Thoughts on this un-spiced pumpkin ale?

**Daedalus** · 08-15-2011, 07:26 PM

Hi all. Hoping for some feed back on this recipe I sorta threw together. My wife has requested another pumpkin ale after the one I made last year. As I am starting to move away from kits, I wanted to try something different.

Last years pumpkin ale was midwest's kit. I quadrupled the pumpkin at 60 oz but I also used pumpkin pie filling. The result was a little too spiced for my liking (probably should have used regular pumpkin instead).

This year I want to try brewing another pumpkin ale but WITHOUT spices. Instead of spices, I wanted to choose certain grains and hops to provide the flavors I want.

Here's my recipe:

Code:

% 	LB 	OZ 	Malt or Fermentable 	ppg 	°L
55% 	6 	0 	Briess Amber Unhopped LME 	36 	10 	~
18% 	2 	0 	Pumpkin, cooked 	1 	13 	~
5% 	0 	8 	Special B Malt 	30 	180 	~
5% 	0 	8 	Crystal Rye Malt 	28 	90 	~
5% 	0 	8 	Brown Sugar, Dark 	46 	50 	~
5% 	0 	8 	Special Roast 	33 	50 	~
5% 	0 	8 	Cara-Pils/Dextrine 	33 	2 	~
3% 	0 	6 	Molasses 	36 	80 	~
Batch size: 5.0 gallons
	

Original Gravity
    1.060 / 14.7° Plato
    (1.054 to 1.063)
Final Gravity
    1.015 / 3.8° Plato
    (1.013 to 1.016)
Color
    25° SRM / 49° EBC 
    (Brown to Dark Brown)
Mash Efficiency
    75% 

hops
use 	time 	oz 	variety 	form 	aa
boil 	60 mins 	0.75 	Cluster 	pellet 	7.0
boil 	10 mins 	1.0 	Crystal 	pellet 	3.5
Boil: 6.5 avg gallons for 60 minutes
	

Bitterness
    25.6 IBU / 5 HBU 
    ƒ: Tinseth 
BU:GU
    0.42

yeast
Wyeast London Ale (1028)
ale yeast in liquid form with low to medium flocculation and 75% attenuation
	

Alcohol
    6.0% ABV / 5% ABW 
Calories
    198 per 12 oz. 

misc
use 	time 	amount 	ingredient
boil 	15 min 	1 tsp 	Irish Moss

**david_42** · 08-16-2011, 01:31 AM

Well, you've got yourself a molasses-flavored ale in the works. To me the spices are what makes a pumpkin ale, even without the pumpkin!

BonnieJ · 09-30-2011, 06:48 PM

How'd this turn out (providing it's done)? Was the molasses pretty strong?

I'm thinking about making a pumpkin ale but I don't like the idea of overdoing the spices

McGarnigle · 10-01-2011, 05:34 PM

Apparently, pumpkin beers in the US used to be less spiced (see link below). There is a link to an old recipe in there, but it really isn't a full recipe.

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/09/pumpkin-beers-colonial-necessity-to-seasonal-treat-beer-history-brewing.html

**Daedalus** · 10-02-2011, 03:13 PM

I completely went a different route and the recipe I brewed is totally different. More like a northern brown with pumpkin.