Pumpkin Ale Question

[illinibrew04]

So, I'm going to brew my first pumpkin ale recipe in the next couple weeks. I have read conflincting things about when to introduce the pumpkin. I'm going to use real pumpkin roasted in the oven. I've read that there are virtually no sugars worth converting in a pumpkin if you mash it, so you should add it in the boil. I've also read about people who do mash the pumpkin. Which do you guys prefer, and is there any benefit in doing some in the mash and boiling some?
Thanks for the help!

 

[jeff]

My first pumpkin ale is just about ready for bottling. I mashed 3lb of the pure canned pumpkin. Made for a rather slow sparge, but never completely stuck. I then added the spices at flameout. Pumpkin flavor is subtle, but it's there, just how I wanted it.

 

[illinibrew04]

Sounds good. Do you think the canned pumpkin is better?

 

[Professor Frink]

I've also heard you probably won't get any conversion from the starches in the pumpkin from mashing it. I've always put canned pumpkin in the boil with 10-15 minutes left. With real pumpkin, you can probably do the same or add it a little earlier. Just make sure you've adjusted your final volume, because you'll leave about 1 gallon behind when you rack to secondary.

 

[TheH2]

Not to make it more confusing.

I've heard that it is better to add to the secondary (I believe Smuttynose) and let sit for a couple weeks. Apparently this brings out the pumpkin flavor a little more. I've never done a pumpkin before but plan trying this method when I attempt the pumpkin ale. I just need a weekend to brew.

Has anyone else hear of this technique. I actually think Smuttynose pumpkin ale is lacking so maybe this is a bad method. I like the idea b/c it makes the brew day a little easier and just a little extra work when transferring to secondary.

 

[carpe3dm]

I do my pumpkin by adding the spices at the begining of the boil and adding canned pumpkin to the fermentor once fermentation starts. This gives the beer a noticable pumpkin flavor/feel. However, if you are using fresh pumpkin it would probably be worthwhile to add at the end of the boil to ensure sanitization. Either way, there is no real need to add it to the mash.

 

[carpe3dm]

For what it's worth, I can confirm smuttynose does in fact add it to the fermentor not the kettle.

 

[efreem01]

I just did the Spiced Pumpkinny ale from the recipe database. I mashed 7lbs of pumpkin at 155 for 45 minutes along with the grains (in different bags). Then i dumped the post-mash pumpkin in a cake pan. As the 90 minute boil progressed, i scooped pumpkin from the cake pan into the wort. I think after the mash, all the pumpkin actually added to the beer is an orangish color and mouth feel.

I tasted the finished product after cooling and it's amazing. I can't wait to open one up in ~6 weeks. As a note, i did a 3.5 gallon boil and added an extra 1/2lb of Crystal 20L.