Cap'n Jewbeard

Recipes 

Well, as I say, I'm back on HBT and alive. Those who remember me remember I have a penchant for odd beers (the thinking being, if I love a commercial brew I may as well buy it while I experiment at home).

So - every year, I make a pumpkin beer in September. Past styles have included IPAs, british bitters, a "pumpkin-pie" type, etc.

I have also, in the past, done a Sweet Potato beer that was quite delicious. I am saving my very last bottle of it, which is probably no good anymore!

This year I want to do a Belgian Dubbel which will be sort of true to form, except for one thing: Caramelized pumpkin and sweet potato in the (partial) mash, which will give it that delightful color and extra awesome.

So:

(I have an "eval" copy of ProMash, can't print from it...)

Dei Gratia Thanksgiving Dubbel
2.5 gallon batch - small storage requirement

Partial Mash - 40 mins at 150F:
2 lb Caramelized pumpkin (canned is desirable for even consistency - but NOT sweetened, has to be natural)
2 lb caramelized sweet potato (ditto)
.5 lb Pale 6-row (to try to convert the pumpkin/s.p. starches)
.25 lb Crystal 20
.25 lb Toasted Malt
.5 lb flaked oats

Boil - 30 mins:
3 lb Amber DME
.25 amber candi sugar

.5 oz Fuggle
.5 oz Kent Golding

.25 oz Czech Saaz - 4 mins (I have a crush on Saaz when combined w/ pumpkin)

Yeast: Belgian Abbey

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Comments, suggestions, dire warnings - all are welcome!

__________________
Lion's Den Brewing

Primary/Lagering: April-zen Festbier
Drinking: Starburn Spiced Amber
Drinking: Regulus Rye/Wheat with a bite
Drinking: George Takei's O My-bock

Oldsock

Recipes 

Very interesting idea. My concern would be getting the mini-mash to convert and lauter with such a high ratio of adjuncts to base malt.

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Check out The Mad Fermentationist for my adventures in fermentation (cheese, bread, ginger beer plant, and of course plenty of funky beer).

skibb

Recipes 

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Also, why so much flaked oats?

Cap'n Jewbeard

Recipes 

Excellent, these are questions I am glad to explore! (Because I actually don't have any idea...)

1) What is a typical ratio of 6-row to adjunct, as far as getting enough enzyme to convert the starches? If I have 4 lbs of vegetables (And I could probably change that to 2 lbs), how much would I need to convert it?

2) I had heard flaked oats are good for giving big thick heads on the beers... but I realize now I'm not sure that's true, and I also don't know how much you need for that effect.

Man, I'm glad I asked for comments before I brew this

__________________
Lion's Den Brewing

Primary/Lagering: April-zen Festbier
Drinking: Starburn Spiced Amber
Drinking: Regulus Rye/Wheat with a bite
Drinking: George Takei's O My-bock

the_bird

Recipes 

Wow, Jewbeard - it's been a while, dude! No idea about your questions, but welcome back!

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Oldsock

Recipes 

1) 50% adjunct is about the mas for a mash. That said pumpkin has very little starch (canned pumpkin is only ~8% carbohydrate by weight). My bigger concern is that the pumpkin/potato will gum up the mash, I used 30% pumpkin by weight (baked then pureed) and had one of my only stuck sparges. Some rice hulls will help, but be ready for it (do you have a lauter tun, or do you just use a grain bag?)

2) Oats do boost body and head, I think they are a fine addition to this beer. .5 lbs in 2.5 gallons is certainly not over the top in my experience.

__________________
Check out The Mad Fermentationist for my adventures in fermentation (cheese, bread, ginger beer plant, and of course plenty of funky beer).

Cap'n Jewbeard

Recipes 

Thanks Bird, good to see you again!

Old Sock, thanks mate, I'm just partial-mashing it (alas, still a stovetop extract brewer), so I'd just put it in a grain bag at the beginning.

I think this baby might be ready to go, I'll see if I can pick up ingredients tomorrow unless other folks have thoughts?

__________________
Lion's Den Brewing

Primary/Lagering: April-zen Festbier
Drinking: Starburn Spiced Amber
Drinking: Regulus Rye/Wheat with a bite
Drinking: George Takei's O My-bock

Cap'n Jewbeard

Recipes 

Update: Final recipe, as brewed. It's fermenting now, so we'll see how it turns out, and I'll test it before entering it as an official recipe.


Dei Gratia Thanksgiving Dubbel
2.5 gallon batch - small storage requirement

Partial Mash - 40 mins at 150F:
2 lb Caramelized pumpkin (fresh pie pumpkin, shredded in food processor)
1 lb caramelized sweet potato (canned, no extra ingredients)
.5 lb Pale 6-row (to try to convert the pumpkin/s.p. starches)
.25 lb Crystal 20
.25 lb Biscuit Malt
.125 lb Chocolate Malt

Boil - 60 mins:
3.3 lb Amber LME (Munton's)
.5 lb amber candi sugar

.75 oz Kent Golding - 60 mins
.5 tsp Irish moss - 15 mins
.50 oz Czech Saaz - 10 mins (I have a crush on Saaz when combined w/ pumpkin)

Yeast: White Labs Trappist Ale

OG: At flame-off, 1.075. Diluted with cold tap water down to 1.061
Expected FG: 1.015
Expected ABV: 6%
Estimated IBU: 23.5
Estimated SRM: 22.2 (slightly darker than the Belgian Dubbel color guidelines. In future iterations of this, I may lose the chocolate malt).

__________________
Lion's Den Brewing

Primary/Lagering: April-zen Festbier
Drinking: Starburn Spiced Amber
Drinking: Regulus Rye/Wheat with a bite
Drinking: George Takei's O My-bock