Surprise Pumpkin Patch Ale (Gluten Free)

As my family continues to grow I have been brewing less beer and more cider. But I have this week off so I thought I'd brew a beer or two. We have a large (30 at least), unplanned, unplanted pumpkin patch in our back yard. I was looking at it yesterday and thought, "Why not?" So I went and picked the most ripe looking one, cut it open and scooped the seeds out. Cleaned them and then roasted them in the oven at 275 for 20 minutes. I ended up with just over 2 oz of seeds (these are sugar baby pumpkins).

I steeped those for 30 minutes in 1 gallon of water, then:

1 gallon batch

1.5 lbs Brown Rice Syrup
2oz Molasses
3oz Buckwheat honey
1oz maltodextrine

.3oz Fuggles @60
.15oz East Kent Goldings @15
.05oz East Kent Goldings @10

Cooled, pitched S-04 and dumped 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into the primary jug.

I know it is a lot of spice, but my spices never come through...EXCEPT when I brew Fall Harvest Mind Crusher mead, which uses 1/2 Tablespoon in 1 gallon. So we'll see.

I would just like to say this turned out to be an excellent beer. It has a slight, roasty (almost pumpkin) flavor with a hint of cinnamon at the back end. If I make it again, which I might next fall, I'd do 3 gallons. I don't think I could handle 5 gallons of any pumpkin beer, but I wish right now I had more than the 1 gallon I brewed.

Congratulations! Always nice to have an experiment turn out well.

This looks interesting! Might try it