Pumpkin Ales

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Parrothead

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I am planning out my pumpkin ale now, and got the all grain kit from Northern Brewer. I did it last year and loved the recipe but wanted to increase the pumpkin taste. This year I plan on adding 2 pounds of pumpkin and 2 packets of pumpkin spice instead of 1 packet/pound. My question is, should I add all spices at the end of the boil like the recipe says? Or half at end of the boil and Half in the secondary or all in the secondary? Thoughts?
 
If you know that is the spice level you want go ahead and add it all. You could also add half, then before bottling/kegging taste it, and if the spice isn't what you like you can add more at that point (boil it in your bottling sugar)
 
Are you using whole pumpkin cubes, or canned pumpin puree?

I make my pumpkin ale with two 28 oz cans of Libby's or orangic Pumpkin Pie mix in the mash and then an additional 2 tbs of pumpkin pie spices at flameout. It turns out like liquid pumpkin pie. There are spices in the pumpkin pie mix in the mash that add to the bases of spices.

Proven results! Try it!!
 
Any opinion on heating up the strike water with the pumpkin puree in a paint strainer bag to keep the pulp contained. Then just adding that to the mash? Isn't that the same effect as throwing the whole thing in the mash?
 
I BIAB, so my pumpkin is already in a bag, and a good bit still gets through. If you are doing a traditional mash, you can put the pumpkin puree directly in the mash, but you are going to have to use rice hulls either way to prevent a stuck sparge. A bag just doesn't keep enough in.
 
I have 100% pure pumpkin in a can. Last year I put 1 pound in the mash. No issues with a stuck spathe, however I was very cautious. Have 2 pounds this year. Thanks for all the tips. Does the boil have any effect on the potency of the spices?
 
My last Pumpkin Ale I made was my best, everyone loved it and said I nailed it. I used 2.5 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice added at the last 2 min of the boil. I like to at least give it a pinch of boil time to better break down the oils into the wort. Go too long though and I think it weakens the spice flavoring.


Rev.
 
Appreciate the comments Rev. Definitely a huge concern with breaking down the spice too much. I think I may do a packet at end of boil and then one in the secondary.
 
Hey Rev, do you mind sharing your recipe? I am looking for a good one to brew next week and it's been hit or miss using the search function and the recipe section (lack of feedback).
 
mike20793 said:
Hey Rev, do you mind sharing your recipe? I am looking for a good one to brew next week and it's been hit or miss using the search function and the recipe section (lack of feedback).
Click to expand...

I don't mind at all. Be sure to get a good runoff and sparge:

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Pumpkin Ale 3 (AG)
Brewer: Rev
Asst Brewer:
Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 14.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 28.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 79.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (1.7 SRM) Grain 53.33 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt (8.3 SRM) Grain 17.78 %
2.00 lb Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (3.8 SRM) Grain 17.78 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 8.89 %
0.25 lb Special B Malt (147.0 SRM) Grain 2.22 %
1.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.10 %] (60 min) Hops 21.4 IBU
0.50 oz Mt. Hood [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 7.4 IBU
2.50 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Boil 2.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale
4 15oz Cans of Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin (I will be trying 3 cans next. 4 really sticks the mash)

Bake Pumpkin at 350 for 60 minutes - pumpkin goes into the mash so watch your temps
Protein rest at 132 for 20 minutes
Mash at 158 for 60 minutes
Double batch sparge


Rev.
 
What possible issues would you run into baking the pumpkin the night before and putting it in the fridge (besides temp calculating for the mash)?
 
Also to do with Rev's recipe, would you even need to bake the pumpkin. As it was already cooked before canning? Do you think it adds any particular flavor?
 
RainyDay said:
What possible issues would you run into baking the pumpkin the night before and putting it in the fridge (besides temp calculating for the mash)?
Click to expand...

Baking a fresh pumpkin would be fine I guess, but I don't think there's any need to bake the puree. Has anyone been able to attribute a particular flavor to baking the puree before adding? Have you done one non baked and one baked?
 
DanaDana said:
Also to do with Rev's recipe, would you even need to bake the pumpkin. As it was already cooked before canning? Do you think it adds any particular flavor?
Click to expand...

I'm skeptical personally. I think someone that has the time to do a side by side should do that then report back. :p
 
AR-Josh said:
I'm skeptical personally. I think someone that has the time to do a side by side should do that then report back. :p
Click to expand...

I remember reading somewhere that the point of baking it was to caramelize some of the sugars making them more ferment-able.

Also, anyone have a 'tried-and-true' extract recipe for a pumpkin ale? I'm not quite ready to do an AG batch. Still need a bit more equipment and I would like to start the ale soon to give it time. Thanks!
 
You bake the pumpkin to bring out the pumpkin flavor a bit more and IMO add a slightly roasted taste more similar to a cooked pumpkin pie. You don't have to roast it if you don't want, but for me one hour of roasting pumpkin while I prep isn't a problem. The recipe I posted, which I made myself, was done with roasting the pumpkin, so if you don't roast it I can't say what the difference in flavor will be.

And yeah, most people I've seen post refer to the caramelization aspect.


Rev.
 
Did Jamal's recipe last year everyone loved it. 5 pound of baked pumpkin in the mash. Not to bad only had to clean pump out once. I would recommend his recipe. Have requests to brew it again this year.
 
There is nothing to convert/ferment in pumpkins, roasted or otherwise. As stated above, roasting is intended to add a dimension of flavor beyond that of unbaked canned pumpkin puree.
 
bigbeergeek said:
There is nothing to convert/ferment in pumpkins, roasted or otherwise. As stated above, roasting is intended to add a dimension of flavor beyond that of unbaked canned pumpkin puree.
Click to expand...

So why not just add it to the boil? Question not directed at you but the immediate question that comes to mind.
 
I roast it because roasted pumpkin tastes better than raw or boiled pumpkin. Roasting it makes the pumpkin taste better and that was the pumpkin taste I wanted in the beer.
 
AR-Josh said:
So why not just add it to the boil?
Click to expand...

Because your fermentor will end up with 10 inches of pumpkin puree in the bottom of it. Adding it to the mash gives you the pumpkin-y texture/"flavor" without the mess ending up in the kettle or taking up fermentor space. Alternatively, many brewers choose to add it to the boil because pumpkin can make for sticky mashes.

Picture of a pumpkin beer:

PumpkinBeer.jpg
 
bigbeergeek said:
Because your fermentor will end up with 10 inches of pumpkin puree in the bottom of it. Adding it to the mash gives you the pumpkin-y texture/"flavor" without the mess ending up in the kettle or taking up fermentor space.
Click to expand...

This is exactly why. My first pumpkin I added it to the boil... I'll tell ya I only got a little over half the amount of beer in bottles than usual due to all the trub and how much beer it soaked up. I'll never do that again. In the mash it is for me. I won't even get into how badly it kept clogging the spigot on my Blichmann.


Rev.
 
I'm going to give either this recipe or dogfish head punkin clone a try soon. Both say add the pumpkin in the mash but that has me a little nervous about stuck mash and hitting my temps.

My plan is to stir in grain to water at 166* and throw the pumpkin on top, quick stir and close the cooler lid. Should I have a higher strike temp because of the added pumpkin? Or I was thinking I could roast the pumpkin and hold in the oven at 166* (hopefully my oven is accurate) then throw into mash.
 
I'd estimate a good 75% of commercial pumpkin beers have NO pumpkin in them. I've brewed several pumpkins with and without actual pumpkin, and from my experience you don't taste the pumpkin whether you roast it or not, put it in the mash or boil, etc. I personally use pumpkin puree in the mash, simply because that is where it is easiest to work with.

What pumpkin DOES add is heavier protein profile that certainly does add a certain unique mouthfeel to the body of the beer. Otherwise, you can make a perfectly good pumkin beer by adding the right spice mix to an amber ale.
 
TopherM said:
you can make a perfectly good pumkin beer by adding the right spice mix to an amber ale.
Click to expand...

While I agree the pumpkin adds body/texture and not flavor, a spiced amber ale is not a pumpkin beer (no more than a sour ale is a fruit beer). I'm no style-Nazi, but I wouldn't call a beer a "pumpkin ale" unless it actually has pumpkin in it. Otherwise it's a "spiced ale" in my book. To each their own, as always.
 
What about the crazy idea of making a weak pumpkin stock and using it as your brewing water? Roast the seasoned pumpkin chunks, pour over water and add the stringy pumpin guts, boil and reduce, strain, check the pH, adjust and use to brew with. I like the idea of using Butternut Squash and other Gourds to reinforce the squash flavor. I just don't like a pumpkin beer that tastes like sweet pumpkin pie.
 
I've done 3 Pumpkin Ales and 1 Pumpkin Saison (yummy). I dice and roast a sugar pumpkin the night before and roast it. I also use canned pumpkin, sweet potato and butternut squash and roast those also. I add the pumpkin to the mash along with 1/2 the puree. The other half of the puree goes in the boil. We usually take out some of the pumpkin from the mash and throw that in the pot also.
 
bigbeergeek said:
I'm no style-Nazi, but I wouldn't call a beer a "pumpkin ale" unless it actually has pumpkin in it. Otherwise it's a "spiced ale" in my book. To each their own, as always.
Click to expand...

Which is probably why Pumpkin Ale falls under the "Spice/Herb/Vegetable" category. So everyone can have their piece of the pie. :tank:
 
I was toying with a new Pumpkin recipe. Tell me what you guys think. I was curious what yeast would be best. At first, I thought what about Wyeast 3942, with the apple and clove notes. Seems good for this style. Then, I switched my mind to go with either WLP011 European Ale or Wyeast London 1968. Also considered using Biscuit or Special Roast here. Is this enough squash for the batch size? I was just going to mash with it, not carry it over to the boil and primary. If I do boil it after the mash, it's not going to be with the wort, but with plain water before I add the DME. After the boil, I was going to strain it through a sieve and use the "squash stock" as my base, add the DME, add the wort collected from the grain and brew as normal. What say you? I don't want a lot of trub in my primary since I won't be racking to secondary.

4.2 gal batch
3.4 gal boil
------
1.063 OG
<1.017 FG
33 IBUs
10 SRM (without the squash)
------
Mash 60 min 10 oz. Butternut Squash, Roasted
Mash 60 min 16 oz. Sugar Pumpkin, Roasted
------
29% Simpsons Golden Promise
29% Muntons Extra Light DME
14% Great Western Munich 9L
7% Torrified Wheat
7% Simpsons CaraMalt
7% Piloncillo (was considering rubbing this sugar on the squash halfway thru roasting)
7% Victory Malt
------
60 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
40 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
30 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
20 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
------
Whirlfloc
Yeast Nutrient
------
Wyeast London ESB 1968 w/starter
------
Spice tea made with the following spices steeped in water, and then added at flameout (should I add some hops?):
------
-Cloves
-Cardamom, Green
-Cinnamon Sticks
-Allspice berries
-Nutmeg
-Orange Zest
-Vanilla Bean
-Ginger
------
Primary 30 days @ 66 F w/Amylase Enzyme
 
@bobbrews: Malt bill is not too far off from mine (I don't use victory). I bitter at 60min (13IBU) and add a small amount at 10min (2IBU). I think that enhances the spices. I've used S-05 and S-04 yeast. Think I like the S-05 better but it's a tough call. The ESB yeast should work well. I use 6 (15oz) cans of veggies and a medium sugar pumpkin for 15 gallons. You might want to step up the squash some more. I know you're a chef but Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice is to die for. :ban:
 
TopherM said:
I BIAB, so my pumpkin is already in a bag, and a good bit still gets through. If you are doing a traditional mash, you can put the pumpkin puree directly in the mash, but you are going to have to use rice hulls either way to prevent a stuck sparge. A bag just doesn't keep enough in.
Click to expand...

I all grain do u have this recipe u speak of.... And rev do I half to do that protein rest..... I mash in a cooler
 
Primevci said:
And rev do I half to do that protein rest..... I mash in a cooler
Click to expand...

Not at all, you can just do a single infusion mash. I've not tried my recipe without the 132 rest so I can't really say the difference it makes. I got the idea from some other pumpkin recipes I'd seen and decided to implement it for the heck of it.

Rev.
 
Poobah58 said:
@bobbrews: Malt bill is not too far off from mine (I don't use victory). I bitter at 60min (13IBU) and add a small amount at 10min (2IBU). I think that enhances the spices. I've used S-05 and S-04 yeast. Think I like the S-05 better but it's a tough call. The ESB yeast should work well. I use 6 (15oz) cans of veggies and a medium sugar pumpkin for 15 gallons. You might want to step up the squash some more. I know you're a chef but Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice is to die for. :ban:
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I already have all those spices in my cupboard. The good thing is that they're fresh and whole, not ground. I wanted to make a spice tea with them by steeping in a bit of the hot wort and adding just as much of the filtered spice tea to the batch as needed for desired flavor. I think this will work really well with the whole spices. Obviously, I'll have to grind down the nutmeg and ginger a bit, but the rest can be kept whole. I'll crack the cinnamon sticks in half, grate the ginger, and split the vanilla bean. If you think about it, it's sort of the same concept as those holiday spiced teas that tell you to steep in hot wine or hot cider. Good idea, I'm just making my own concoction on a large scale.
 
bobbrews said:
I was toying with a new Pumpkin recipe. Tell me what you guys think. I was curious what yeast would be best. At first, I thought what about Wyeast 3942, with the apple and clove notes. Seems good for this style. Then, I switched my mind to go with either WLP011 European Ale or Wyeast London 1968. Also considered using Biscuit or Special Roast here. Is this enough squash for the batch size? I was just going to mash with it, not carry it over to the boil and primary. If I do boil it after the mash, it's not going to be with the wort, but with plain water before I add the DME. After the boil, I was going to strain it through a sieve and use the "squash stock" as my base, add the DME, add the wort collected from the grain and brew as normal. What say you? I don't want a lot of trub in my primary since I won't be racking to secondary.

4.2 gal batch
3.4 gal boil
------
1.063 OG
<1.017 FG
33 IBUs
10 SRM (without the squash)
------
Mash 60 min 10 oz. Butternut Squash, Roasted
Mash 60 min 16 oz. Sugar Pumpkin, Roasted
------
29% Simpsons Golden Promise
29% Muntons Extra Light DME
14% Great Western Munich 9L
7% Torrified Wheat
7% Simpsons CaraMalt
7% Piloncillo (was considering rubbing this sugar on the squash halfway thru roasting)
7% Victory Malt
------
60 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
40 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
30 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
20 min 0.5 oz. Mt. Hood pellet 3.5
------
Whirlfloc
Yeast Nutrient
------
Wyeast London ESB 1968 w/starter
------
Spice tea made with the following spices steeped in water, and then added at flameout (should I add some hops?):
------
-Cloves
-Cardamom, Green
-Cinnamon Sticks
-Allspice berries
-Nutmeg
-Orange Zest
-Vanilla Bean
-Ginger
------
Primary 30 days @ 66 F w/Amylase Enzyme
Click to expand...

When you move the wort from the boil kettle to the fermenter do you usually filter to remove the trub or leave it in?
 
I leave most of the trub behind in the kettle after an extended whirlpool. Then, I will usually rack/filter from kettle to carboy with my auto-siphon wrapped with a nylon mesh bag. In the case with the pumpkin, I prefer to leave it in during all stages aside from the secondary, if doing.
 
I just did a PM pumpkin ale with two cans of Libbys. I added my pumpkin spice with 5min left in the boil, 1/4tsp of vanilla, 1/4 tsp of maple flavor at flame out. Smells amazing.

I will say that I don't think I'll use canned pumpkin again unless I can come up with a better way to strain the pumpkin trub. I used a fine strainer but I still think I have quite a bit. I baked the pumpkin on a cookiesheet @ 350 for 1 hour. The only thing I think I did different was mixing the brown sugar into the pumpkin and baking it like that. Not sure how it will effect the flavor, but it sounded good at the time.
 
Last year I ended up making a Pumpkin/Coffee stout. I added 30oz of canned pumpkin to the boil without any spices addded. I transferred the pumpkin & trub into primary which I had a hell of a time filtering out when it was time to keg the beer. At the end of the day the beer had absolutely no pumpkin flavor.

To make up for this I ended up infusing cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and pumpkin spice into a shot of Greygoose vodka and let it sit for a week. I then dumped the shot into the keg. The results were a pretty strong (but not overwhelming) spiced stout.

This year I am going to skip the pumpkin altogether and add the infused vodka to a light ale base.:mug:
 
made your version rev. I didn't get a stuck sparge but it was possiable the slowest sparge in my brewing history lol.. smelt great espically after the spice addtion..... can wait to try this
 

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