Pumpkin Ale--- Need help with spices

Gonna brew up a pumpkin ale as my next batch and I need some help...... I plan to use American 2-row and not sure on the hops yet but my question is, How to spice it? I have read about using pumpkin pie spice. Anyone used this?

I would rather not use canned pumpkin due to the "waste" and extra space needed in the fermenter. I plan to use pumpkin pie spice (or something similiar) but I need some guidance. How much, when to add, how many times to spice during the boil, how much to add to the secondary? I would disolve the spices in water prior to adding to the secondary. I am looking for a nice spice profile when finished, not just a "hint" of spice. Sorry but I cannot think of a commercial brew to compare too.

I know some out there can point me in the right direction. I am open to any and all recipes that are PM or extract.

Thanks!!!

Well, it won't really be a "pumpkin" ale with pumpkin. You could get whole pumpkin and cut it into little squares, then roast it, then put those in the boil. You won't have to worry as much about the canned solids then.

Here's my recipe from last year. Spiced very nicely, IMHO, but you should amend your spice bill depending on your OG, etc., because this mutha was really an imperial pumpkin...

Imperial Punkin' Pie

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

10-B American Ale, American Amber Ale

Min OG: 1.045 Max OG: 1.060
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 48
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 17 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 12.23
Anticipated OG: 1.082 Plato: 19.67
Anticipated SRM: 11.1
Anticipated IBU: 40.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.45 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.063 SG 15.48 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.30

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
24.5 3.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
9.7 1.19 lbs. Crystal 10L America 1.035 10
49.0 6.00 lbs. Briess LME- Gold America 1.035 4
8.2 1.00 lbs. Generic DME - Light Generic 1.046 8
4.1 0.50 lbs. Brown Sugar Generic 1.046 4
4.1 0.50 lbs. Maple Syrup Generic 1.031 35
0.4 0.05 lbs. Black Patent Malt America 1.028 525

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 23.6 90 min.
1.00 oz. Tettnanger Pellet 4.00 6.7 15 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.75 0.8 2 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Whole 5.75 9.5 90 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.25 Oz Canned Pumpkin Fruit 90 Min.(boil)
0.50 Tbsp Cinnamon Spice 90 Min.(boil)
1.00 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Spice 90 Min.(boil)
0.25 Tsp Nutmeg Spice 90 Min.(boil)
1.00 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Spice 20 Min.(boil)
0.25 Tbsp Cinnamon Spice 2 Min.(boil)
1.00 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Spice 2 Min.(boil)
0.75 Tbsp Coriander Seed Spice 2 Min.(boil)
2.00 Tsp Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

Danstar Nottingham




Notes
-----

Spread canned pumpkin on baking sheet(s), roast in 350° oven for 60 mins during mash

The only problem with doing Pumpkin Spice and not Pumpkin Ale is that without the pumpkin those spices taste, to put it bluntly, like crap... What i would do is put it in the boil but filter a lot out... Maybe step up what amount you're formulating for, example: you want 5 gallons, brew it for 7, the sediment in primary from the pumpkin will take up around a gallon (dunno haven't brewed mine) and from misc sediment another gallon...

Without pumpkin that takes all the fun out of it.. I think the problem with not using pumpkin is that you'll have a really odd flavor profile.

Evan! said:

Well, it won't really be a "pumpkin" ale with(out) pumpkin...

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that...I mean Coca-Cola doesn't have cocaine in it anymore... Just call it a "Spiced Ale".

I've made several Pumpkin Pie Ales and were not overly pleased with them.

One took over 2 years to mellow and still I was not pleased. If I ever make another one I won't use any pumpkin either.

If you use only spices go easy on the cloves and ginger. These can lead to especially harsh flavors. Allspice sounds nice, but you don't know the percentages of each spice so I really recommend leaving that out and mix your own.

To me pumpkin is a flavorless binder to contain the spices.

Check the recipe databases on-line for spiced ales and lighten up on some of the ingredients.

Good luck.

Be careful with the nutmeg, you can easily overdo it with that spice

homebrewer_99 said:

Allspice sounds nice, but you don't know the percentages of each spice so I really recommend leaving that out and mix your own.

Click to expand...

There's no way to "mix your own" allspice. It's not, depsite what many think, a mix of "all spices" or any number of spices. It's a distinct spice:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allspice

99's right, though...for the same reason's you'd go easy on cloves and ginger, take it easy on the allspice, too (if you decide to use it).

Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper, pimento[1] , or newspice, is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The name "allspice" was coined by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of several aromatic spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Flavor
Allspice has a complex aroma, hence its name. It is an aromatic spice with a taste similar to a combination of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, but hotter and more peppery.

Click to expand...

Bike N Brew said:

There's no way to "mix your own" allspice. It's not, depsite what many think, a mix of "all spices" or any number of spices. It's a distinct spice:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allspice

99's right, though...for the same reason's you'd go easy on cloves and ginger, take it easy on the allspice, too (if you decide to use it).

Click to expand...

Oops, brain fart...I stand corrected...

What I REALLY meant was "Pumpkin Pie Spices". Those are pre-mixed....stay away from them.

homebrewer_99 said:

Oops, brain fart...I stand corrected...

What I REALLY meant was "Pumpkin Pie Spices". Those are pre-mixed....stay away from them.

Click to expand...

Yeah, pre-mixed is dumb anyway, just google pumpkin pie mix and you'll come up with a lot of different mixes for it...

Here's mine and I've gotten some pretty good reviews from it.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23489
I'd recommend using canned pumpkin in yours. Just brew a larger batch to compensate for the "pumpkin trub"

Pumpkin pie ale is second on my list right now. I am reading trying to find recipes and such, there is an episode of the Jamil Show about spiced beer and he spends a good amount of time talking about pumpkin beers. Here are the tips I can come up with off the top of my head:
-Start with a good base beer, light amber, ~30IBUs
-Add hops for bittering and flavor, let the spice/malt be the dominant aroma
-Be very conservative with the boil spice additions.
-Make a spice extract by steeping spices in vodka, strain with coffee filter then add at bottling/kegging

Some things that I have thought of:
-Don't copy someone else spice schedule exactly, you never know how old there stuff was or how much stronger yours might be
-Don't just use "Pumpkin Pie Spice" you might not be using the same spices in the same ratio as the brand of the person who you got the recipe from

So with all that said, I am going to use canned pumpkin that has been caramelized and boil it in a bag, then add it to the fermenter (using the bag so I can get the hops and break material out). I am going to probably buy a new 7 gallon bucket to the primary (it will become the apfelwein bucket after this). Add a very small amount of spice in the boil and taste test and add extract later.

I have been looking into Pumpkin ales as well. I think the largest piece of advice is to go easy on a spice no matter what you use. It's always better to have a slight hint when you're playing with spices than to go over the top. I plan on deciding on a spice schedule and then using 1/2 to 3/4 at flame out and then see how it taste in secondary and decide if I want to add more.

Good luck!

"Pumpkin Pie Spice" is not that bad. I used it in mine, and it turned out really good.

Evan! said:

"Pumpkin Pie Spice" is not that bad. I used it in mine, and it turned out really good.

Click to expand...

I guess what I meant was if a friend said I used 1 oz. that might not work for you depending on age and brand, etc.