My husband thinks tomato wine sounds gross. I’ve read that it doesn’t taste like tomato at all. What does it taste like? Would it be insane to add a few jalepenos in with the tomatoes?
Tomato Wine
- Thread starter Newbie Mel
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It's like a chardonnay with an aftertaste that hints at tomato.
I have noticed more tomato flavor as it ages, but that was an open bottle in the fridge, so it might have been the oxygen that affected the flavor.
I added a few peppercorns (like 6 whole peppercorns in one gallon, during aging) to one batch and it added another subtle flavor - I think I liked that version a touch better.
I didn't backsweeten either of the batches I made.
I haven't tried adding jalapeños. If nothing else, you would probably end up with an interesting cooking wine!
Edited to add: all the tomato color falls out so it looks like a white wine.
I have noticed more tomato flavor as it ages, but that was an open bottle in the fridge, so it might have been the oxygen that affected the flavor.
I added a few peppercorns (like 6 whole peppercorns in one gallon, during aging) to one batch and it added another subtle flavor - I think I liked that version a touch better.
I didn't backsweeten either of the batches I made.
I haven't tried adding jalapeños. If nothing else, you would probably end up with an interesting cooking wine!
Edited to add: all the tomato color falls out so it looks like a white wine.
OMG you have to make tomato wine!!
I agree with @Jovimaple - chardonnay. I also did not back sweeten. I thought it was wonderful bone dry. With mine I didn't have even a hint of tomato flavor.
Homegrown tomatoes or forget it. And I would oversize a bit for sure - lots of lees.
My suggestion would be to not add anything to your first batch so you know what it tastes like. You won't be disappointed! (Unless you hate chardonnay.)
I agree with @Jovimaple - chardonnay. I also did not back sweeten. I thought it was wonderful bone dry. With mine I didn't have even a hint of tomato flavor.
Homegrown tomatoes or forget it. And I would oversize a bit for sure - lots of lees.
My suggestion would be to not add anything to your first batch so you know what it tastes like. You won't be disappointed! (Unless you hate chardonnay.)
Ok! This I can do because we have more tomatoes than I can use and I suck at canning. If I start with 1 1/2 gallons do you think that will yield one gallon, or should I up it to 2 gallons to end with one? I have mostly Roma tomatoes, but also some cherry and one other that I’m not sure what it is, maybe early girl.
12 lbs chopped tomatoes
10 cups sugar
2 gallons water
2 tsp yeast nutrient
5 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp tannin
1/8 tsp Kmeta
Hmmm, my notes aren't the best on this batch. I am sure I mixed everything together, then let it sit overnight so the Kmeta wouldn't cause issues with the yeast. Then I sprinkled the yeast on top.
I do know that the siphon clogged a lot because I didn't use a mesh bag for this batch.
10 cups sugar
2 gallons water
2 tsp yeast nutrient
5 tsp acid blend
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp tannin
1/8 tsp Kmeta
Hmmm, my notes aren't the best on this batch. I am sure I mixed everything together, then let it sit overnight so the Kmeta wouldn't cause issues with the yeast. Then I sprinkled the yeast on top.
I do know that the siphon clogged a lot because I didn't use a mesh bag for this batch.
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I used 18 lbs tomato, frozen first (they turn to mush), and in primary it was a little over 4 gallons. By the time I got to bulk it was 3 gallons.
I had another fast ferment, but as I understand doing gallon batches with a whole packet of yeast this is not uncommon. I pitched yeast on Monday and today it’s at 1.020. I want to leave it undisturbed a few days so gross lees will maybe settle more before I rack to secondary. Does that make sense? I have mostly just been doing DB for that past year, 3 gallon batches. Recently I decided to start getting more adventurous with some gallon batches of other types of wine beside DB. I am using fruit from my property and getting enough for a gallon has been less intimidating for me rather than trying to gather 20 lbs, plus starting out with experimenting, gallon batches make sense to me. My question, I have been letting my DB ferment to dry in primary before racking to secondary, but I am wondering if it’s better to transfer to secondary before SG is below 1.000? Or at what point does oxygen become the enemy? At 1.020 I will no longer stir each day and I have removed the fruit bag, but is it bad to keep in open bucket covered with towel at this point? Also is a fast ferment with fruit bag only in for a few days going to mean little flavor?
As long as it’s vigorously off gassing C02 you should be able to let it go a bit more but I would rack it when it hits 1.000. If you have the fruit in a bag you shouldn’t have much for gross lees.
If you don’t have a lot of head space and can seal the bucket it would be like doing extended maceration. I don’t know if that’s something you want to do with tomato and the primary fermenter isn’t the place to do any clearing.
If you don’t have a lot of head space and can seal the bucket it would be like doing extended maceration. I don’t know if that’s something you want to do with tomato and the primary fermenter isn’t the place to do any clearing.
I just racked. I got a gallon and half because I wanted some for topping off. I racked the gallon first and didn’t pull in much lees, but the 1/2 gallon I got some. The half gallon is bubbling like mad and the gallon is not bubbling at all, is that because of the lees in the half? Did I leave too little headspace in the half? Thanks in advance for any input/advice. I don’t have much confidence yet.
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I would venture the guess that the gallon will catch up quickly. There is still a lot of suspended yeast in them both, the lees shouldn't make much difference.
I like to keep my levels high. If your air lock is closer to the wine than your stopper, if it is tight enough in the bung I would lift it up and leave the levels as is.
I like to keep my levels high. If your air lock is closer to the wine than your stopper, if it is tight enough in the bung I would lift it up and leave the levels as is.
The gallon's level is fine -- it could be an inch lower with no problem. The half gallon is a bit too full, as activity could cause it to bubble over, as can temperature and barometer shifts. But at this point, unless one bubbles over, don't worry about it. There's nothing else you can do with that small amount, so if all goes well you're saving it, and if it bubbles over? Oh, well.
Activity in the airlock tells you nothing conclusive, as it tells you nothing about why it's bubbling. Don't worry about it.
What is the SG? If it's below 1.000, the wine is either done fermenting or close to it, and in any case it may degas for weeks. If it was above 1.000, then it's still fermenting.
Either way, the easy part is done. Now comes the hard part: waiting.
You have entered the Patience Game part of winemaking, having to watch it sit there, getting better day-by-day as it ages. It will taunt you, but you are stronger, and you will not bow to mere wine taunting you. In the end, the wine will fulfill its destiny as your beverage. *
Ignore the wine for 3 to 4 weeks, then rack. You'll have enough sediment build-up to warrant racking, and the majority of the lees will have dropped. More will drop over upcoming months, but it's all fine lees and you can ignore it until bottling.
Patience, Grasshopper.
*
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I don’t know about tomato wine, but regarding the jalapeño, go light. I know someone who wanted to make grape wine with some spiciness (god knows why) and that jalapeño flavor bloomed into a crazy level, like I thought it was undrinkable. Maybe one ring per batch ought to do it for ya.
