Pumpkins O.G. contribution?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mdf191

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
165
Reaction score
0
Location
State College Pa
I have been seeing in post's that there is a loss of beer due to ALOT of trub when brewing with pumpkin. To combat this I was thinking of starting with 5 1/2 or 6 gallons of water instead of the normal five for my extract brew. I will be brewing a brown ale syle with pumpkin added, so even with 5 gals it would not be a high O.G. brew. Adding more water is only going to weaken my O.G. and lower alc content. But... I was wondering how much fermentables pumpkin adds? Will the addition of pumkin be enough to keep the O.G. and alc content around the original 5 gal levels? Or should I look for a small addition of another fermentable like honey....belgian candi...?
 
I believe that pumpkin will add very little or no fermentable sugar unless it is mashed (even then it is a very small amount).

If you decided to go with 6 gallons just add enough extract to bring your OG up to desired amount. You can add adjuncts if you choose...candi sugar will ferment (practically) out completely and make the beer somewhat drier.
 
Pumpkin (like most fruits) runs around 6% sugar, so a pound will give you less than an ounce of sugar. You'll lose more to the trub than you'll gain from the pumpkin.
 
Back
Top