenl9lxr9h0vyk54aob7hms68f0
 
I have a friend in the food business who gives me fruit when it has "overreached it's profitability" aka "going bad." I have experimented with many things. Tomatoes always come,  so I make wine with it. With varying success, I have done tomato, banana, plum, persimmon, lime, blueberry, strawberry, peach and of course grapes. I tried with cantaloupe and was a complete fail. I don't think it was the fruit itself, but micro organisms on the skin surface (I may try again with a pre-boil) This spring will offer new opportunities and I believe I will attempt watermelon and later in the fall, the reason behind this post, pumpkin wine.
 
Wow that's pretty impressive. How many times do you need to rack into different carboys to clarify?
 
Edmick,
 
I truly just "wing it" every time. This particular batch was racked three times after primary. I don't use any chemicals (no sulfites or finishers.) This batch was a year in progress - a little sweet but as high as possible in alcohol content so the yeast terminates as a result. No need for chemical preservatives... Very strong.  :drunk:     I started another batch tonight, pineapple with a little orange. Pineapple is finicky, so we shall see how it goes.....
 
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