Pumpkin Ale sludge
 

Hello All-

I'm a newbie to the forum but have been a reader and fan for a while. I figured now is the time for me to start getting some help.

This morning I brewed a pumpkin ale and am not confident in it, as there was a significant amount sludge put into the primary. I am aware that hop sludge will settle out but will canned pumpkin sludge? I decided to use canned pumpkin and added it directly to the boil with five minutes left. In reading other pumpkin recipes other most people are baking it and adding it to the mash. Has anyone added canned pumpkin directly to the boil? If so did you have a sludge problem that didn't settle out in the primary/secondary? I used 2 can's of Libby's canned pumpkin pie mix, 60 oz total.

Did the pumpkin sink or float to the surface of the bucket when you tossed it?

That's why it's always a good idea to either siphon you cooled wort into you fermenter, or pour it in through a strainer.

I added my canned pumpkin to the boil at 60 minutes and I didn't have too much of a problem. I siphoned out the wort and tried to leave the sludge behind and I also siphoned it to the keg to age. My fermenter had a good amount of sludge at the bottom. I would guess that the pumpkin settles to the bottom eventually.

1.The sludge definitely didn't sink but didn't completely float to the top either. It was kind of mixed with in the wort. That's what had me nervous.

2. I don't usually use a strainer, but I was concerned with prior so I did use a strainer. It caught a good bit of sludge but not enough to make me feel confident.

3. I was afraid the pumpkin pie mix was the problem. The recipe kit I bought had several reviewers complain about the lack of pumpkin flavor that came through in the final product, and recommended a switch to the pumpkin pie mix. The mix I bought doesn't include the evaporated milk but does have spices and syrups.

Is it normal to add canned pumpkin directly to the boil or is it usually baked and steeped?

Awesome, that's good news. Maybe there is hope then. Did you use 100% canned pumpkin rather than a pumpkin pie mix?

You'll be fine, I just kegged the pumpkin ale I brewed a month ago. Just be prepared to lose more volume then you would normally expect to because you'll have to leave a decent amount of beer in the bottom of the fermenter because of the amount of pumpkin/trub sitting at the bottom of the bucket. I also used pumpkin pie mix.

I think you'll be fine as well. Just FYI, I made a Pumpkin Ale with just pumpkin pie spices at 5 min. Added 2 tbs at bottling as well. Drinking the first one now, and although green it's a very nice pumpkin smell and taste.

This. I bottled my pumpkin ale a week ago, and had a ton of pumpkin/trub. I probably lost about a gallon of volume. I used the pumpkin pie mix also. Net total of bottles was only 41.