Modifying a seasonal extract kit

[WildernessBrewing]

Hey guys! This is my first here, but I'm a long time lurker.

Please forgive me if this belongs in Recipes/Ingredients or Extract instead.

I'm starting out with Extract brewing and I've learned a ton. Have had two great batches (an IPA and an ESB) so far thanks in no small part to the great community and wealth of information here. The first two brews were standard, stick-to-the-instructions kits from my LHBS. The only modifying I did was the hop bill and schedule. For my third brew, I purchased and am planning on doing the Switchblade Jack Pumpkin Ale from Jasper's Homebrew to have an autumn seasonal around.

The recipe PDF can be found here.

My questions are as follows:

(1) First, has anyone else brewed this kit? I know Jasper's is highly recommended, but I'm wondering how this kit in particular has turned out for anyone.

(2) I've been plugging the grain bill into a few online calculators and it seems that, even with the brown sugar adjunct, a 7.7% ABV is a little unrealistic. Especially considering that S-04 is recommended, which by most accounts seems to have a lower attenuation around 70-75%. Most calculators put this grain bill into the territory of 6.6%. That being said, adding 1lb of Light DME and an extra half lb of brown sugar seems to put it closer into the correct ABV range at that attenuation rate. Would the extra lb of DME offset the dryness from any extra sugar additions? What would the other side effects be of adding an extra 1.5lb of fermentables?

(3) Can anyone recommend any additional modifications? I'm especially partial to the taste and aroma of ST Pumking (obviously I know this isn't really close to a Pumking clone). I was considering skipping the can of pumpkin puree, as I've heard you'll end up losing 1/2 - 1 gal of final volume and that most of the 'pumpkin' flavor comes from spice additions anyway. I was also considering a 1/2oz addition of Sterling at about 10-15 min left in the boil.

(4) Last question, does anyone have a lot of experience fermenting with S-04. I know it's typically used for English ales, but I hear a lot of people use it for it's aggressive and compact floccing. If I do modify the fermentables, I'll be at an OG of 1.080. Is this high enough to justify rehydrating another half a pack (or whole)? What kind of yeast flavors can I expect from 04, and is there really any benefit to using it vs US-05 in this particular recipe?

Thanks in advance guys, I love this place.

 

[mrgrimm101]

1.) I have not. I've brewed Brewer's Best Pumpkin Porter before and added some pumpkin (baked and then steeped)

2.) Anytime you add ingredients you have to be aware that you could be throwing off the balance. The extra DME could potentially throw off the bitterness and hop flavors..although it might not. The extra brown sugar may dry it out slightly..although it may not. They might balance eachother and it could work out..I would say the only way to know is to try it out.

3.) True, most of the traditional "pumpkin" flavors are in the spice. You will still get some vegetal flavors from the pumpkin puree that will blend with the spice. For my pumpkin porter, I baked canned pumpkin in the oven and then steeped it with my grains. Additionally, I wanted to replicate the taste of pie crust so I prepared a homemade vanilla extract using 1 whole vanilla bean and about 4 oz of plain vodka. I sliced open and scraped out the vanilla bean, and then chopped up the seed husk and tossed it in a small plastic container with 4 oz plain vodka. I let it sit for about 2 weeks and added it to the bottling bucket on bottling day. I wish I had done 2 beans instead of just 1.

4.) I usually use US-05, but every time I have used S-04 I've gotten good results. It's super fast..my pumpkin porter was done after about 3 days of aggressive fermentation. Even with US-05, I often rehydrate 2 packs just to give it a little extra. I started using 1 and a half packs but I thought (well I can't really save the extra half pack, and I don't want to throw it out..) In your situation, I personally would rehydrate 2 packs. S04 gives more fruity esters, so it will be more in line with English style ales than American style.

 

[WildernessBrewing]

Thanks for your excellent response. I'm all set to brew this weekend and I'm definitely going to take your advice and do two vanilla beans for the vodka solution. I'm a little torn between using US-05 and S-04. I've heard some people say they've gotten some odd flavors with 04, especially when brewing a bigger beer.