Suggestions on first recipe?

This is the first recipe I have ever pieced together... I made this for the seasonal and previously asked what i should do for the seeds (i have decided to do both steep and secondary).
I posted it in the recipe forum just to get it in there and possibly get feedback there as well, however it seems not many people are checking it out; anyone have any suggestions as to this recipe, ingredients, hops, techniques, etc?

Pumpkin Seed Porter

Recipe Type: Extract w/ specialty
Yeast: WYeast 1338 British Ale II
Yeast Starter: Not necessary
Batch Size: 5gal
Original Gravity:
Final Gravity:
IBU:
Boiling Time: 60 mins
Color: Dark
Primary Fermentation: 7 days, 68oF
Secondary Fermentation: 14 days, 68oF

Ingredients:
6.6 lb Amber LME
12 oz (0.75 lb) Chocolate Malt
8 oz (0.5 lb) CaraAmber
4 oz (0.25 lb) Crystal 40L

1 oz Northern Brewer (60 mins)
0.5 oz Cascade (60 mins)
0.5 oz Bullion (30 mins)
1 tsp Irish Moss (15 mins)

4 cups Raw Pumpkin Seeds
1 tsp Cinnamon
¼ cup Brown Sugar
Olive Oil Cooking Spray

-Cover cookie sheet with tinfoil and spray with olive oil. Spread out pumpkin seeds on sheet and lightly spray seeds. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on top of seeds. Bake at 350 for roughly 15 min, turn seeds. Continue to bake at 350 for roughly 10-15 min more or until seeds are starting to brown or lightly burn. Gently crack seeds and place in muslin bag with specialty grains

-Bring 2 gal to 170 oF, steep specialty grains and pumpkin seeds for 30 min, discard (or make some doggie treats with the spent grains)
-Stir in both cans LME, 1oz Northern Brewer hops, and 0.5 oz Cascade hops and bring to boil for 30 mins
-Add 0.5 oz Bullion hops and continue boil for 15 mins
-Add Irish Moss and continue boil for 15 min
-Remove from heat, place 3.5 gal cold water into primary fermenter, then hot wort
-Cool to 65-75 oF then add yeast.

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6 cups Raw Pumpkin Seeds
1 tsp Cinnamon
¼ cup Brown Sugar
Olive Oil Cooking Spray

-Cover cookie sheet with tinfoil and spray with olive oil. Spread out pumpkin seeds on sheet and lightly spray seeds. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on top of seeds. Bake at 350 for roughly 15 min, turn seeds. Continue to bake at 350 for roughly 10-15 min more or until seeds are starting to brown or lightly burn. DO NOT CRACK SEEDS THIS TIME
-Let seeds cool slightly, place in secondary fermenter
-Rack beer onto seeds
-After time in secondary, filter through hop bag to bottling bucket to bottle


Should have a very heavy mouthfeel and taste with notes of Pumpkin Seeds (go figure).
Feedback is always a good thing!

Let me see if I got this right: You're adding 4 cups toasted pumpkin seeds to the mash, and 6 cups to the secondary? First of all, I think that the reason you're not getting feedback may just be that not many people have ever tried this before.

My inclination would be to skip the olive oil, and dry-roast the seeds. No need to add the spices to the toasting process either, just add to the boil and secondary. You should probably coarse-grind the seeds after roasting - I'm not sure why you say not to crack them. But I don't know, I'm just guessing so take that for what it's worth.

Do let us know how it turns out!

Hmmm... maybe enough olive oil to make it nonstick then. The reason for the spices is, it seems, that of the other people that have used seeds in their recipes (the few that have) have always spiced them a bit. Im pretty sure the cinnamon will be lost to the beer but it might add a nice aroma to it.

The when putting them in the secondary, I said not to crack them because it would get a lot of grit in there, however I realize that i said to rack it through a hop bag to collect any debris. In this case, I will be editing it to say crack them so more flavor comes through.

Thanks for the suggestion! See, we make the world a better place here on HBT!

Your recipe isn't getting suggestions in the database, because it isn't there. I moved it. The recipe database is a source for only proven, solid recipes. It's designed so that anybody can find a reliable recipe to brew without making any changes at all. We require tasting notes in the recipe database, so without tasting notes, the recipe is moved to the appropriate "recipe" forum!

gotcha. sorry about that. once it's proven, it'll be back (if it's good).

pwndabear said:

gotcha. sorry about that. once it's proven, it'll be back (if it's good).

Click to expand...

Good plan!