Extract Pumpkin Ale

How do you go about adding canned pumpkin to beer, do you boil it? I am doing an extract recipie from Austin Homebrew, it doesn't state clearly when to add the canned pumpkin, do I boil it for awhile or do I add it later? I do know to bake it for 30-40 mins at 350 for sugars. Thanks!

I think most people add it to the boil for the full 60 minutes...be prepared for A LOT of trub.

Well I have a strainer that I use after the boil when transferring to the fermenter, hopefully I can get most of the sediment from the pumpkin out of there.

I was just wondering how long to boil the pumpkin for after cooking it in the oven, will I lose pumpkin flavor by boiling over a certain time limit?

I just bottled my extract pumpkin ale... used about 10 lbs of fresh pumpkin, cubed, in boil for 30 mins.
Lots of sediment in primary, hardly any in secondary.

StaggerBrew said:

I just bottled my extract pumpkin ale... used about 10 lbs of fresh pumpkin, cubed, in boil for 30 mins.
Lots of sediment in primary, hardly any in secondary.

Click to expand...

Usually I do not secondary but maybe this may be a good brew to do so with. I don't want a crazy amount of sediment in the beer, this brew is by request of SWMBO.

My first attempt at fruit beer,

I read that freezing fruit before makes the cells break down for better flavor (I forgot to do this). Also read that in secondary it brings out flavor better. Too much bubbling will throw all your flavor out airlock in primary.

My basic wheat recipe....

1 hour boil,
5 gallon batch:

5 lbs pale 6 row
5 pounds wheat
.5 pound crystal malt
1 oz bittering (Tettnager) in at first boil


Libbys Easy Pumkin Pie Mix (3 cans, 5 lbs. 14 oz) put in secondary for 18 days, then racked a third time to settle out completely. All the spices that are in Grandma's Pumkin Pie were there, very faint...just right IMO.

I am not changing anything, other than freezing fruit (for comparison)I will make this one next. The first batch went too fast!

Hope this helps.

Here's mine:

6.5 lbs light malt extract
1 lb crystal 60L
1 oz cluster (60 min)
.5 oz hallertauer (30 min)
2/3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 oz fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp irish moss
4 pie pumpkins
Wyeast #1056


Peel and cube pumpkins, add to boil at 30 min. At 15 min add spices, ginger and irish moss.

Because I don't think the pumpkin itself adds a lot of flavor (that seems to come from more spices) I steeped mine. My pumpkin has been done for about a month now and has a lot of body to it with not quite enough spice. I may do another batch this year and if I do the only thing I'll change is add a little extra spice.