First All Grain brew question (A Pumpkin Beer)

zman · 10-03-2008, 05:09 AM

So before I saw the Thunderstruck recipe I found this one on BYO. It is my first Pumpkin beer so I am going to need some insight from the wise ones. I already bought the ingredients for this batch (which is why I am not going to do the Thunderstruck...yet.

Ingredients
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) Muntons Extra Light dried malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Northwestern Gold liquid malt extract
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) CaraPils malt
5–6 lbs. (2.3–2.7 kg) pumpkin (cubed)
5 AAU Cascade hops (60 mins)
(1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dried ale yeast
0.75 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
1.Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Heat 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C).

2. Place crushed grains in steeping bag and steep grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. When pumpkin is ready, add chunks to grain bag and add cool water (to maintain 152 °F (67 °C) temperature).

3.Combine grain and pumpkin "tea," dried malt extract and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the start of the boil.

4. Add liquid malt extract and spices with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C).

*** I am going to bake the pumpkin per the messages on this thread. Does boiling it make any difference?Thoughts?

***I am confused about step 2. I am thinking that I bake the Pumpkin first add it to the grain bag with the other grains and then steep for 45 min? Why would I add "cool water" if I am already at my mash temp? I am going to do the mash in my 10 gal Igloo Cooler minus the false bottom.

*** I am going to do the AG version of this next week ( My first AG) Should I add Rice Hulls to my Grain Bill? If so how much?

TIA,
Zman

CatchinZs · 10-03-2008, 12:02 PM

This isn't an all grain recipe it's for a partial mash.

I would find a better recipe if I wanted to do an all grain including pumpkin.
I've done Yuri's extract version and it turned out good and I received a lot of compliments on it.

I just finished moving my lastest batch based off of RichBrewer's pumpkin ale to secondary.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/richards-pumpkin-ale-23489/

Rice hulls are only needed if you intend to mash the pumpkin...I just boil mine and deal with the trub. I think that Yuri said that even with rice hulls the drain was very slow but I don't intend to put word in his mouth so just shoot him a PM and he'll let you know.

I don't know how much brewing experience you have so if you've done a bunch of extract brews and are ready to take the leap then go for it but I wouldn't recommend doing a pumpkin beer as your first AG. It just adds a degree of difficulty that may serve you better to reserver to your 3rd, 4th or 5th AG Brew.
I don't say this to scare you away from the batch but your first true AG is kinda hectic to begin with and dealing with a stuck mash (if mashing the pumpkin) or trying to hit a volume knowing that you'll lose about a gallon of wort to trub just makes it a bit harder.

illinibrew04 · 10-03-2008, 01:07 PM

I brewed an AG pumpkin about 6 weeks ago that turned out great. I'll post the recipe a little later when I have more time.

martinirish · 10-03-2008, 02:45 PM

yes, use cubed pumpkin, I used puree in mine and ended up with 2 gallons of trub in primary... that sucks.

zman · 10-03-2008, 03:16 PM

I stand corrected. It is a PM I am doing but I am going to do the AG version next week. It was late and I was exhausted but I wanted to post my question. Thanks for all the input regarding doing and not doing a Pumpkin AG. I am just more concerned about step #2 in the instructions that tells me to add "cool water"
I have done mostly extracts and PM's over the years, but I am not going to stress out if an AG Pumpkin I make goes somewhat south on me. That is part of the learning for me. I have yet to have a bad batch so if the AG Pumpkin is the one that goes south then so be it.
My thoughts are that there is no reason to add "cool water" to the mash as long as I hit the temps that I need to. Well here goes nothing I guess... RDWHAHB...

chthonik · 10-03-2008, 04:34 PM

"Rice hulls are only needed if you intend to mash the pumpkin..."

Now I need to clarify if CatchinZs means "mash" in the sense of "smush until you have pumpkin pulp" or "mash" as in "mash tun", but pumpkin has to be mashed (in the tun sense) for the sugars to be digestible. I know most people mash the pumpkin (in the pulp sense) to get the most out of the pumpkin. The only time I made a pumpkin beer, I just cubed baked pumpkin, mashed (tun sense) it with the 2-row, and then boiled with spices. Didn't get a strong pumpkin flavor but it was tasty (and the mash smelled terrific and squashy).

I might try some Delicatta squash with this year's pumpkin ale, while I'm thinking about this.

zman · 10-06-2008, 06:52 PM

I made the PM Pumpkin Yesterday. It looks, smells and tastes like Pumpkin. The OG is 1.048. Right on target. Can't wait to do it AG!!!

McTarnamins · 09-25-2010, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zman

I made the PM Pumpkin Yesterday. It looks, smells and tastes like Pumpkin. The OG is 1.048. Right on target. Can't wait to do it AG!!!

I just brewed an all grain Pumpkin Ale with 4 lbs of fresh roasted pumpkin using the Brew in a Bag method. No stuck sparges with the bag. The pumpkin mashed to nothing so there was the typical amount of trub at the bottom; not more then usual. However, I did do a protien rest at 125 degrees so I think this helped the pumpkin starches convert. I always do a protien rest if there are adjuncts in the mash.

The beer smells good and will go into the keg this weekend.