Pumpkin Pie Mead (fermented in a pumpkin)

This was an experiment that turned out well. One of my co-workers heard me talking about making a pumpkin pie mead for Thanksgiving, and sarcastically said I should make it in a pumpkin, so I did.

The batch size was limited to one gallon by the size of the pumpkins at King Sooper (grocery store).

Ingredients:
3 lbs honey (ambrosia, I think)
1 oz fresh ground nutmeg
1 oz allspice
0.5 oz cinnamon

Make a jack-o-lantern (without a face [leakage = bad], but feel free to draw a face on it). Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add ingredients and boil for ten minutes. Cool, and pour into the pumpkin. Add water to nearly-fill the pumpkin. Ferment in the pumpkin until obvious signs of the pumpkin turning bad, such as mold growing around the cut top of the pumpkin (my primary fermentation was ~10 days). Rack into secondary (not another pumpkin).

I did not add any yeast nutrient, because I figured the yeast would have all the nutrient it needed from the pumpkin. Before bottling, I had to clear the mead with TurboKleer (two-part flocculant).

This mead went fast - I need to brew a larger batch. I'm thinking I could get one of those 100+ lb pumpkins around Halloween. I found a bottle a couple years later that I had hidden from myself; boy was that a treat!

Tremendous!

Clever! Can you cook and eat the pumpkin afterward? Not the moldy part, of course. But the rest of it -- too grody? If edible, one could slice the pumpkin very thin and dry it out in the oven to make a bar snack. To eat during the mead drinking. Circle of life.

How long before this was drinkable? thinking about a batch in the fall

Goofynewfie said:

How long before this was drinkable? thinking about a batch in the fall

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I drank some at Christmas (3 months, say), but it really improves with a year's time. I find it hard to wait that long. The last bottle I drank was about two years old and simply delicious!

I am making this! thanks

Did you have any issues with bugs being attracted to the pumpkin? How did you store this? I'm assuming it was a considerably large pumpkin if it held 1 gal...Did you add the yeast in at the same time as the other ingredients? Also, how much yeast did you use? all of it? Sorry for so many questions. I'm new to this and just playing around with projects right now... Considering trying this tonight! Thank you for sharing!

Also, how does this NOT explode on you? I feel as though this recipe sounds a lot easier than it is...

Fizzyizzy said:

Did you have any issues with bugs being attracted to the pumpkin? How did you store this? I'm assuming it was a considerably large pumpkin if it held 1 gal...Did you add the yeast in at the same time as the other ingredients? Also, how much yeast did you use? all of it? Sorry for so many questions. I'm new to this and just playing around with projects right now... Considering trying this tonight! Thank you for sharing!

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Pitching Yeast: I pitched one whole package of D-47 yeast, which is meant for 5 gallons.

Bugs and Storage: I did not have a problems with any bugs. It was stored inside on my counter top.

Exploding: The pumpkin to was cut open to remove the innerds, like a jack-o-lantern. So it was not sealed, thus no pressure was able to build up. You don't need an air lock; just put the top of the pumpkin back on.

Size of Pumpkin: I found it difficult to find a pumpkin larger than the one I did. It help a bit more than a gallon inside.

One thing I did not mention is that mold began to grow on my cut-open pumpkin after 8-10 days. That's when I decided to rack it. It will not look pretty when you rack it, but hang in there!After the secondary, add the turbo-clear and it'll clear up nicely. Let it age in together; don't bottle it for a while (couple months).

Good luck with your brew!

I wonder if you could brush some RealLemon onto the cut surface. Obviously not to let that get into the mead but,
Lemon juice retards oxidation in apples, pears, bananas and avocado... Brush some on after stirring each day... Might be worth a try.

I got this started this evening. It's going to be interesting to do, and it cracks me up to use a pumpkin as my primary . One big question...that is one HONKING big load of spices!!!!! I had to breathe through my tee shirt while keeping an eye on it as it boiled!!! Has anyone made this with whole spices? It might be a little less, um, hazardous to breathe around . How strong is the spice flavor in the end with the ground spice mix?

springmom said:

I got this started this evening. Ty's going to be interesting to do, and it cracks me up to use a pumpkin as my primary . One big question...that is one HONKING big load of spices!!!!! I had to breathe through my tee shirt while keeping an eye on it as it boiled!!! Has anyone made this with whole spices? It might be a little less, um, hazardous to breathe around . How strong is the spice flavor in the end with the ground spice mix?

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Spices can be more or less strong depending on their freshness. My nutmeg was whole nutmegs that I ground up. The others were powdered from the store. This amount of spices tasted just fine - not too strong. However, the spices are definitely something you could adjust. If you're concerned about it, perhaps you could use less.

It smells absolutely awesome! And today my house smells like I'd been baking spice cookies . Not to complain! I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I have friends already clamoring for the recipe and I'm only one day in

springmom said:

It smells absolutely awesome! And today my house smells like I'd been baking spice cookies . Not to complain! I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I have friends already clamoring for the recipe and I'm only one day in

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I should also note that if it ferments dry, the spices could taste overpowering. Be sure to sweeten to taste. I hope it turns out as awesome as it smells!

Guess I'm stopping and getting a pumpkin on the way home...this is awesome

Are the following by weight or volume?

1 oz fresh ground nutmeg
1 oz allspice
0.5 oz cinnamon

loki008 said:

Are the following by weight or volume?

1 oz fresh ground nutmeg
1 oz allspice
0.5 oz cinnamon

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Dry ingredients are *always* measured by weight.

springmom said:

Dry ingredients are *always* measured by weight.

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Thank you very much. I am used to teaspoon of this or tablespoon of that.

Right. Let me rephrase... If it says oz. for a dry ingredient that means by weight. A pound of pinto beans is, well, a pound, not 2cups. Sorry for my muddling of the question

I picked up a pumpkin to get this started. While preparing this I got thinking that you could make pumpkin wine, like this one http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques53.asp in a pumpkin or a one gallon cider recipe in a pumpkin. You could go on and on.
I need more pumpkins!

The mead had to go into the secondary today, due to encroaching fuzziness on the cut (had no real lemon to try my thought of treating it). I was only able to recover about 3 quarts of the gallon so in a moment of inspiration (?) added apple juice to the mix. Hey, it's harvest mead now, maybe...at any rate, it's now in secondary. I do think it's going to be special!

Would rinsing off the inside of the pumpkin with 151 do anything to prevent mold? Anyone have any pictures of this?

Hm. I don't know how the alcohol would affect the newborn yeast...Yooper? Calling all yeast experts...!

As for pix, ew. Just patches of fuzzy grey mold starting up on the cut surface. Nothing growing inside the pumpkin that I could see. I postulated using real lemon then didn't have any at the moment I needed it :facepalm:

rideincircles said:

Would rinsing off the inside of the pumpkin with 151 do anything to prevent mold? Anyone have any pictures of this?

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I believe the 151 would sterilize the pumpkin at first, but would evaporate shortly after being applied to the pumpkin. The citric acid (lemon juice) idea isn't bad. When I do this again, I'm gonna give that a go.

My pumpkin pie mead seems to have sort of slowed to a stop in the carboy and it's way too soon for it to be fermented out. Suggestions?

Why do you think it has stopped? Also what yeast did you use, some are quicker than others

Goofynewfie said:

Why do you think it has stopped? Also what yeast did you use, some are quicker than others

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Its airlock is just sitting there. The other wines I've bottled have obvious pressure in the locks; this one, not so much. It's within two weeks of them being racked the first time, so it shouldn't be quite so lackadaisical, I wouldn't think.

I used Montrachet...not quite a full packet, as I'd used one fifth of it on my blueberry wine (which is happily humming along in the same closer so it's not the yeast itself I don't think.) can I add yeast nutrient at this point or would that be useless?

Aaron said:

...This was an experiment that turned out well. One of my co-workers heard me talking about making a pumpkin pie mead for Thanksgiving, and sarcastically said I should make it in a pumpkin, so I did...

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That's totally insane... I love it.

I had to talk to myself very sternly so as to not make a hot dog flavored ale recently. I tend to take such sarcastic comments as a challenge.



Airlock activity isn't necessarily indicative of yeast activity. It's fairly easy to end up with a brew that has a slight leak in the cap or bottle where the pressure is escaping. I'd suggest taking gravity readings a couple days apart. If it isn't dropping much then pitching some yeast energizer and/or nutrient may be in order.

That would be rather unusual though, I would have expected a fair amount of nutrient laden material to have ended up in the brew from the pumpkin.

Good idea. Thanks.

Hey. I am totally going to try this! It is such a awesome ide! Just one question. Did you use cambden tablets when you added the must into the pumpkin? Or did you add it to the must 1-2 days earlier then add to the pumpkin.

No Campden tablets for me. If anything on this planet can live amidst all that allspice and cinnamon, God bless it. But I doubt it could.

Seriously, everything was sterilized except the pumpkin itself and it had just been carved and scraped. No need for them in my opinion.

Thats awesome. Thanks. I am looking forward to trying this recipe!

Checked my SG one week after racking and its 1.000. I guess it is fermented out, though I'm surprised, so soon. Added just a touch of apple juice to top it up a hair.

How long did it take you to get it fermented out?

thiessenace said:

Hey. I am totally going to try this! It is such a awesome ide! Just one question. Did you use cambden tablets when you added the must into the pumpkin? Or did you add it to the must 1-2 days earlier then add to the pumpkin.

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I did not use any sulfites for this recipe. If you are worried about it go ahead and use them. Or, I would highly recommend using a yeast that inhibits growth of wild yeasts, for example Lalvin EC1118, as an alternative to sulfites. Either way, just make sure you get the yeast into the pumpkin quickly so it can get established.

springmom said:

Checked my SG one week after racking and its 1.000. I guess it is fermented out, though I'm surprised, so soon. Added just a touch of apple juice to top it up a hair.

How long did it take you to get it fermented out?

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I didn't take a measurement until ten days in and it was pretty much finished by then. Don't forget to sweeten to taste with honey or brown sugar. Let me know how it turns out.

I got only 8 days in my primary pumpkin. I went ahead and did pumpkin wine in one pumpkin and in another pumpkin cider. I grated the flesh of a couple off all sugar pumpkins and added to the primary. Also I taped on cheesecloth over the hole of the pumpkin primary fermenters this time, that is the area to go first as the pumpkin rots.

springmom said:

I wonder if you could brush some RealLemon onto the cut surface. Obviously not to let that get into the mead but,
Lemon juice retards oxidation in apples, pears, bananas and avocado... Brush some on after stirring each day... Might be worth a try.

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I don't think getting a bit of lemon in it would hurt the flavor and might help. I have done melomars with lemon before.

Some people use lemon or orange juice to adjust the acidity of the mead so it is more yeast friendly.

Threw together a batch of this tonight, and so did my roommates. Smelled amazing on the stove, can't wait to sip on this this winter. If all goes well I could see this becoming an annual tradition!

Hey. Does anyone use acid blend? I am totally new to the game of mead. Just wondering because i heard from the local brewing store that acid blend is required.

Cant find a big enough pumpkin?

Using pumpkin as a fermenter sounds fun, but you could easily scale this up adding the pumpkin to your fermenter instead. But yes, putting the mead in the pumpkin sounds funner than putting the pumpkin in the mead.