Looking for input on a Nut Brown Pumpkin Ale

Hey All,

I had the idea of doing up a Pumpkin ale using an existing Nut Brown extract kit from Northern Brewer, and wanted to see if my method was reasonable or if I was way off:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/nut-brown-ale-extract-kit.html

I'm using the Wyeast NeoBritannia Yeast (just the smack pack- no starter), bottling with 4oz of corn sugar.

From other threads, it seemed like the thing to do was to get some pumpkin (canned, in my case, 2 30 ouncers of Libby's) cook it, freeze it, then warm it up again and throw it into a mesh bag while making the wort. I guess the cooking and freezing is to break down any protiens? Not sure.

I was then going to let it go a 2-3 weeks in the fermenting bucket and bottle it. I'd love any input provided- thanks!

I did this with a Midwest supplies kit. Used unspiced pumpkin and just chucked it in the boil and added spices towards the end. No cooking, freezing, etc. Worked but next time I'm doubling the spices.

Get your hands on a real pumpkin, bake it, mash it up, and put it in a big.

Keep us updated. Sounds like a great idea!

Brewed last night. Pumpkin completely dissolved in the wort, smelled pretty good! I threw it in at just before 15 minutes left in the boil with the hops. Off in the bucket now, and I'm anxiously waiting for that airlock to start bubbling.

Awesome! What did you do to cook the pumpkin and did you use the 2 30 oz cans? I'm trying to come up with a pumpkin/Octoberfest Ale and am curious how the pumpkin flavor comes out for you.

I cooked the contents of the two 30oz cans in a pyrex at 350 until the mushed firmed up a little and got nicely browned up top. Chucked it in the freezer Dow a few hours and then brought it back to room temp. It added real easily to the wort.

Airlock is bubbling away!

Quick update to the Nut Brown Pumpkin Ale- I let it sit in the fermenting bucket for three weeks and pulled it out. FG of 1.008? Seems kind of low, not sure if I measured right.

Strong boozy smell, which I am hoping will improve with some bottle conditioning. A taste of the couple of ounces I couldn't bottle provided a nice pumpkin taste, but no hint of spices.

I did lose about 1/2 gallon of volume, which i attribute to all the pumpkin matter... but really excited to drink this thing. I know I should wait (at least) two more weeks, but we will see if I can hold out that long.

Just in case anyone was curious, after 3+ months of bottle conditioning, the final result on this beer was a "meh".

The pumpkin is clear in the aroma, but I taste no spice at all with only slight pumpkin flavor. Additionally, the wife says that it tastes more of banana than pumpkin. Lastly, while not too big a deal for me, the head on the beer is pretty nonexistent.

Next I think I will pass on the cans and try to use some quartered pumpkin chunks and maybe some sweet potato? Oh well, it is not that bad and it is still beer!