Fall Soda Recipe

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Brew-Happy

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I had this idea and could not find any useable recipes so I am starting one.

If you are interested in this, please experiment and keep it posted. I think a seasonal soda would be great at seasonal parties, especially when I get a small keg setup.




Fall Soda

Total volume: 2L(~0.5gal)

Ingredients


4Tbl canned pumpkin
1.5Tbl Ginger, fresh ground
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup&dark corn syrup(adjust to preference)
1Tbl ground spices: cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, clove(pumpkin spice will probably do)
1/4tsp yeast(preference)


Directions

1. In 1 quart water boil pumpkin for 10mins. This will darken the pumpkin a bit.
2. Steep spices in hot water for 10mins. (Did this in a tea bag after grinding the spices.)
3. Add sugars, syrups, ginger, and spice water to boiled pumpkin.
4. Strain mixture into dispensing container.
5. Bring volume to 2L.
6. Cool to add yeast
7. I put the soda into 20oz bottles, but you can do what you prefer here: 2L bottle or keg at scaled up volume.
8. Let sit until bottle(s) are hard.
9. Chill for at least 2 days, but more helps the flavors.


Notes:

-There is a small amount of sediment on the bottom of the bottles. This from the pumpkin. Need a better strainer. Muslin bag?
-Carbed up quickly.
-Tastes great, but I will adjust the pumpkin level up some.
-Try more cinnamon.
-Nut extract?
 
I'm very interested in trying something like this- tell me more about the taste, though, please. Is it not "pumpkin-y" enough? Is it like a ginger ale with a hint of pumpkin? I love homemade ginger ale, so this might be next for me.
 
A few days in, it is more like ginger soda with a hint of pumpkin. The ginger is mellowing out a bit. I am getting more interested in a pumpkin soda, so I will probably cut back on the ginger a bit and up the pumpkin. The spices didn't come out as much as I hoped, so I may steep longer at nearly boiling water.

There are so many flavor variables with this idea. Which is why I posted it here. Hoping that others will try adjusting the recipe. More minds = more refinement.



Fall is my favorite season, so this is an extension of that enjoyment. In fact, I am considering using fresh acorns that are right outside to add a nutty flavor. After I wash away most of the tannins of course. I was amazed with the lack of recipes out there for a fall soda. Next is to develop a Winter soda, but that may have to wait.


Thanks Yoop for the interest in this.
 
Update:

The original recipe was a bit more on the ginger side, but it did get better when left in the fridge for a week or so.

The next batch was more pumpkin and less ginger.

Ingredient changes:

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbl ground fresh ginger
same amount of sugar
4L of total water volume this time

This was much better. Smoother flavor with more pumpkin up front. This gets better when fridged for a couple of weeks.

The only draw back is sediment in the bottles is greater since I can not filter out most of the pumpkin debris. A fine mesh filter and pump would work or possibly allowing it to settle in the fridge before bottling. Then rack off of the top of the sediment.

The spices still aren't coming through, which means they are getting old on me (more than a year old now, maybe closer to 2yrs).

Next year's batch will be more maple sugars and newer spices.

Next up is Spring soda ideas. More to come later.
 
are you using real maple syrup or maple flavored syrup (pancake syrup)? Also is it 1 Tbls of each spice or 1 Tbls overall?

At the time I used maple flavored syrup. It would be best if real maple syrup was used.

The spices totaled 1 Tbl. So divide it up into equal portion of each spice or increase one over the other for your preference. The next time I make this, I will probably increase the spices because I like that flavor.
 
If you roast the pumpkin first you should see more flavor. Roast until you smell it. Otherwise consider a syrup. Go to a coffe shop that has syrups and "sample" some. Brands are Monin and Torani. I've only used Monin. They also have a ton of other flavors. Props for using actual pumpkin.

A chinois(shin-wah) will filter most of the sediment. You can find them a restaurant supply store. Then through cloth or paper if you want.

Caramelizing the sugar would fit these flavors. But more importantly get new spices. Unless it's booze, cheese or ham 2 years is terminal!
 
I made a one gallon batch of it which comes to about 11 twelve ounce bottles. It didnt really taste like pumpkin pie to me or my friends. Not to say it was bad, just different. The interesting part for me was about half the bottles were very over carbed and the other half were a wee bit under carbed. The overcarbed ones had a very pronounced ginger taste, more so that the other half. I will probably try it again in the future and tweak the spices a bit.
 
I made a one gallon batch of it which comes to about 11 twelve ounce bottles. It didnt really taste like pumpkin pie to me or my friends. Not to say it was bad, just different. The interesting part for me was about half the bottles were very over carbed and the other half were a wee bit under carbed. The overcarbed ones had a very pronounced ginger taste, more so that the other half. I will probably try it again in the future and tweak the spices a bit.

Excellent! Glad you enjoyed enough to try again.

I think the next time I do this one I will toast the pumpkin in the oven. This might add more flavor.

I think I had some bottles that did the same with carbing. They went so fast I can't remember them all :p
 
I recently moved to a small town in Ontario that has a Pumpkin Fest every year. It's the biggest thing this town ever gets because it's a small farm town where everybody knows everybody kinda deal.

As a home brewer & Chef I decided to vend an Apple Pumpkin Spiced Cider Soda to change it up. I was going to JUICE the pumpkin in my juicer and crock pot the liquid with my spices. Less sediment that way. But don't throw away the pumpkin crap after you get your juice, make some muffins or something with it!

But if it's still such a big deal with the sediment, as a homebrewer you should have a carboy and an auto siphon. Just let it settle for a couple hours and siphon off what couldn't be strained? Also I decided to use apple juice to keep from watering down all the flavor. Haven't tried it yet but will try to repost when I do!

Good luck with future sodas and cheers!
 
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