fermentation in a pumpkin?

I am planning my pumpkin ale for this year. I've seen videos and articles on doing primary fermentation in a pumpkin... Is this possible?
Anything I should know ahead of time?

I've seen those videos too. Personally I'd be worried about the cleanliness of the pumpkin. Not saying it can't be done, or hasn't worked, but sanitization would be a concern.

If you want to do the pumpkin thing, it seems safer to serve the beer out of a hallowed out pumpkin rather than ferment in the pumpkin. At least then the alcohol in the beer should prevent anything bad. If you're serving out of pumpkin, like at a Halloween party, the beer has minimal contact time with the pumpkin.

I suppose you could hollow the pumpkin and use sanitizer inside it, then half your wort into 1 pumpkin and the other half into a bucket or something else so worst case is the pumpkin was bad now you have half a good batch?
Good luck let me know how it turns out

Good idea, and I will be posting a detailed step by step for this brew..
It's gonna be by far my most complex brew thus far.

You captured my interest. Subscribed.

That's a cool idea. Post lots of pics, too!
Now I'm thinking about a giant pumpkin beer dispenser for a Halloween party.

A buddy of mine did it. Turned out great. Here are some hints:

- Don't use sanitizer on the inside. Unnecessary
- Clean out the pumpkin right before you need it. Use a poker of sorts to make a hole in the "lid" for your airlock
- Make sure the wort you put in there is on the cooler side (<60*F)
- Pitch a generous amount of yeast to ensure they dominate the wort before any other microorganisms even get a chance
- Leave it in the pumpkin 3-4 days MAX. Transfer to secondary. This is one of the only times I'd ever recommend a secondary because that thing goes from looking fine to disgusting in no time


Good luck!

Reno_eNVy said:

A buddy of mine did it. Turned out great. Here are some hints:

- Don't use sanitizer on the inside. Unnecessary
- Clean out the pumpkin right before you need it. Use a poker of sorts to make a hole in the "lid" for your airlock
- Make sure the wort you put in there is on the cooler side (<60*F)
- Pitch a generous amount of yeast to ensure they dominate the wort before any other microorganisms even get a chance
- Leave it in the pumpkin 3-4 days MAX. Transfer to secondary. This is one of the only times I'd ever recommend a secondary because that thing goes from looking fine to disgusting in no time


Good luck!

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soooo; If you are only doing a 4 day initial fermentation in the pumpkin, what's the point? Are you getting pumpkin flavors? Most of the "pumpkin" flavor we are acustom to are actually from the pumpkin pie spices we add. I always was of the impression that the purpose was to have a cool serving vessel, like a centerpiece at a party. N'est Pas?

You gotta get something from four days of active fermentation in a pumpkin.

I was thinking about something like this for the fall harvest when we have our own pumpkins but I was thinking about making some sort of secondary addition of pumpkin guts and spices somehow. Haven't really thought much about it other than my gf loves pumpkin beer. This is an interesting idea though. Go for it!

There are several threads about it on here. Do some digging and you'll find them.

Ive seen the following.
condition beer normally in a keg, carb lightly. Prepare pumpkin right before party. Cut the top off with very small hole , just around the vine. Rinse the pumpkin by shaking with cold water and pour out. Install a melon tap (not sure proper name) at the bottom of the pumpkin , not to low or you will tap the pumpkin bottom and not have access the the chamber itself. fill the pumpkin with the keg lightly carbed brew , put in fridge and let get cold. Im not sure how long he had in cooling but it wasn't long maybe few hours. drink up. The first few beers will be more potent but keep filling it up and it will flavor more beer than you think.Not scrapping out everything in the pumpkin and not hollowing it out is the key. Leave everything in that doent rinse out,seeds and all. Instead of dry hoppin your dry pumpin lol

Probably no point "sanitizing" something porous like a pumpkin. Anything inside the pumpkin will be throughout the flesh.

Sounds like a fun project.

Thanks guys... I am definitely going to do it. I know that real pumpkin can give the beer sone vegetal flavor if you use enough. And I plan on making this the most pumpkin-y beer ever.
I plan on roasting 10 pounds very heavily... From what I've gathered id you roast it till it is basically caramelized you can draw some great flavors from it.
I'll post my recipe here to get some feedback if you don't mind.
I'll post it tonight.
Thanks for the help.

the only thing I got on youtube when I searched fermenting in a pumpkin was a bunch of drunk squirrels after eating rotting pumpkins. lol

use the pumpkin as a firkin. I think fermenting in it is kind of risky. Plus, serving out of it is very cool for a party