Autumn Seasonal Beer Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale (AG and Extract versions)

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I searched through the thread but didn't see anyone asking/answering this question:

I am going to be building a mash tun out of a cooler in a few days and plan on making this recipe and using the baked, canned pumpkin. I was wondering if putting the pumpkin in a nylon grain bag and then putting that in my mash tun would help out at all on the slow sparging that has been mentioned repeatedly?

I just brewed this on Saturday and with a pound of rice hulls and I had no problem sparging at all. It was a little slower but not the 4+ hours some had.
 
Do you just throw the rice hulls in the mash with all the other grains and the pumpkin? Or do you put them in after steeping the grains?
 
I have a couple of questions...I am fairly new to homebrewing and completely new to this forum. I bought the ingredients for the Extract version of this ale last night, but wasn't thinking and only bought 6.25# of Malt Extract Syrup. Based on what I have read online I believe I should have multiplied that by 1.2 and bought 7.5# since the recipe calls for Dry Malt Extract. As I thought through it I had three thoughts and am looking for a more experienced brewers opinion as to which is the best...

1.) Brew it with 6.25# thus being low on fermentable sugar and ending up with a lighter less alcoholic end product.
2.) Go back to the store and buy more Extract.
3.) Add some molasses to the boil (probably about a cup - 12 ounces) to make up for some of the lost fermentable sugar. I have seen other pumpkin ale recipes that include molasses.

Any suggestions as to which would be best...#2 is obviously the safest, but I am kind of curious about the molasses.

Thanks.
 
I have a couple of questions...I am fairly new to homebrewing and completely new to this forum. I bought the ingredients for the Extract version of this ale last night, but wasn't thinking and only bought 6.25# of Malt Extract Syrup. Based on what I have read online I believe I should have multiplied that by 1.2 and bought 7.5# since the recipe calls for Dry Malt Extract. As I thought through it I had three thoughts and am looking for a more experienced brewers opinion as to which is the best...

1.) Brew it with 6.25# thus being low on fermentable sugar and ending up with a lighter less alcoholic end product.
2.) Go back to the store and buy more Extract.
3.) Add some molasses to the boil (probably about a cup - 12 ounces) to make up for some of the lost fermentable sugar. I have seen other pumpkin ale recipes that include molasses.

Any suggestions as to which would be best...#2 is obviously the safest, but I am kind of curious about the molasses.

Thanks.

I am pretty new also but I would either get more DME or use some sugar. Molasses may impact the flavor.
 
HEADS UP!

I just got back from a three store shopping search to find canned pumpkin. According to Fred Meyer (NW Walmart-ish chain) Libby's had some sort of mix up at the manufacturing plant and it's going to be a month before the next batch hits the stores. The place I found it in only had three cans on the shelf.

Get your pumpkin now, or order online if you plan on making this.
 
Reviving this one...On page 3 there is a conversion for 5 gallons. I plugged the 15 gal recipe into BeerSmith and came out with these numbers:

Brew Type: All Grain
OG: 1.053
IBU: 14
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Volume: 7.67 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 % (I get around 68%)

7.70 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1.83 lb Crystal Malt 60L
0.92 lb Biscuit Malt
0.37 lb Wheat, Flaked
1.10 lb Rice Hulls
60.00 oz Pumpkin (Canned) (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
0.82 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min)
0.55 tsp Clove (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.55 tsp Nutmeg (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.10 tsp Allspice (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.10 tsp Cinnamon (Ground) (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) Yeast-Ale

Anybody else get different #'s when converting down to 5 gallons?

I came out with:

Brew Type: All Grain
OG: 1.053
Batch Size: 5.0 gal
Boil Volume: 3.53 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %

7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1.67 lb Crystal Malt 60L
0.83 lb Biscuit Malt
0.33 lb Wheat, Flaked
60.00 oz Pumpkin (Canned) (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
0.92 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min)
0.25 ginger root
0.50 tsp Clove (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.5 tsp Nutmeg (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Allspice (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Cinnamon (Ground) (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) Yeast-Ale

Why is it telling me my boil volume is only 3.53 gal?
 
I brewed this weekend. I did the extract version with the following changes:

- 6.25# Liquid Malt Extract (approximately half pale and half amber).
- 12oz (1 cup) Molasses to make up for some of the lack of malt from the Liquid vs Dry.
- 1 oz East Kent Goldings.
- 7.25# Fresh Pumpkin cut up and roasted in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour.

I am really looking forward to tasting it...Its going to be a tough wait til Halloween. :mug:
 
I'm going to mash the pumpkin like my friend at Alt Platz Brewery does. I may also use a dry yeast like S-04 instead of the WLP002. Here's the recipe:

21.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row)
5.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
2.50 lb Biscuit Malt
1.00 lb Wheat, Flaked
180.00 oz Pumpkin, Canned (a dozen 15oz cans)

2.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min)

0.75 oz Ginger Root (Boil 12.0 min)
3 Tablets Whirlfloc (Boil 10.0 min)
1.50 tsp Cloves, Crushed (Boil 5.0 min)
1.50 tsp Nutmeg (Boil 5.0 min)
3.00 tsp Allspice (Boil 5.0 min)
3.00 tsp Cinnamon (Ground) (Boil 5.0 min)

Yeast - English Ale (White Labs #WLP002)

Single infusion mash at 158° F for 45-60 mins
Mash out at 168°F
Sparge with 178°F water to collect 17.5g of wort
Boil 60 mins

Est OG: 1.057
Est FG: 1.018
Est ABV: 4.99 %
Bitterness: 13.0 IBU
Est Color: 14.2 SRM

Consider omitting the spices on brew day and adding them as a "tea" during clearing. See the extract version above for notes.


Is this still for 15gal?
 
I did 10 gallons a couple weeks ago, we had no problems at all sparging. I did have trouble finding the canned pumpkin, so yeah- buy it if you see it!
 
Brewed mine 10 days ago or so and last night it was at 1.015 from 1.054. The only thing is that the sample has hardly no pumpkin taste and I really only taste the clove and ginger now. When I brewed it the wort tasted exactly like pumpkin pie with whipped cream and was delicious. Now its just like a spiced beer. I thought it was going to retain more of the pumpkin flavor. Is this normal for those of you who brewed this before? And is it possible to get more of the pumpkin back using more pumpkin in a secondary? I brewed the AG.
 
The pumpkin flavor is bound to be subtle. I actually increased the amount after the first year's batch (thread was edited to reflect the updated recipe). Even so, the predominant flavors are indeed the spices and malt.

There have been arguments in other threads that pumpkin isn't even necessary, but I do think it adds a bit of complexity.
 
I am brewing this as I type and am adding the spices in the boil. I was wondering if you think "dry spicing" with the "spice tea" before bottling would add anything beneficial or would it be overkill?
 
I am brewing this as I type and am adding the spices in the boil. I was wondering if you think "dry spicing" with the "spice tea" before bottling would add anything beneficial or would it be overkill?
Taste it first - it may not need anything. If you find that it needs something, add a little at a time until it meets your expectations.
 
The pumpkin flavor is bound to be subtle. I actually increased the amount after the first year's batch (thread was edited to reflect the updated recipe). Even so, the predominant flavors are indeed the spices and malt.

There have been arguments in other threads that pumpkin isn't even necessary, but I do think it adds a bit of complexity.

Ok! Thanks Yuri, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t jack it up or something. It taste great and is clear as can be. I used 60oz in this batch and luckily the wife picked up 3 extra cans so I still have another 90oz at home. So I am thinking about brewing up another batch with 90oz and a tad more nutmeg and cinnamon. Since I used all fresh spices I scaled them down a little which I guess I should have done. But I would rather it be under spiced than over. I cant wait to get some of this on tap!

Maybe for batch #2 I should try the fermenting in a pumpkin…………

Thanks again for the recipe and the help!

Ryan
 
How about mashing and fermenting in a pumpkin? :D

I read a few threads about it but didn’t have the balls:cross: to do it on the first try. I wanted this beer to be ready for when I take the kids trick or treating. But since I have one done I may see what kind of trouble I can get into with the second! Hardest part is finding a big pumpkin this early.
 
By adding the spices as a "tea", how can you do this with the very fine spices? I see the very fine spices leeching out of a tea bag.

Also, when using beersmith to scale the recipe down to 5 gallons, what mash profile should I choose? I use a 15 gallon keggle to mash in and I do a batch sparge.
 
man i was so excited about this beer. but i bottled it today and it taste like i used lemonade as my base. completely sour i just hope it mellows out enough to drink in a few weeks.
 
By adding the spices as a "tea", how can you do this with the very fine spices? I see the very fine spices leeching out of a tea bag.

Also, when using beersmith to scale the recipe down to 5 gallons, what mash profile should I choose? I use a 15 gallon keggle to mash in and I do a batch sparge.

The "tea" refers to boiling the spices in some water to sanitize. The boiling water extracts the spices flavors and you have a sanitized, spice flavored, solution you can safely add.
 
Cool, thanks. Would it be beneficial to use ground ginger instead of ginger root since it is in a fine powder that will boil well in that "tea"?
 
I have read the entire 19 pages of posts and am excited to try my first Pumpkin Ale using the recipe YR has posted and updated.

I am curious though to see if anyone has ever tried using a Pumpkin Extract instead of the actual Pumpkin in a recipe. I have found several locations for extract (liquid) and might try to brew a batch using it.

Check out their product: http://www.faeriesfinest.com/E154.html

My biggest concern is the loss of body due to using no actual Pumpkin and the overall O.G. obtained during the mash.

Obvious advantage would be no stuck run off.

Anyone have any comments on this possibility?

Salute! :mug:
 
Yuri, if you used beersmith, which mash profile did you choose?

Also, what do you think about ground ginger instead of the ginger root?
 
I brewed a batch of this tonight with a couple of substitutions...

7.5# Light LME
1oz Goldings
S-04

The 60oz of pumpkin was EXTREMELY difficult for me to find. I went to every grocer in the area(including 2 different Walmart's), but I finally found some organic pumpkin at the whole foods store. The money I saved going with LME, more than paid for the extra cost of organic pumpkin.

I didn't add the spices yet. I'm going to wait until I move it to secondary like the recipe indicates. Right now, it's sitting in a swamp cooler in my newly configured fermentation chamber of sorts...really it's just a wooden bathroom closet. lol

In any case, this is my second batch and I corrected most of the mistakes that I made in my innagural brew. The first being...Relax. Don't Worry. Have a Homebrew. :mug:

I tried to strain the pumpkin away as I poured it into the fermenter, but the strainer got clogged...haha...so I abandoned that endeaver. Oh well, my first batch yielded a crapload of trub too.

I plan on kegging this brew, which will be my first kegged beer!

OG 1.055
 
hot diggity, getting ready to brew this puppy this week but, as many others, i have a question.

1. Is there an conversion to use fresh pumpkins? 60oz canned /= 60oz fresh cubed? i want to try my hardest to retain some pumpkin flavor, I understand that most of it is lost, but since I just brewed a Holiday spice I don't need it to be similar..
 
I brewed this for my housewarming party and people loved it. I'll definitely be keeping this recipe around, thanks Yuri!
 
I followed the recipe exactly as its listed. Just make sure that when you buy the canned pumpkin you don't unintentionally buy it pre-spiced ( I did that with my second batch, and I'm waiting to see how that will effect things).
 
I highly recommend intentionally undershooting the spices during your brew day and adjusting to taste with the "tea" method.

Well ****...I didn't put any spice in during the brewing, and am waiting to add them in the secondary like the recipe stated.
 
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