Ever heard of pumpkin jack?

Once upon a time an acquaintance described to me a magical drink called Pumpkin Jack. Anyone can make it he says. It's as simple as simple can be.

1. Buy pumpkin
2. Clean out the inside of the pumpkin
3. Fill with 5# white table sugar
4. Top off with water
5. Add packet of bread yeast
6. Put in a bucket and wait 6 months
7. VIOLA! Pumpkin Jack

Being very ignorant in regards to brewing I dove in head first at this idea.

Since starting this monstrosity of a brew in October, I have learned quite a lot about the brewing process (primarily beer).

I'm wondering if anyone else as ever heard of something like this and what your thoughts may be on the potential palatability of this concoction.

Thanks &

FYI: It is still in the primary with an airlock installed and been at a relatively stable temperature of 60-65 F. I have peaked in and there is no evidence of infection.

That sounds like a vile concoction made of hooch and fail. Seriously, white sugar and bread yeast? Please tell me you're making more than just this, otherwise it sounds like you're making this under your bed so your parents don't find it.


I remember seeing a thread a few years ago where someone tried to make pumpkin beer inside a pumpkin, with disastrous results. the problem being there's no real way to sanitize the inside of a pumpkin, and it's porous, allowing air and microbes to get inside.

I've heard a similar recipe for marrow, called marrow rum. Same thing more or less, but I don't think that yeast was added and it was allowed to go naturally. I heard of it in the context of someone on another forum asking what they could do with marrows, and that was the only sensible suggestion that came accross.

There's a recipe for marrow rum, a few of them just fill with dark sugar and no yeast and then they all tend to hang it over a jar to catch the drips.
http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=492

try this link for info on brewing in a pumpkin

The Epi-Log on Epicurious.com: How To Brew Beer In A Pumpkin: Part Two

i have not tried it but it seems more likely than the one you listed or try

Brewing in a pumpkin - a set on Flickr

Thanks everyone. You have confirmed my suspicion that this is more of an urban legend than a viable homebrew venture. What's that they say about hindsight being 20-20?

This is good news because I can dump out the buckets to free up some secondary fermenters for my beer brewing; which is using proven ingredients and equipment.

Apparently squirrels in MN know this "pumpkin jack" well...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ikH9ZRcF2Q]YouTube - Drunk Squirrel[/ame]

I'm not sure why, but I immediately thought of this:



Good stuff though...

You could do a pumpkin wine, the modern way and be better off. Clean out a pumpkin, chop up the insides. Throw them in a fermentor, throw some campden tablets in to sanitize, then add the water and sugar to reach a desired OG. Ferment in the proper manner, with good brewing yeast and bam, less hooch, hooch.

telemaster said:

Thanks everyone. You have confirmed my suspicion that this is more of an urban legend than a viable homebrew venture. What's that they say about hindsight being 20-20?

This is good news because I can dump out the buckets to free up some secondary fermenters for my beer brewing; which is using proven ingredients and equipment.

Click to expand...

I think it's more the execution that you were given that's more like an urban legend, the recipes I've provided are real.