My first Pumpkin Beer

So before I saw the Thunderstruck recipe I found this one on BYO. It is my first Pumpkin beer so I am going to need some insight from the wise ones. I already bought the ingredients for this batch (which is why I am not going to do the Thunderstruck...yet.

Ingredients
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) Muntons Extra Light dried malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Northwestern Gold liquid malt extract
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) CaraPils malt
5–6 lbs. (2.3–2.7 kg) pumpkin (cubed)
5 AAU Cascade hops (60 mins)
(1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dried ale yeast
0.75 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
1.Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Heat 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C).

2. Place crushed grains in steeping bag and steep grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. When pumpkin is ready, add chunks to grain bag and add cool water (to maintain 152 °F (67 °C) temperature).

3.Combine grain and pumpkin "tea," dried malt extract and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the start of the boil.

4. Add liquid malt extract and spices with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C).

*** I am going to bake the pumpkin per the messages on this thread. Does boiling it make any difference?Thoughts?

***I am confused about step 2. I am thinking that I bake the Pumpkin first add it to the grain bag with the other grains and then steep for 45 min? Why would I add "cool water" if I am already at my mash temp? I am going to do the mash in my 10 gal Igloo Cooler minus the false bottom.

*** I am going to do the AG version of this next week ( My first AG) Should I add Rice Hulls to my Grain Bill? If so how much?

TIA,
Zman

Recipe looks tasty,

I did this last year (AG):
* 7.50 pounds Maris Otter 2 Row malt
* 0.50 pound Crystal Malt L40
* 3 oz. chocolate malt
* 0.5 pound wheat malt (HMD Belgian)
* 1 pound pumpkin flesh in the boil
* 2 ounces Hallertauer (3.2 % alpha, boil 60 minutes)
* 20g "McCormic Pumpkin pie spice" @ 15min.
* Wyeast American ale yeast


I feel my recipe did not have enough spices, I should have doubled the amount. And I definatly should have gone with at least 3lbs. of pumpkin.

zman said:

***I am confused about step 2. I am thinking that I bake the Pumpkin first add it to the grain bag with the other grains and then steep for 45 min? Why would I add "cool water" if I am already at my mash temp? I am going to do the mash in my 10 gal Igloo Cooler minus the false bottom.

Click to expand...

I think you are adding cool water to cool down the pumpkin (212deg) to mash temp. If it were me I would let the pumpkin cool by itself.


Good luck! :rockin:

zman! Looks like a good recipe. I may make some and forget about it until next Halloween. ...or until you get back to NY for a taste...