Pumpkin saison advice - saison des potimarrons

Hi guys,

I am planning a brew for new week and since it starts to be pumpkin season I am thinking and I never did a saison I am considering mixing the two. I did a partial mash last year for a pumpkin ale and I am looking for a all-grain this time.

Generally I am looking full bodied, after dinner kind of beer with some kind of funk (Full month pie like experience) If it needs to age for after thanksgiving it would be ok I guess.

The couple of questions I have at the moment is :
- Yeast : I am think of WLP565 Belgian Saison I Yeast. I will have to find a trick to insure higher 60 for fermentation. I read that it does not always attenuate well. Should I be worried or just let it some time.
- Starter : I am targeting 3.5 G. in the primary fermenter so I am think that a 1l. starter should be enough. How long in advance should I prepare the starter?
- Pumpkin (boil or mash) I will be roasting a small pumpkin in the oven a 350. I did that last year and that went fine. Last year I used it in the mash but I am considering putting it in the boil. What do you think about that. I am looking to mainly add color.
- For the spice, I am not really sure how to do it yet. I am thinking at flame off but I don't know how much to not overpower the yeast. Any advice are welcome.
- Hops I am not sure about the citra @ 5 minutes. Any advice here?


Bellow my beersmith for a 3.5 Gallons batch (I am still working out my evaporation it might be more or it might be less).

Thanks,
Koubiak
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Recipe: Saison des potimarrons
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Boil Size: 4.54 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.64 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 3.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 3.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.068 SG
Estimated Color: 8.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 35.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 65.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 56.0 %
3 lbs Pumpkin (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 24.0 %
2 lbs Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 16.0 %
8.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.0 %
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 29.1 IBUs
0.70 oz Ginger Root (Boil 12.0 mins) Herb 6 -
0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 6.3 IBUs
0.07 oz Cinnamon Stick (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 8 -
0.25 tbsp allspice (Boil 0.0 mins) Spice 9 -
0.17 tsp Nutmeg (Boil 0.0 mins) Spice 10 -
1.0 pkg Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565 Yeast 11 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 8.0 oz
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 15.62 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 2.27gal) of 168.0 F water

I would make a tea out of the spices and add at bottling to taste. I would skip the citra; with the spices, yeast and pumpkin, you have a lot going on already. I might up the biscuit to make it a little crustier, but that's me. If you ferment low enough (148ish), the yeast should ferment fine, but you can always add Chico or notty if it gets stuck. I've never used store-bought 565, but the yeast I cultured up from a Bottle dupont has never failed to finish at 1.005 or below.

Check my pumpkin saison recipe in my drop down. Came out fantastic. Brewing again in 2 weeks. Highly recommend the French Saison WY3711 yeast. A 1L starter should be OK. If the yeast is fresh make starter 2-3 days ahead of time. The older the yeast, the longer it takes to ranch up. I bake the pumpkin and puree and add most of it to the mash and a bit of it to the boil. I add pumpkin spice with about 5 minutes to go in the boil. I taste when I rack to secondary and add more if needed.